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Dusky MacMorgan #1
Key West Connection
“When it comes to creating push-the-limits plots and loathsome bad guys” (Sarasota Herald-Tribune), Randy Wayne White is a master. This is the New York Times bestselling author at his vintage best—a violent plunge into the depths of the Gulf Stream as one man’s vengeance becomes another’s worst nightmare.... Ex–Navy SEAL Dusky MacMorgan survived a military hell only to find it again where he least expected it—as a fisherman trolling the Gulf Stream in his thirty-foot clipper. His new life is shattered when a psychotic pack of drug runners turns the turquoise waters red with the blood of his beloved family. Trained in the lethal arts, Dusky has only one recourse. Armed with an arsenal so hot it could blow the Florida coast sky-high, he’s tracking the goons responsible—right into the intimate circle of a corrupt U.S. Senator iving beyond the law in his own island fortress. It was built for ruthless power and perverse pleasure. Now it has to withstand the force of a one-man hit squad....
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1981
177 people are currently reading
1037 people want to read
About the author
Randy Striker
14 books32 followersA pseudonym used by Randy Wayne White
Series:
* Dusky MacMorgan
Series:
* Dusky MacMorgan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 3, 2013
This book is really a lot of fun, but it is pure pulp. The first book in one of those neo-pulp men’s adventure series that sprang up in the 70’s and 80’s. Written at the request of an editor at Signet who provided Randy Wayne White with a template for the protagonist. With additional thought White came up with: a young circus trapeze artist, part of a family act, knew Hemingway in Key West, orphaned, lied about his age to join the Navy, joined the SEAL’s, saw combat in Vietnam, and married the world’s most beautiful former Hollywood movie star. I kid you not, read White’s introduction. An improbable comic-book hero. Still, it’s interesting how the world of entertainment has changed. Look at all the comic book heroes in the movies now, in multi-million dollar productions, and the men’s adventure book series have all but disappeared (Mack Bolan seems to be, improbably, still hanging on. At any rate, the books are still being published). The Dusky MacMorgan series, as by Randy Striker, also disappeared for a while but has been reprinted under Randy Wayne White’s name. Nothing succeeds like success, and kudos to White for allowing his early series work to find a new audience. (I wonder if we’ll ever see Martin Cruz Smith’s work for the Nick Carter series reprinted. Probably not.)
There is enough gratuitous nudity, sex, and violence here for an HBO or Showtime series. Anyone at Warner Brothers or CBS/Paramount reading this?
“Dusky” MacMorgan ends up working in secret for the government against the villains, sort of modern day pirates and drug runners. The hero is really, really good, and the bad guys are really, really bad. One of our hero’s qualities is the ability to resist extraordinary sexual temptation. Not once, but twice. To be fair, on the first occasion, the bad guys were on the way to kill him, and would be there momentarily, but still…
You get writing like this:
Page 40: “Gently, I pushed her away from me. I was the madman, now. Oh, I was going to kill him, all right. Lieutenant Benjamin Ellsworth was about to die with the hands of a trashy high-school-dropout circus orphan at his throat. Oh yes, I could kill him. And make it last as long as I could”.
And writing like this:
Page 60: “A flower scented evening in the tropics, and I stared on as if from above; as if soaring among the cold, cold stars and the dark chaos of mindless universe: my loves lay scattered like broken toys…”
I enjoyed chapter 6 with our hero visiting D. Harold Westervelt, “the Edison of Death”, and getting outfitted with weapons. I visualized Terry O’Quinn for this character. I love the fake shark jaws, which allow our hero to kill his enemies at sea and make it look like a shark attack, complete with bites on the victims. I kid you not.
This book, and possibly this entire series, may be the ultimate beach read. Find a spot where you can look out over the ocean, and hear the waves and the gulls. A spot where you can hear the boats as they pass by, or the whumpf-whumpf-whumpf of personal watercraft off in the distance. Where you can smell seafood cooking; shrimp beginning to boil, perhaps. Maybe have a beverage. Read this book and let your mind take a vacation, also.
There is enough gratuitous nudity, sex, and violence here for an HBO or Showtime series. Anyone at Warner Brothers or CBS/Paramount reading this?
“Dusky” MacMorgan ends up working in secret for the government against the villains, sort of modern day pirates and drug runners. The hero is really, really good, and the bad guys are really, really bad. One of our hero’s qualities is the ability to resist extraordinary sexual temptation. Not once, but twice. To be fair, on the first occasion, the bad guys were on the way to kill him, and would be there momentarily, but still…
You get writing like this:
Page 40: “Gently, I pushed her away from me. I was the madman, now. Oh, I was going to kill him, all right. Lieutenant Benjamin Ellsworth was about to die with the hands of a trashy high-school-dropout circus orphan at his throat. Oh yes, I could kill him. And make it last as long as I could”.
And writing like this:
Page 60: “A flower scented evening in the tropics, and I stared on as if from above; as if soaring among the cold, cold stars and the dark chaos of mindless universe: my loves lay scattered like broken toys…”
I enjoyed chapter 6 with our hero visiting D. Harold Westervelt, “the Edison of Death”, and getting outfitted with weapons. I visualized Terry O’Quinn for this character. I love the fake shark jaws, which allow our hero to kill his enemies at sea and make it look like a shark attack, complete with bites on the victims. I kid you not.
This book, and possibly this entire series, may be the ultimate beach read. Find a spot where you can look out over the ocean, and hear the waves and the gulls. A spot where you can hear the boats as they pass by, or the whumpf-whumpf-whumpf of personal watercraft off in the distance. Where you can smell seafood cooking; shrimp beginning to boil, perhaps. Maybe have a beverage. Read this book and let your mind take a vacation, also.
May 30, 2025
With this book being published in 1981, I think this is the beginning of this writers career. Of course, story takes place on the coast of Florida with the main character being a retired Navy Seal who has transitioned into a charter boat captain.
“His new life is shattered when a psychotic pack of drug runners turns the turquoise waters red with the blood of his beloved family. Trained in the lethal arts, Dusky has only one recourse. Armed with an arsenal so hot it could blow the Florida coast sky-high, he’s tracking the goons responsible—right into the intimate circle of a corrupt U.S. Senator living beyond the law in his own island fortress.”
A great beginning to an outstanding career for this author
“His new life is shattered when a psychotic pack of drug runners turns the turquoise waters red with the blood of his beloved family. Trained in the lethal arts, Dusky has only one recourse. Armed with an arsenal so hot it could blow the Florida coast sky-high, he’s tracking the goons responsible—right into the intimate circle of a corrupt U.S. Senator living beyond the law in his own island fortress.”
A great beginning to an outstanding career for this author
August 2, 2024
Excellent…..
March 20, 2017
Dusky MacMorgan is a happy man, at least as happy as a recent Vietnam vet who worked Special Ops as a Navy SEAL can be. He has a beautiful wife and twin sons who love him dearly. He has his best friend from Nam working as a fishing guide on the same island. He has a commercial fishing boat that suits him perfectly. He has exactly what makes him happy – until he doesn’t have anything left but his boat.
Dusky’s first step into Hell occurs when his best friend is murdered at sea by drug runners intent on hijacking his boat. Another guide happens to see the hijacking through binoculars, pulls the body from the ocean and radios Dusky, who is only a few miles away. Dusky runs them down and kills the two hijackers that the fellow guide said were on the boat. Unfortunately, the guide didn’t see the third man. Dusky manages to overpower the man and is about to fatally dispatch him when a Coast Guard helicopter arrives overhead.
The Coast Guard arrests that third hijacker, but before the sun goes down, Benjamin Ellsworth is essentially a free man. It seems Ellsworth is on the payroll of a U.S. Senator and a team of Federal agents quickly appear, make the charges disappear and have Ellsworth on his way by the day of Dusky’s friend’s funeral. And this is not good for Dusky.
On the hijacked boat, Dusky had recognized Ellsworth as a narcissistic, egotistical and cowardly SEAL officer who had commanded his unit at one point in Nam. And before the Coast Guard arrested him, Ellsworth had told Dusky that he would get him for what he had done and that he would pay.
Five days, seven hours and thirty-some minutes later, Dusky paid. After the funeral of his friend, Dusky sent his wife and children home while he quietly walked the streets and docks of Key West, grieving both his friend’s death and the fact that his killer had gone free.
Heading back to his house about sunset, he felt it before he heard it. Moments later he saw it – his car in pieces and the bodies of his wife and children scattered about his yard in much smaller pieces.
It was supposed to be Dusky in that car. Most evenings, about sunset, it was his habit to drive back to the docks to check his boat’s moorings and security. But he was on foot that night and, apparently, his wife decided to check the boat for him. At this point, everyone who meant anything to Dusky is dead. And now, the guilty must pay.
This is Randy Wayne White’s debut novel, written when he used the pseudonym of Randy Striker. Originally published in 1981, the version I had access to was printed in 2006 and included an Introduction that explained how the book – and its characters – came into existence. According to White, this first of what would eventually be seven Dusky MacMorgan adventures was written in nine days on a manual typewriter with very little use of Wite-Out or re-typed pages.
The novel is full of clichéd dialogue, just like the average person really speaks. The dialects of the Southern island characters are spot on. The product placement and the physics of operating the size boat he commands are accurate and visually clear.
The action sequences feel, at first, a bit over the top. But then, when you read their details a second time, remembering the physical characteristics and backstory of Dusky MacMorgan, they feel more plausible. And White does not make anything easy for Dusky in his quest for revenge. In fact, more things go wrong than right, not because of poor planning or poor judgment, but because Dusky cannot possibly predict everyone’s every choice.
White writes Dusky as an intelligent and capable man, with the capacity to both access and evaluate his emotions. You feel that you are right there seeing, thinking, and feeling exactly as he does. It is a clear ride through his mind even when he explores the reasons he considers committing suicide and the reasons why he doesn’t.
Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford series is far more sophisticated than that written about Dusky MacMorgan. However, this first entry in that first series is nothing to complain about. The character of Dusky may be more extroverted than that of Doc Ford and the action may come a bit faster and more in-your-face, but White’s ability to get to the heart of the matter and the heart of the man is clearly evident in both.
Dusky’s first step into Hell occurs when his best friend is murdered at sea by drug runners intent on hijacking his boat. Another guide happens to see the hijacking through binoculars, pulls the body from the ocean and radios Dusky, who is only a few miles away. Dusky runs them down and kills the two hijackers that the fellow guide said were on the boat. Unfortunately, the guide didn’t see the third man. Dusky manages to overpower the man and is about to fatally dispatch him when a Coast Guard helicopter arrives overhead.
The Coast Guard arrests that third hijacker, but before the sun goes down, Benjamin Ellsworth is essentially a free man. It seems Ellsworth is on the payroll of a U.S. Senator and a team of Federal agents quickly appear, make the charges disappear and have Ellsworth on his way by the day of Dusky’s friend’s funeral. And this is not good for Dusky.
On the hijacked boat, Dusky had recognized Ellsworth as a narcissistic, egotistical and cowardly SEAL officer who had commanded his unit at one point in Nam. And before the Coast Guard arrested him, Ellsworth had told Dusky that he would get him for what he had done and that he would pay.
Five days, seven hours and thirty-some minutes later, Dusky paid. After the funeral of his friend, Dusky sent his wife and children home while he quietly walked the streets and docks of Key West, grieving both his friend’s death and the fact that his killer had gone free.
Heading back to his house about sunset, he felt it before he heard it. Moments later he saw it – his car in pieces and the bodies of his wife and children scattered about his yard in much smaller pieces.
It was supposed to be Dusky in that car. Most evenings, about sunset, it was his habit to drive back to the docks to check his boat’s moorings and security. But he was on foot that night and, apparently, his wife decided to check the boat for him. At this point, everyone who meant anything to Dusky is dead. And now, the guilty must pay.
This is Randy Wayne White’s debut novel, written when he used the pseudonym of Randy Striker. Originally published in 1981, the version I had access to was printed in 2006 and included an Introduction that explained how the book – and its characters – came into existence. According to White, this first of what would eventually be seven Dusky MacMorgan adventures was written in nine days on a manual typewriter with very little use of Wite-Out or re-typed pages.
The novel is full of clichéd dialogue, just like the average person really speaks. The dialects of the Southern island characters are spot on. The product placement and the physics of operating the size boat he commands are accurate and visually clear.
The action sequences feel, at first, a bit over the top. But then, when you read their details a second time, remembering the physical characteristics and backstory of Dusky MacMorgan, they feel more plausible. And White does not make anything easy for Dusky in his quest for revenge. In fact, more things go wrong than right, not because of poor planning or poor judgment, but because Dusky cannot possibly predict everyone’s every choice.
White writes Dusky as an intelligent and capable man, with the capacity to both access and evaluate his emotions. You feel that you are right there seeing, thinking, and feeling exactly as he does. It is a clear ride through his mind even when he explores the reasons he considers committing suicide and the reasons why he doesn’t.
Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford series is far more sophisticated than that written about Dusky MacMorgan. However, this first entry in that first series is nothing to complain about. The character of Dusky may be more extroverted than that of Doc Ford and the action may come a bit faster and more in-your-face, but White’s ability to get to the heart of the matter and the heart of the man is clearly evident in both.
August 1, 2014
The reason I liked this book was the forward by the author. I liked that he wrote it fast and knew that, yeah, maybe it wasn't super but he finished it and the publisher liked it. I think for any aspiring writer, one of the hardest things to get past is feeling like the writing it too cliche or been done before. So his forward was pretty nice.
And this book is hilarious! No on purpose, but the utter outrageousness of the main character is great. He's so manly, so smart, so strong, etc. Women are throwing themselves at him all the time - even really inappropriate times like just after getting raped (right.). The macho stuff is really funny, but you can't help but understand his need for revenge that fuels this entire story. Plus, slightly knowing the Keys I actually could understand where all the super-hero action was taking place.
And this book is hilarious! No on purpose, but the utter outrageousness of the main character is great. He's so manly, so smart, so strong, etc. Women are throwing themselves at him all the time - even really inappropriate times like just after getting raped (right.). The macho stuff is really funny, but you can't help but understand his need for revenge that fuels this entire story. Plus, slightly knowing the Keys I actually could understand where all the super-hero action was taking place.
Read
March 27, 2009White's first book, published under the name Randy Striker in 1981. In a 2006 Introduction, White says he wrote the book in 9 days, using "obvious cliches", as job-of-work for Signet publishing. This story began a 7 book series about Dusky MacMorgan. Even as a self-proclaimed "formula" adventure story, I think it is a decent read.
My real interest is in the foreshadowing of elements that are later part of the Doc Ford novels. Also, I was surprised to find out that White published 11 other books under the name Carl Ramm, before his first Doc Ford novel was published in 1990.
My real interest is in the foreshadowing of elements that are later part of the Doc Ford novels. Also, I was surprised to find out that White published 11 other books under the name Carl Ramm, before his first Doc Ford novel was published in 1990.
January 16, 2015
As an author's first title, it's clear to see what his publisher saw when she first read his draft. White is a gifted author who has a knack for descriptions that make you feel like you're there. You don't have to enjoy the story to appreciate his prose.
The plot had promise, but fell a bit flat at the end. The story became a bit predictable, and unbelievable as well.
If you read White's intro, you'll find him to be candid about how quickly the book was written, and his feelings about his first writings. I really enjoyed this insight.
The plot had promise, but fell a bit flat at the end. The story became a bit predictable, and unbelievable as well.
If you read White's intro, you'll find him to be candid about how quickly the book was written, and his feelings about his first writings. I really enjoyed this insight.
November 20, 2017
I am just not even sure what to say. Lord knows that I have a taste from some pulpy literature. But this book. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised given the way the cover art looked on the original 1st edition. Maybe there are varying levels of quality in the world of manly adventure novels and I have finally hit rock bottom. I just can't imagine anything being written worse or written more unimaginatively. It will not stop me from trying to read book 2. But only because I want to see how bad this is going to get.
February 7, 2019
I found it boring
I was really looking forward to reading this book. But, wow, I can not tell you how disappointed I was. I found it boring, the action scenes were lame, the characters and dialog were not interesting. I got about 50% in and then decided to skip to the end just to see how it ended.
I've read a lot of awesome debut novels in my day but sadly this wasn't one of them. I seriously doubt I'll read another book in this series.
I was really looking forward to reading this book. But, wow, I can not tell you how disappointed I was. I found it boring, the action scenes were lame, the characters and dialog were not interesting. I got about 50% in and then decided to skip to the end just to see how it ended.
I've read a lot of awesome debut novels in my day but sadly this wasn't one of them. I seriously doubt I'll read another book in this series.
October 7, 2018
Written like a trashy novel by an inexperienced horney teenage boy. Totally unbelievable, from the relationships to the action. If this had been the first book I had read by this author, it would have been the last! The author would have been better served to burn this rather than publish it.
February 10, 2016
Good but confusing
The story was good but the it jumped around to much. I don't understand sex scenes with a man who just lost his wife and kid's. No need for it.
The story was good but the it jumped around to much. I don't understand sex scenes with a man who just lost his wife and kid's. No need for it.
August 4, 2017
Love ALL of Randy Wayne White Books-even the early written one by Randy Striker- takes you to the Keys and West Coast of FL by boat! Living like we want to - like it used to be....
March 12, 2018
While traveling on our monthly quest through the south we found a used book store where I was able to locate a book by Randy Wayne White that I hadn't read. I've gone through all the Doc Ford ones (20+ of them). These are written - as it explains in the foreword - as his first published novels for a book publisher who held onto to character and let him come up with different stories. You can see glimpses of Doc Ford in Dusky McMorgan so it was fun to see a different protagonist by a favorite author. A good one to enjoy zipping right through on a Florida vacation.
April 11, 2024
I had read other books by this author and was eager to immerse myself in a Key West mystery, only to find
a characters about as shallow as Florida Bay, especially the women! White’s description of the waters around Keys, military tactics and sportfishing was exiting and spot on, but the utter lack of character development was distracting and insulting to the reader. Dude, let’s us fill in the blanks now and the, don’t be so telling.
a characters about as shallow as Florida Bay, especially the women! White’s description of the waters around Keys, military tactics and sportfishing was exiting and spot on, but the utter lack of character development was distracting and insulting to the reader. Dude, let’s us fill in the blanks now and the, don’t be so telling.
March 30, 2018
Quick read. Entertaining. Main character gets pluses for boatmanship and general manliness, but his attitude towards women is out of sync with the times. Good story. Good character developement. Sometimes you wonder why he wouldn't have anticipated something that I, as the reader, saw coming. Too predictable at times. Overall I enjoyed reading the book and would read more by this author.
December 5, 2021
If I understand correctly, this was the author's first book, using the name of Randy Striker. I found it entertaining from a nostalgic perspective: It reminds me of some action/adventure books from the 60's and 70's that I've read. Not the greatest plot or storytelling, fairly predictable, etc. But I can see where he grows as a writer and becomes much better with the Doc Ford series.
December 30, 2022
First I've read on the Randy Striker series...which apparently is the predecessor to the Doc Ford series. White says he used to apologize for these first seven books, he was just paying the bills, but now he doesn't. I don't think he needs to apologize either. It's not as well developed and intense as the Doc Ford series, but still a very enjoyable read.
February 7, 2021
Great
Good good great awesome great great awesome game to get you all of your pictures and stuff like that and I have no idea how much you can use but you can’t use t and then the next two days of the week and then we went to a couple
Good good great awesome great great awesome game to get you all of your pictures and stuff like that and I have no idea how much you can use but you can’t use t and then the next two days of the week and then we went to a couple
June 27, 2021
Great pre-social correctness read. Just kill the bad guys!
I really enjoyed this early work and the characters, especially the MC was cool and fun. Without being too over the top. Better then an 80's tv show. Didn't feel dated, Will read the whole series!
I really enjoyed this early work and the characters, especially the MC was cool and fun. Without being too over the top. Better then an 80's tv show. Didn't feel dated, Will read the whole series!
December 21, 2023
great adventure
My first Randy Wayne White novel, I’m hooked I’ll be reading them all. I only learned of Randy recently while having lunch at his Doc Ford’s on Sanibel Island FL. Now, he’s certain to become one of my favorite authors.
My first Randy Wayne White novel, I’m hooked I’ll be reading them all. I only learned of Randy recently while having lunch at his Doc Ford’s on Sanibel Island FL. Now, he’s certain to become one of my favorite authors.
July 15, 2024
Ok very quick read, but not the best I've read by a long shot. Not sure how I ended up with this book on hold, but decided to read it. Not terrible, but not high on my list either. Somewhat predictable.
December 26, 2017
Excellent book, even on a second read.
January 5, 2018
Good book, really enjoyed. Look forward to reading rest of the series.
May 26, 2018
Some soft spots as far as sex and the book seemed to be a bit outdated with the times but it has its moments too.
December 27, 2018
A bit predictable with an obvious superhero doing more that would be possible, but entertaining to read how he gets out of each of the jams.
May 4, 2019
Not the polished Randy Wayne White, but easily see how he developed his writing style and plot ideas. Worth the read, entertaining.
July 7, 2019
Action! Good plot. Lots of cliches. Moved along quickly . Enjoy.
À good read. Moved along quickly. Maybe not great, but good. Worth time reading.
I will probably look for another.
À good read. Moved along quickly. Maybe not great, but good. Worth time reading.
I will probably look for another.
October 2, 2019
A nice easy read with action all the way. I enjoyed this book and ordered more by this author.
August 19, 2020
Early prototype for Doc Ford series. Interesting to see White's early efforts. But book is average at best.
April 28, 2021
Quick read. Can tell it is early work of an author (Randy Wayne white). Not the character development, but fine for a beach read. Will continue series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews