Caribbean Calling
J.D. Gordon
Reviewed by Sabrina Williams
Eddie Gilbert returns for another tropical adventure in Caribbean
Calling, the second novel for J. D. Gordon. Gordon mimics his own
unusual career shift from firefighter to author when he delivers
firefighter Eddie Gilbert to Tampa for an assignment in the field of
security. Gilbert is not interchanging careers blindly. His new
employer is business tycoon Bruce Klein, who was so impressed by
Eddie's heroic efforts in rescuing his daughter in the first
installment of the series that he invites the fireman to work for him.
The assignment turns out to be a glorified delivery boy, to Eddie's
dismay.
Eddie settles into his new position reluctantly, but he's determined to
see if the job has more to offer. It doesn't take long for him to find
the excitement he's looking for. One of Klein's associates is concerned
that his daughter, who was doing humanitarian work as a doctor, has
stopped checking in with him daily and he cannot contact her via the
aid station she was working at. Ed and an associate must venture to the
island where the doctor was stationed and find her to reassure her
father.
Gordon's first book, Island Bound, was Eddie Gilbert's first escapade
as an amateur detective. In Caribbean Calling, Gilbert seems to have
found his calling in the realm of mystery and adventure and returns for
more excitement. Gordon creates an incredibly plausible scenario in
which a down-to-earth, regular "man's man" like Ed Gilbert can be right
at home fighting seedy criminals on the high seas and enjoying a life
of luxury. The author successfully weaves together the storylines of
Mafia-style criminals, brainwashed cult members, humanitarian aid
workers, wealthy socialites, and dedicated firemen. Caribbean Calling
would definitely make a fun vacation read because the breezy characters
are incredibly intriguing and keep the reader interested without a lot
of filler. Hopefully, Gordon will continue the Eddie Gilbert saga, as
he seems to have found his calling as an author as Gilbert finds his
calling as a hero.