The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Deep Blue Good-by
Book Review: This is better than any network mini series...IT HAS BRASS..
Summary: 5 Stars
Excellent story, neatly crafted characters. Classic details .....This was the first of the series that I read, now I am hooked....The ramblings of McGee about life, love and society are priceless. His sexual escapedes are so subtle,that you have to read back 2 pages to see if he got lucky or not...most times he did ...that was 1964....can you imagine what Trav would be involved in now! Great reads, we miss JDM, Travis will be continued soon, maybe not in name but in spirit and style and values ....welcome back TMBook Review: Travis McGee, a knight in tarnished armor
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the first of 21 books John Dann MacDonald wrote featuring Travis McGee, a sometime detective who comes out of retirement when he needs money to pay the bills for his modest houseboat in Florida. When Travis is on a case the houseboat is often rigged to detect unwanted visitors. Seldom is the unflappable McGee caught off guard on his boat or anywhere else, for that matter.
I've read all twenty-one books in the McGee series, at first not in order, but later systematically until I reached the last mystery, The Lonely Silver Rain. These books are a guilty pleasure. Sure, you could be doing something better with your time, but Travis McGee beats 80% of everything on TV. If you pick up one of these novels before bedtime, you might easily find yourself sleep deprived.
Travis McGee is a knight in tarnished armor. I think we like him better for the fact that, like us, he has lots of faults; but he is true to his friends and when he gives his word to a client, he is not afraid to put himself in harms way to resolve the case. Like Sherlock Holmes, he has a bit of the bloodhound in him and relentlessly follows the trail of clues and leads until the action packed end of the story.
Murder and mahem are an integral part of every Travis McGee mystery, but also thoughtful conversation with his economist friend Meyer and with McGee's own best friend, himself. He is a loner who is happy with his own company. He lives comfortably in the present until necessity or his own good will prompt him to act.
The magic of all the Travis McGee books is that we think we know him, we like him, and we are delighted to be taken along on his travels when he is on a case, but we are just as satisfied when we evesdrop on his quiet conversations with Meyer and learn something of the McGee philosophy. Disagreeing with McGee, not often enough probably, is part of the fun. I was disappointed when I put down the last mystery, but I know that, like the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, I'll come back for a second reading.
The second reading was as enjoyable as the first. In The Deep Blue Goodbye McGee almost meets his match with the always smiling, treacherous, and completely evil Junior Allen, who has stolen a bag full of precious gems from Cathy Kerr, whom McGee befriends and decides to help recover her property. Bad things happen to the good people McGee is trying to protect and his best efforts fall short of his goals and expectations. In a McGee mystery, things do not always work out for the best, just as in life. Twists and turns and unexpected surprises are in store for the reader who picks up this first of the Travis McGee series of books.
Book Review: read this one first
Summary: 5 Stars
I've recently started re-reading this series - this time in order. While it's true you don't have to read the books in order, it does make sense to do so. Like all other mystery series, the author will refer to things (good/bad/whatever) that happened previously. Unlike others, John D. MacDonald will refer to them in passing & not rehash the whole story. If you want continuity, start here.
It's especially important to read this one, and the next - Nightmare in Pink - first. What happens in this book is referred to many times - as far ahead as Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper. Possibly further, but I haven't gotten that far yet.