Series
Publication
Brilliance Audio (2014)
Original publication date
1964
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Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:From a beloved master of crime fiction, The Deep Blue Good-by is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat. Travis McGee is a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He�??s also a knight-errant who�??s wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He�??ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half. �??John D. MacDonald was the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.�?��??Stephen King McGee isn�??t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet backwoods girl who�??s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn�??t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. Enter Junior�??s latest victim, Lois Atkinson. Frail and broken, Lois can barely get out of bed when Travis finds her, let alone keep herself alive. But Travis turns into Mother McGee, giving Lois new life as he looks for the ruthless man who steals women�??s spirits and livelihoods. But he can�??t guess how violent his quest is soon to become. He�??ll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse. Featur… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member datrappert
Read this in one day. A perfect antidote for Peter Rabe's awful "Kill the Boss Goodbye". I have read perhaps 10 other MacDonald books, but I have been saving the McGee novels until I had the complete set. I'm still lacking one, but it is well into the sequence. This is typical MacDonald, with McGee
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uttering the same sort of moral pronouncements that MacDonald the author or his other lead characters do in the other novels. It has the same flowery prose whenever a love--scratch that--sex scene rears its head. And it has the same compelling fascination that makes you keep turning the pages. Because despite his faults, MacDonald is an author who knows what he is doing. This book is exciting, it is exasperating, it is heartbreaking, and it will keep you so engrossed that you won't regret the time you spent with it. And perhaps it will give you the illusion that you've actually done a bit of living yourself. Show Less
LibraryThing member claidheamdanns
Too much sex to make it an enjoyable read. Otherwise it’d be a fun private eye novel. The author seems fixated on the female form.
LibraryThing member Tonybe
John D. breaks most of the rules of good fiction as you might learn them in an MFA class and is insufferably shauvanistic toward woman,but writes incrediably exciting and entertaining books just the same. "The deep Blue Goodbye" started one of the best detective series in the world and it holds up
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just as strong today as it ever did. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
The book has blurbs on the back cover praising it from King, Higgins Clark, Parker, Koontz, Grafton, Kellerman, Parker, McBain--and I can understand why.
This is very much in the hard-boiled detective style--first person with a protagonist who deals with shady characters, a mysterious past with
And the hero-narrator Travis McGee is intriguing and is embedded in an indelible setting. As the second line of the novel tells us his home "is the Busted Flush, 52-feet barge-type houseboat, Slip F18, Bahia Mar, Lauderdale." His ship is "named after the poker hand" which led to the streak that won it for him. He describes himself as a "boat bum" and a "retriever." He only takes jobs when he's running low on funds--he finds things stolen that can't be legally regained, and splits the proceeds when he returns them.
His latest project has him on the trail of one of the most despicable and memorable villains, Junior Allen, I've ever encountered in fiction--and that was the case before Travis finally catches sight of him about three-quarters through the book, just on the basis of the human wreckage Allen leaves behind in the form of abused women.
Travis himself is a complex mixture of the compassionate and tender with the ruthlessly violent; he calls himself "wary of all earnestness" but despite his cynicism has a streak of protectiveness and more than a hint of vulnerability. He's not politically correct--and some of his takes on women make me go "Huh?" Particularly when Travis seems puzzled why a raped, abused women should be traumatized since her rapist "had become her lover, and had, in time, induced sensuous response in her." Given her own reactions and description of her time with the man, not exactly how I'd see it... Nevertheless, there's something about the character that (unlike Chandler's Marlowe) makes me forgive the chauvinistic streak. (This was written in 1964 and is very much of its time.)
I'm certainly interested in seeing how McGee might develop in the later books of the series. On the other hand, so far just about every woman in this book is a victim or predator--if that's the case in the next book, well, I doubt I'll continue to read in the series.
This is very much in the hard-boiled detective style--first person with a protagonist who deals with shady characters, a mysterious past with
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hints of personal pain--a femme fatale or two. But told with an unusual lyricism, quotable lines, snappy dialogue, and more than a touch of sensuality. And the hero-narrator Travis McGee is intriguing and is embedded in an indelible setting. As the second line of the novel tells us his home "is the Busted Flush, 52-feet barge-type houseboat, Slip F18, Bahia Mar, Lauderdale." His ship is "named after the poker hand" which led to the streak that won it for him. He describes himself as a "boat bum" and a "retriever." He only takes jobs when he's running low on funds--he finds things stolen that can't be legally regained, and splits the proceeds when he returns them.
His latest project has him on the trail of one of the most despicable and memorable villains, Junior Allen, I've ever encountered in fiction--and that was the case before Travis finally catches sight of him about three-quarters through the book, just on the basis of the human wreckage Allen leaves behind in the form of abused women.
Travis himself is a complex mixture of the compassionate and tender with the ruthlessly violent; he calls himself "wary of all earnestness" but despite his cynicism has a streak of protectiveness and more than a hint of vulnerability. He's not politically correct--and some of his takes on women make me go "Huh?" Particularly when Travis seems puzzled why a raped, abused women should be traumatized since her rapist "had become her lover, and had, in time, induced sensuous response in her." Given her own reactions and description of her time with the man, not exactly how I'd see it... Nevertheless, there's something about the character that (unlike Chandler's Marlowe) makes me forgive the chauvinistic streak. (This was written in 1964 and is very much of its time.)
I'm certainly interested in seeing how McGee might develop in the later books of the series. On the other hand, so far just about every woman in this book is a victim or predator--if that's the case in the next book, well, I doubt I'll continue to read in the series.
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LibraryThing member EBT1002
This was a re-read for me. I was addicted to the Travis McGee series in my late teens/early 20s. I still enjoyed it, but long for literature with a bit more meat. The descriptions of Florida are wonderful (I grew up there) and MacDonald writes a great action/suspense scene. And I find myself
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wanting to re-read more of them. That's why the extra half-star. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntieknickers
All my mystery-reading life (about 52 years now if you count Nancy Drew), I've managed to avoid reading John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee stories -- and his other works as well. I'd certainly heard of them, I just thought I wouldn't care for them. Recently, I mentioned my discovery that MacDonald
When we meet Travis McGee, he is already deep into his chosen career and lifestyle. The lifestyle is houseboat-dwelling beach bum with plenty of air-conditioning, steaks and good liquor. The career, engaged in only as needed, he describes (as quoted by a friend) as "...if X has something valuable and Y comes along and takes it away from him, and there is absolutely no way in the world X can ever get it back, then you come along and make a deal with X to get it back, and keep half." So McGee is not exactly a private eye, although he uses some of the same skills and methods.
"X," in this book, is a young dancer in a nearby club in Fort Lauderdale. Her imprisoned (and now dead) father had always promised the family riches after his return from World War II. It now appears the mysterious treasure, along with much of the woman's self-respect, was stolen by one Junior Allen, who had served time in Leavenworth with her father. Although he doesn't need the money yet, McGee feels sorry for her and agrees to try to retrieve the treasure; at this point he doesn't even know what it is.
During the hunt for Junior Allen, McGee finds a second "X." Lois Atkinson has not lost any money to Allen; what is far worse, she has nearly lost her sanity when McGee finds her. After beginning the process of nursing her back to health -- and falling in love with her, which is not part of his plan -- McGee is more determined than ever to stop Junior Allen. His efforts to do so make for a compelling novel.
THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY came out in 1964. The Florida it portrays is not today's Florida, but, according to Carl Hiassen's introduction to the edition I read, it carried the seeds of the state as it is today. From the ongoing party that is Lauderdale to the sleepy towns in the Keys, MacDonald describes Florida with love tinged with regret. Since I've never been to Florida, the atmosphere in THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY is exactly what I was looking for when I started this project -- an author's evocation of a place he loves and knows well.
The character of McGee has this in common with the classic private eye: he has his own code of ethical behavior, which may not always coincide with society's laws. In fact, societal rules of almost any kind are anathema to McGee; that's why he lives the way he does. McGee has obviously inspired great loyalty in his many fans -- indeed there was a section at the back of this edition with "Wisdom of Travis McGee." I'm afraid I might get a little sick of that if I read all the books in one big gulp, so I'll move on to something else for a while, but I do fully intend to read the remaining McGee stories over time.
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and I shared a birthday, and some folks on a mystery discussion list I frequent urged me to give Travis McGee a try. Since this coincided with my reaching Florida in my "A Mystery for Every State" project, I plunged into THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY, the first in the series.When we meet Travis McGee, he is already deep into his chosen career and lifestyle. The lifestyle is houseboat-dwelling beach bum with plenty of air-conditioning, steaks and good liquor. The career, engaged in only as needed, he describes (as quoted by a friend) as "...if X has something valuable and Y comes along and takes it away from him, and there is absolutely no way in the world X can ever get it back, then you come along and make a deal with X to get it back, and keep half." So McGee is not exactly a private eye, although he uses some of the same skills and methods.
"X," in this book, is a young dancer in a nearby club in Fort Lauderdale. Her imprisoned (and now dead) father had always promised the family riches after his return from World War II. It now appears the mysterious treasure, along with much of the woman's self-respect, was stolen by one Junior Allen, who had served time in Leavenworth with her father. Although he doesn't need the money yet, McGee feels sorry for her and agrees to try to retrieve the treasure; at this point he doesn't even know what it is.
During the hunt for Junior Allen, McGee finds a second "X." Lois Atkinson has not lost any money to Allen; what is far worse, she has nearly lost her sanity when McGee finds her. After beginning the process of nursing her back to health -- and falling in love with her, which is not part of his plan -- McGee is more determined than ever to stop Junior Allen. His efforts to do so make for a compelling novel.
THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY came out in 1964. The Florida it portrays is not today's Florida, but, according to Carl Hiassen's introduction to the edition I read, it carried the seeds of the state as it is today. From the ongoing party that is Lauderdale to the sleepy towns in the Keys, MacDonald describes Florida with love tinged with regret. Since I've never been to Florida, the atmosphere in THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY is exactly what I was looking for when I started this project -- an author's evocation of a place he loves and knows well.
The character of McGee has this in common with the classic private eye: he has his own code of ethical behavior, which may not always coincide with society's laws. In fact, societal rules of almost any kind are anathema to McGee; that's why he lives the way he does. McGee has obviously inspired great loyalty in his many fans -- indeed there was a section at the back of this edition with "Wisdom of Travis McGee." I'm afraid I might get a little sick of that if I read all the books in one big gulp, so I'll move on to something else for a while, but I do fully intend to read the remaining McGee stories over time.
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LibraryThing member thisisstephenbetts
I was a little disappointed by this. It was a good hard-boiled yarn, with a good hard-boiled narrator - things I'm usually a sucker for, and I did tear through the book.
But it was a little misogynistic, even in this damsels-in-distress genre; all the women either needed saving or else were beyond
But it was a little misogynistic, even in this damsels-in-distress genre; all the women either needed saving or else were beyond
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saving. A touch of the Houllebecqs in his female characterisation, I thought. On top of that, the book would have had a lot happier ending if the hero had just thought to tie up the bad guy, which just didn't ring true. I enjoyed the reading of it though, and would give MacDonald another chance. Show Less
LibraryThing member antao
I’ve never read a John D. MacDonald book before and I’ve read a lot of good things about the Travis McGee novels, so I thought I might start at the beginning for this series.
The entire book is almost an internal monologue, which suited me fine. The sex and violence was pretty intense for a book
MacDonald's ability to create an engrossing, character-driven narrative is one of the strong points of the book.
20 more to go in the Travis McGee series...
The entire book is almost an internal monologue, which suited me fine. The sex and violence was pretty intense for a book
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written in 1964... Quite unusual.MacDonald's ability to create an engrossing, character-driven narrative is one of the strong points of the book.
20 more to go in the Travis McGee series...
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LibraryThing member ckNikka
Think 1964... 44 years ago... you have to get in the mid set of the author... it is not politcally correct writing but it is classic Noir... "Home is the Busted Flush", 52-foot barge type houseboat, Slip F-18, Bahia Mar, Lauderdale".... like 411 Baker Street the home of our Hero Travis McGee. Our
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knight in tarnished armor... a Korean War Vet... good vs. evil... commentary on the times ... interesting plot twists and good writing... "Cathy introduced us. Christine stood there inside her smooth skin, warm and indolent, mildly speculative. It is that flavor exuced by women who have fashioned an earthy and simplified sexual adjustment to their environment, borne their young, achieved an unthinking physical confidence. They are often placidly unkempt, even grubby, taking no interest in the niceties of posture. They have a slow relish for the phyical spectrum of food, sun, deep sleep, the needs of children, the caresses of affection. There is a tiny magnificence about them, like the sultry dignity of she-lions."... My dad turned me on to John D ... so long ago... I reread them all every few years... it is always worth the trip. Show Less
LibraryThing member caklr650
I bought a few old J. MacDonald books secondhand because I read that Dean Koontz has read everything he's ever written multiple times. This one is part of a series about a sort of PI from Florida, I only got through about half of it before I put it down for good. Too many good books to read out
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there to waste time on ones that really don't move you. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
I suppose Travis McGee would be classified as a private eye, but he doesn't advertize. He operates unofficially, only taking cases when he runs out of money. He's usually the last resort for his clients, so his fee is 50% of whatever he recovers for them. After all, 50% is better than nothing. The
Travis McGee reminds me of The Equalizer or The A-Team with Jim Rockford's personality. He's also a bit of a philosopher:
These are the playmate years, and they are demonstrably fraudulent. The scene is reputed to be acrawl with adorably amoral bunnies to whom sex is a pleasant social favor. The new culture. And they are indeed present and available, in exhausting quantity, but there is a curious tastelessness about them. A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else. They become a pretty little convenience, like a guest towel.
Although this isn't my usual type of crime novel, the strong sense of place in South Florida and McGee's depth of character will eventually draw me back to the series.
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first Travis McGee novel finds Trav helping a friend of a friend. He's reluctant at first, but something about the trail of damaged women Junior Allen leaves behind gets under his skin.Travis McGee reminds me of The Equalizer or The A-Team with Jim Rockford's personality. He's also a bit of a philosopher:
These are the playmate years, and they are demonstrably fraudulent. The scene is reputed to be acrawl with adorably amoral bunnies to whom sex is a pleasant social favor. The new culture. And they are indeed present and available, in exhausting quantity, but there is a curious tastelessness about them. A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of very much value to anyone else. They become a pretty little convenience, like a guest towel.
Although this isn't my usual type of crime novel, the strong sense of place in South Florida and McGee's depth of character will eventually draw me back to the series.
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LibraryThing member mausergem
This is the first book of John MacDonald's, Travis MacGee mystery and thriller series. Travis is a "retriever", a person who gets back to you things and you don't want to go to the police, for a fee. He lives in Miami on a boat.
In this book Travis is approached by Cathy who ia a friend of a friend.
MacGee gets on the trail of Allen where he discovers him to be fond of vulnerable, naive women. Lois is one of Allen's victims whom Travis takes under his wing. Lois slowly opens up to Travis revealing Allen's dangerous and perverted personality. Travis faces of with Allen in a superb and chilling finale.
This is a very well written book. The build up is fabulous and the finale is breath taking. A must read for mystery and thriller fans.
In this book Travis is approached by Cathy who ia a friend of a friend.
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Cathy's father had been in WWII in India and after that in jail for hitting an officer. In jail he meets a young man AA Allen and gets quite friendly with him. He dies in jail but Allen comes and stays with the family. Her he has an affair with Cathy and one day he suddenly leaves them just to reappear in town a month later with loads of money. This makes Cathy suspect that Allen has discovered her father secret hoard of money or whatever he managed to bring back from India. MacGee gets on the trail of Allen where he discovers him to be fond of vulnerable, naive women. Lois is one of Allen's victims whom Travis takes under his wing. Lois slowly opens up to Travis revealing Allen's dangerous and perverted personality. Travis faces of with Allen in a superb and chilling finale.
This is a very well written book. The build up is fabulous and the finale is breath taking. A must read for mystery and thriller fans.
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LibraryThing member JenneB
I thought the writing in this book was surprisingly awesome. I kept reading parts of it out loud to people, like, in restaurants or at work.
On the other hand, I wasn't all that fascinated by the plot. I'm glad I read it but I probably won't read any more in the series.
On the other hand, I wasn't all that fascinated by the plot. I'm glad I read it but I probably won't read any more in the series.
LibraryThing member jimmaclachlan
Michael Pritchard is the reader & the audio quality was terrible on these old, second hand tapes, but I'm really glad I listened to it. While I've read a few of these books over the years, I've never read this, the first one. Originally, published in the mid 60's, the Travis McGee series was one of
No, this really isn't a 4 star book, but it gets an extra one for being so popular & making such a wonderful break from the prudish 50's. One of the interesting things about McGee is that he has plenty of opportunities for casual sex with beach bunnies ready to hand &, while he occasionally indulges, he does so without much enthusiasm, more like a man who drops by McDonalds to simply satisfy his hunger. The meal isn't great, but it will do until he gets around to finding something better & he knows it. He's somewhat disappointed in himself for doing so. Of course he does find more meaningful relationships, but things rarely work out the way he plans.
McGee is no James Bond, more like Paladin in "Have Gun Will Travel". Our self-professed tough guy doesn't like to work & lives in semi-permanent retirement. He only takes on a job when there is a good chance of a substantial return & then takes 50% plus expenses - or so he says. It's fun watching him give in & rationalize his departures from his hard-hearted intentions.
The action is pretty well done & quite believable. McGee can take care of himself & he's a pretty big guy, but he's no superman. He lives aboard a house boat, so there is a lot of marine action off the Florida coast, too. It all seems pretty accurate to me & not terribly dated. Oh, it's set firmly in the 60's but he's a fairly progressive sort.
Not great literature, but a fun, filling, quick read - a bit more than just a candy book. Some of McGee's observations of people are quite interesting & somewhat thought provoking. I'm going to try to find some more of these from my local library, hopefully for download. Cassettes are such a PITA after dealing with MP3's.
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the staples of detective fiction for the next 10 or 15 years. No, this really isn't a 4 star book, but it gets an extra one for being so popular & making such a wonderful break from the prudish 50's. One of the interesting things about McGee is that he has plenty of opportunities for casual sex with beach bunnies ready to hand &, while he occasionally indulges, he does so without much enthusiasm, more like a man who drops by McDonalds to simply satisfy his hunger. The meal isn't great, but it will do until he gets around to finding something better & he knows it. He's somewhat disappointed in himself for doing so. Of course he does find more meaningful relationships, but things rarely work out the way he plans.
McGee is no James Bond, more like Paladin in "Have Gun Will Travel". Our self-professed tough guy doesn't like to work & lives in semi-permanent retirement. He only takes on a job when there is a good chance of a substantial return & then takes 50% plus expenses - or so he says. It's fun watching him give in & rationalize his departures from his hard-hearted intentions.
The action is pretty well done & quite believable. McGee can take care of himself & he's a pretty big guy, but he's no superman. He lives aboard a house boat, so there is a lot of marine action off the Florida coast, too. It all seems pretty accurate to me & not terribly dated. Oh, it's set firmly in the 60's but he's a fairly progressive sort.
Not great literature, but a fun, filling, quick read - a bit more than just a candy book. Some of McGee's observations of people are quite interesting & somewhat thought provoking. I'm going to try to find some more of these from my local library, hopefully for download. Cassettes are such a PITA after dealing with MP3's.
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LibraryThing member andyray
Reading this book began a relationship with John Dann MacDonald AND Travis McGee that's lasted for 40 years (so far). This bronzed beach bum helps out a woman friend who has been used and abused by Junior Allen. We meet the first of JDM's monsters here in this first novel of an amazing 21 books
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(soon to be 22 if I have my way!). If anyone doesn't grok this guy, let me know. I haven't met anyone who hasn't loved the series. Foreword by Carl Hiassen is nice. Show Less
LibraryThing member ikeman100
Alpha Male who is wise to the world.
Fast interesting adventure. Great writing style. There is a reason MacDonald is praised by men and women authors alike. He is the gold standard of this genre.
Fast interesting adventure. Great writing style. There is a reason MacDonald is praised by men and women authors alike. He is the gold standard of this genre.
LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux
An interesting but clearly dated (due to the absence of modern technology) mystery/investigation story. Narrated in first person from the position of the protagonist Travis McGee who takes on the job of recovering a mystery stolen inheritance taken by an abusive womaniser.
LibraryThing member JimBrewington
Good wisdom and humor. Parts are farfetched, but a fun read. Set in Florida, nautical. I would like to read more by MacDonald.
LibraryThing member crazybatcow
I liked it quite a bit more than I feared I would. It is very nicely paced, and is very Jack Reacher like (which was my goal). It is only mildly dated (this is the area I feared I would not like - but my fears were not necessary).
Sure, some of the things referenced wouldn't apply now in the world
Women are pretty much helpless victims, but I don't know that they have much more power in modern books in this same genre anyway. These books are about a man's man fixing problems - sure, we can complain if the problems usually stem from women being so helpless, but then we wouldn't have very many vigilante books to read...
Sure, some of the things referenced wouldn't apply now in the world
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of cell phones and the internet, but...there you go. Women are pretty much helpless victims, but I don't know that they have much more power in modern books in this same genre anyway. These books are about a man's man fixing problems - sure, we can complain if the problems usually stem from women being so helpless, but then we wouldn't have very many vigilante books to read...
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LibraryThing member loraineo
The first book in the Travis McGee series. Set in the Florida Keys. Easy, fast read.
LibraryThing member kmartin802
THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY is the first Travis McGee mystery. It was written in 1964 and introduces Travis McGee who is a knight errant with really rusty armor. He lives on a houseboat he won in a poker game and is taking his retirement when he has the money. He'll help those in trouble when the law
Cathy Kerr comes to him with an interesting case. She knows her daddy brought something back from the War and hid it but then was sentenced to life in prison for killing an officer. After her daddy dies, Junior Allen comes around and moves in on her and her sister. He wants what her daddy hid. Along the way he wants to rape and brutalize Cathy and other women too.
Travis takes the job and begins to backtrack Cathy's daddy to figure out what he had hidden. He also discovers another of Allen's victims in divorcee Lois Atkinson who is near to death from Junior's attentions. Travis becomes Nurse McGee to take care of her and try to build back what Junior Allen destroyed.
This was a fascinating series beginning. McGee is a great character who has dropped out of the society of his day and has a keen eye for people. He doesn't trust much. Not politics, not credit cards, not the daily grind that occupies so many. He is tough on the bad guys and tender with the helpless victims and a proponent of tough love. He's trustworthy but not someone to build long-term plans with. He keeps his distance and tries to remain emotionally detached.
I first read this book somewhere around 1972. My paperback copy has a $.60 cover price but a notation inside the cover says I paid $.40 for it. I bought the Audible version when it was on sale for $5.00 the other day. Listening to this one brought back the time when I read it and the time when it was written. It hasn't lost anything in excitement and action and intriguing characters.
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won't -- but he works for half of what he recovers.Cathy Kerr comes to him with an interesting case. She knows her daddy brought something back from the War and hid it but then was sentenced to life in prison for killing an officer. After her daddy dies, Junior Allen comes around and moves in on her and her sister. He wants what her daddy hid. Along the way he wants to rape and brutalize Cathy and other women too.
Travis takes the job and begins to backtrack Cathy's daddy to figure out what he had hidden. He also discovers another of Allen's victims in divorcee Lois Atkinson who is near to death from Junior's attentions. Travis becomes Nurse McGee to take care of her and try to build back what Junior Allen destroyed.
This was a fascinating series beginning. McGee is a great character who has dropped out of the society of his day and has a keen eye for people. He doesn't trust much. Not politics, not credit cards, not the daily grind that occupies so many. He is tough on the bad guys and tender with the helpless victims and a proponent of tough love. He's trustworthy but not someone to build long-term plans with. He keeps his distance and tries to remain emotionally detached.
I first read this book somewhere around 1972. My paperback copy has a $.60 cover price but a notation inside the cover says I paid $.40 for it. I bought the Audible version when it was on sale for $5.00 the other day. Listening to this one brought back the time when I read it and the time when it was written. It hasn't lost anything in excitement and action and intriguing characters.
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LibraryThing member usuallee
Excellent mystery. I'd wanted to read this series for some time and I'm glad I finally did. It was well written and exciting. McGee is an interesting character, and his pithy ruminations on the human condition really add a unique component to the novel. For a 50 year old book, it has certainly aged
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well, and did not seem very dated at all. You can certainly see the influence Travis McGee has had on modern mystery authors, such as Lee Child's Jack Reacher series. Looking forward to reading more Travis McGee books. Show Less
LibraryThing member Ruskoley
This is a novel for mature readers – and not because of the language or scenes alone, but also because there is a deeper sentiment to be found in this one, hiding under the ribald and loose 1960s Florida attitude. That is to say, it’s a lot more noir than it is expected to be. It is very
So here is book one in the Travis McGee series. Its full of miserable people that run, more or less, in the same circles as the main character – no hero, but at least aware of his rôle. It is a rough read for content, the sex and the 60s zeitgeist is layed on quite heavily. Recommended for mature readers. Recommended for all noir/crime readers.
Fast read, good trim on the words. I own book two and when ready, I’ll read it.
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important for readers to know going into this that these are not good characters. There is not the good guy chasing the bad guy. So here is book one in the Travis McGee series. Its full of miserable people that run, more or less, in the same circles as the main character – no hero, but at least aware of his rôle. It is a rough read for content, the sex and the 60s zeitgeist is layed on quite heavily. Recommended for mature readers. Recommended for all noir/crime readers.
Fast read, good trim on the words. I own book two and when ready, I’ll read it.
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LibraryThing member JudyGibson
I read through the series as and shortly after it was being written, and remember it with pleasure. In fact I named my best cat ever "McGee". So when I decided to re-read it and started with this one I was dismayed to find it so grim and brutal. Not just McGee's actions and casual treatment of
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vulnerable women, but also the author's depiction of the dismal lives of the background characters. I sure hope it all improves as the series progresses or I won't be able to keep reading them, and I was really looking forward to it. Show Less
LibraryThing member ConalO
An enjoyable re-read of an old favorite. John D. MacDonald was one of my first excursions in following an author and I read everything I could get my hands on for awhile and though I have since moved on to other genres and favorites, he will always hold a place in my favorite authors. This one has
4 Stars for a fun read.
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maybe lost a step due to fifty years of history between now and when it was written by Travis McGee will always be a stand up guy.4 Stars for a fun read.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781491513484
UPC
889290317001
Physical description
5.5 x 0.25 inches
Other editions
The Deep Blue Good-By by John D. MacDonald (Paperback)