Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford

Publisher: Vanguard Press/ Imprint of Perseus Book Groups
Pages: 255

From the Cover: What Really Happened in Whiskey Gulf?
After a sailboat drifts into a “livefire” naval exercise area known as Whiskey Gulf, it’s never heard from again. Maritime private investigator Charlie Noble is asked to discover what happened to the couple aboard. But he’s stonewalled by the American and Canadian military. Then he learns that a Middle Eastern agent has been dispatched to find the couple as well—an agent with an old score to settle from his days as a Coast Guard intelligence officer.
Ultimately, Noble and his partner, Native American salvage diver Raven, head north along the Inside Passage where a hidden cove harbors answers about what really happened in Whiskey Gulf. But in order to return with the truth they must first survive a vicious attack and escape the clutches of a deadly whirlpool. Set in the stunning wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, Whiskey Gulf is a story about unlocking secrets from the past that some people would rather keep concealed.

Charlie Noble, retired Coast Guard intelligence officer, is asked by the local yacht club to look into the disappearance of two of their members, William and Rebecca Kinsley. Their sailboat either had a machinery malfunction or was damaged in some other way, and wandered into the live firing range during operations in Whiskey Gulf, a small waterway between the United States and Canada.

As Charlie begins his investigation, he first believes that the Rebecca Anne became a victim of a live fire accident. But as he continues, things just won't add up for him. And everyone appears to have a secret agenda and hidden truths. Who were William and Rebecca Kinsley and why are they so important?

Also, a face from his past has come back to haunt him. Ali Sharik, once a valued friend and officer, has turned his back on his training to become part of the Jihad. When Charlie killed his terrorist brother to save his vessel, Ali swore revenge. Now, one of his best friends is gunning for him, and he may have to test the limits of his endurance, to choose live or death, for Ali or him.

Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford was military conspiracy at it's best. Not all of your friends are who they seem to be, friends may be enemies and enemies may be friendlies in disguise, and not everyone you once trusted in trustworthy. I had a blast reading this novel, even though I was unfamiliar with some of the boating terminology. After reading a few pages, I started picking the vernacular and enjoying the way it sounded. Charlie, our hero in this mysterious tale, is a retired officer who stood up for his values costing him his commission and forcing early retirement. Now, those same individuals are seeking his help. Charlie uses all of his expertise to search for this missing couple. With his Native friend and ex-seal Raven at his back, he wanders through the mystery hoping to find his answers before Ali finds him and the couple he's trying to protect.

Whiskey Gulf was an exercise in fun with action throughout the story. Whether tramping through the wetlands of the southern Canadian border or the Seattle water ways, Whiskey Gulf takes you on a slipper slope between this author's reality and fiction created by those who Charlie is supposed to trust. It was a fast fun read, loads of excitement, a sweet love story that let's you glimpse the enduring love between Charlie and his wife, Sharon, who lost her battle with cancer some five years ago, and his new love, Kate, fellow officer and lover, and a look into the inner workings and behind the scenes of the various military groups involved. If you'd like to take a walk through a good action mystery, then this read is for you. Although this novel is part of a series, it is excellent reading as a stand alone. For more information about Clyde Ford, please visit http://www.clydeford.com/ or http://www.whiskeygulf.com/. Thanks Susan Taft-Bourgo at The Perseus Books Group for my review copy.

Novels by Clyde Ford:

John Shannon in the East Coast Series (Shango Mysteries)
The Long Mile (2005)
Deuces Wild (2006)

Charlie Noble in the West Coast Series
Red Herring (2005)
Precious Cargo (2006)
Whiskey Gulf (2009)