Ok so I don’t think there are may of you under the age of 40 who can identify this iconic mystery author…..
John D MacDonald
Yes, it is the great John D MacDonald, author of the also great Travis McGee series. MacDonald died 1986 at the age of 70. He left behind a legacy that included 21 books featuring Travis McGee.
Now I must say that I haven’t read a John D MacDonald book since, well probably 1986. And since, I didn’t start keeping a record of the books I read until 1987. I really can’t remember all of the Travis McGee books I read.
Now why am I bringing up John D McDonald today? It’s because yesterday, when I left the library with the new books I had checked out, I went back into the library to check out the free books. Among those books I found three hardback Travis McGee books with their beat up and worn dust jackets. Here they are in the order of their release.
No 5 – A Deadly Shade of Gold (1965)
No. 7 Darker Than Amber (1966)
No. 19 – Free Fall in Crimson (1981)
Now the main reason that I picked up the books is I love the cover, particularly, the two from the 1960s. Another reason is that I loved the Travis McGee books and I never read any of the early books. I believe I started reading the series at around book 16 The Dreadful Lemon Sky released in 1974. So I think it would be interesting to read the first two books at least from above.
Here are two interesting facts about the series. . First, while the books are mysteries, Travis McGee was neither a police officer nor a private detective. He is a self-described “salvage consultant” who recovers others’ property for a fee of 50%. The other is that a color always appears in the title of the book.
Here’s what Kurt Vonnegut wrote about the books on the cover of A Deadly Shade of Gold
To diggers a thousand years from now…..the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb Tutankhamen.
I don’t know it I’d go that far but I do think that 40 to 50 years later the Travis McGee books from John D. MacDonald are still worth checking out. Especially if they’re free!
Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of John D McDonald
JDM Homepage
Wikipedia
Wikipedia:Travis McGee
Goodreads
Amazon
