Whiskey Gulf – Review

A sailboat fails to arrive at its next port of call after crossing into “live fire” naval exercise area WG. The area’s radio call sign is “Whiskey Golf,” but mariners often refer to it as “Whiskey Gulf.” Charlie Noble is asked to investigate why the sailboat went missing, and what happened to the couple aboard. But he runs into a wall of secrecy erected by the American and Canadian governments, and into troubling questions about the real identity of the couple involved. Noble’s quest for the truth leads him up the Inside Passage to the remote British Columbia coast. There, with Raven’s help, he evades dangerous, shadowy figures also seeking clues about the couple and their boat. Then, he and Raven discover a hidden cove, which harbors answers about what really happened in Whiskey Gulf. But they must survive a vicious attack on their lives before returning with the truth. Set in the stunning wilderness of coastal British Columbia, Whiskey Gulf is a story about unearthing secrets others would rather remain forever concealed.

This is the third installment in a series based on the character of Charlie Noble and perhaps I should have read the first two in the series as I believe I would have enjoyed the story quite a bit more than I did.  Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to find out whodunnit so kudos in keeping my interest.  Yet, I felt like I was thrown into a the middle of a party where I was the only one who did not know anyone else in attendance.  Oh, and it would be a party of boating and military enthusiasts to top it off.  I know there is a starboard, a bow and an overboard when it comes to the sailing scene and there are numerous, detailed boat and military references throughout Whiskey Gulf so there were sections that were actually detracting.  The story is fast-paced and there is a level of suspense that was wonderful.  I did enjoy the banter between Charlie Noble and his sidekick Raven (actually Raven was my favorite part of the book) and I now want to visit British Columbia (some very nice descriptions).

It is obvious the author, Clyde Ford, knows his stuff.  I have visited his website and he is by no means a newbie to the writing biz.  I suppose the definitive subject matter is one of the reasons I am not familiar with his work. Overall, I did enjoy my time with Charlie Noble and his investigative adventures.  I believe those that share Mr. Ford’s passion would enjoy the experience tremendously.

Now, I mentioned Mr. Ford’s website.  Let  me tell you, there is an interactive section that is pretty neat.  Through iGeo, you are able to click on a place that is mentioned in the book and you will be flown there virtually with Google Earth or Virtual Earth.  That is awesome!!!  You start here to download the plug-in and then follow the instructions.  This really does add to the story.  When you have a moment, you can also listen to a podcast and view the trailer at the Whiskey Gulf website.

The following is a great video of Mr. Ford’s thoughts on the future of the book in this digital age.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnTVzSozTPY&hl=en&fs=1&]

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