Prolific crime writer John D. MacDonald was born today 1n 1916. You can read his Wikipedia page here: http://is.gd/Rdpbqc. JDM, best known for his long-running Travis McGee series using different colors in their titles, is still popular after his death in 1986.

I count myself among his many fans. I remember reading the Travis McGee books as they were released. JDM's prose style was what--and still does--appeal to me. As I get older, the Travis McGree titles are less interesting. There's too much moralizing, and the attitudes toward women just don't apply anymore.

On the other hand, I can get excited by JDM's non-series titles, many published by Gold Medal Books. I still read them for keen fun. Cry Hard, Cry Fast is one of my favorites. The excellent Dead Low Tide almost reads like a pre-Travis McGee title. Slam the Big Door and A Key to the Suite also stand out in my recall as very good books.