DEATH AT THE INLET is the creation of Bob Jones, the executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association. The book is available on Amazon.com. Photo: Bob Jones
by Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Felton Ponce harvests shrimp off the coast of Florida with his younger brother Johnny. A multi-generational shrimper he learned the ways of the sea as a young man, and returned to the Sunshine State after a tour duty in the Marine Corps. The two brothers are catching more than shrimp in the coastal waters; they lead double lives as covert agents for Homeland Security.
The book takes place along the northeast coast of Florida near Jones’s former hometown of St. Augustine.
Sounds unbelievable? Actually it is.
Fenton Ponce is the creation of Bob Jones, the executive director of the Southeastern Fisheries Association. He is brought to life in the new book DEATH AT THE INLET, available on Amazon.com.
Felton finds himself face-to-face with a terrorist plot to kill thousands of innocent Americans. Government agents step in to try and stop the terrorists, but they require help from the local commercial fishermen to protect the public from a deadly poison. The book is a riveting adventure that leaves the reader wondering about the vulnerability of our country’s food supply.
“I have always wanted to be an author,” said the respected Florida seafood personality. “As I approached my fifth decade of working for the fishing industry, I observed very little had been written about the men and women, as well as the culture, of the southern fishing communities.”
Jones feels that “if nothing is written, in the end, it will never have existed.”
DEATH AT THE INLET is his second book. In 2012 he wrote A CULTURE WORTH SAVING, the non-fiction story or the people who created the Florida commercial fishing culture. It has sold more than 3,000 copies.
Jones villain is Jumbo Aguilar, a 6’4”, 300-pound lifelong criminal. His accomplice is Mohammed Al Sadr, an Iraqi terrorist. Together they hatch a plan to kill numerous Americans by poisoning catfish fillets, as well as kill Felton’s brother Johnny.
Working constantly in his long career to certify the safety of seafood, he said that he has never seen the fictional scenario in real life, “but the opportunity for the scenario to happen does exist.”
“I have certified more than a thousand applicants in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) training,” he said. “Every business selling wholesale seafood on the U.S. market is required to abide by this Food and Drug Administration regulation. Part of the course deals with the Bio-antiterrorism legislation passed after 911. I teach from the required curriculum showing how to maintain security at the business site, in receiving and processing seafood products, personnel oversight and training of new employees. In addition all businesses must keep records on who they buy the seafood from and who they sell it to in order for mandatory traceability.”
The book takes place along the northeast coast of Florida near Jones’s former hometown. “St. Augustine is the oldest permanently settled city in the United States. The book involves the ancient Minorcan culture which is still robust in the place I grew up,” he explained.
In 2012 Jones wrote A CULTURE WORTH SAVING, the non-fiction story or the people who created the Florida commercial fishing culture. It has sold more than 3,000 copies.
“I have used my own experiences as a basis for the book; participating in every fishery my protagonist is involved, as well as a trip to the Fulton Fish Market,” said Jones about his character research for the book he has been working on for the past six years.
Filled with murder, mystery and romance, Jones weaves a wonderful tale taking his readers on a rollercoaster of emotions.
“Wow, great story. Vivid depictions of the St Augustine area and the commercial fishing industry. Had to read the next chapter all the way through the book. Hated to run out of chapters,” said Trent Manausa, in his Amazon review of the book. “ Very meaningful to realize the hard work and family ethics of commercial fisherman and all they have contributed to Florida.”
Dr. Lawrence G. Abele, a Biological Science Faculty member at Florida State University, agrees, “Really enjoyed your new book. I read it on the way back from London and laughed at some of the barely disguised characters as well as enjoying the strong family ties and the good story.”
During the Second World War, Jones and his family found themselves without a place to live in St. Augustine. A lobster and conch fisherman in Miami, Captain William Carey, and his wife Bernice, took his mother, brother and baby sister into their home for three years.
Felton Ponce embodies the good qualities of the many men and women Jones has worked with in the fishing industry throughout his life.
“When we moved back to St. Augustine my sister fell off a dock at Riverside Fish Camp,” said Jones remembering his past. “A shrimp boat owner, P.J. Manucy Jr., rescued her from certain death. The events of my early life have led to a career of helping the people and culture of those who mean so much to me.”
Visitor Comments