The Good Old Stuff

by John D. MacDonald

1st edition paperback, fine (as new)

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

John D. MacDonald was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and educated at the Universities of Pennsylvania, Syracuse and Harvard, where he took an MBA in 1939. During WW2, he rose to the rank of Colonel, and while serving in the Army and in the Far East, sent a short story to his wife for sale, successfully. He served in the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. After the war, he decided to try writing for a year, to see if he could make a living. Over 500 short stories and 70 novels resulted, including 21 Travis McGee novels.

Following complications of an earlier heart bypass operation, MacDonald slipped into a coma on December 10 and died at age 70, on December 28, 1986, in St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was survived by his wife Dorothy (1911-1989) and a son, Maynard.

In the years since his death MacDonald has been praised by authors as diverse as Stephen King, Spider Robinson, Jimmy Buffett, Kingsley Amis and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.. Thirty-three years after his passing the Travis McGee novels are still in print.

Reviews

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection published in hardcover in 1982 and paperback in 1983 includes thirteen stories culled from the hundreds of stories MacDonald published in the pulp magazines between 1946 and 1952. They are the stories he considered the best and worthy or republication. So that right there makes this a must read for MacDonald fans. I thought the most interesting thing about this collection were the two stories that MacDonald, in his introduction, described as having a hero “who in some respects seems like a precursor to Travis McGee.” The stories - Breathe No More and From Some Hidden Grave - both feature Park Falkner, who in looks and skills does seem similar to McGee. Falkner doesn’t live on a boat at a marina but in a mansion on a private island. These two stories are a variation on the mystery formula of locking all the suspects in a room until the guilty party is found out. MacDonald’s wrinkle in these stories is that Park Falkner picks a crime to solve based on some chivalrous criteria and then invites the suspects to his private island so he can go to work breaking them down. I enjoyed these stories and their “formula” a lot. Park Falkner, and his sort of girlfriend and crime solving partner, Taffy Angus, are intriguing characters and it is clear from the writing that MacDonald had some affection for them. A bit surprised that he didn’t write more stories around these characters, but perhaps there was only so much he could do with the formula of bringing the suspects to the island. McGee as a “Salvage Consultant” who was free to roam certainly worked better to anchor a series. MacDonald's 1957 novel A Man of Affairs employs a variation on this private island theme and his 1959 release Please Write For Details brings all the characters to a mountain retreat in Mexico. So it is interesting to see MacDonald honing his techniques in these early stories. In 1984 he released More Good Old Stuff, which collected 14 more stories and the 27 stories in these two volumes represent all the early work MacDonald felt deserved preserving. Both are worth checking out.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

BOOK 115 - Mid-20th Century North American Crime Readathon -Round 4
"The Homesick Buick" (1950) is the short I've selected. I've read 10 of MacDonald's McGee books, plus a few other novels, but no Macdonald short stories, and nothing from this early in MacDonald's career.
HOOK - 2 stars: "To get to Leeman, Texas, you go southwest from Beaumont on Route 90 for approximately thirty miles..." and the direction continue for far 2 long. A second paragraph starts with "On October 3, 1949, a Mr. Stanley Woods arrived by bus..." If it weren't for the intriguing title and the fact that I like this author, I'd have closed the story.
PACE - 2 stars: Far too long to get into the mystery.
PLOT - 5: There is a bank robbery. The bandits leave the titular "Homesick Buick" behind in the wreckage. And the Buick holds the solution. No, there are no fingerprints to find the villains, no ID, nothing you'd ever think of on your own, and if you're like me, you've read a lot of mysteries. The solution is just beautiful. And this is a case in which the author knows this idea is good for a short story, but much too good to hide within a novel as a plot point. There is a reason Macdonald rose to massive fame, and here it is, in a 1950 short that's plotted perfectly.
CHARACTERS/PEOPLE - 4: The villains come and go quickly. The bank employees testify. Special Agent Randolph A Sternweister, in charge of the case, draws a blank. But Pink Dee, a great creation, is a 14 y/o boy "with milk-blue skin, dead-white hair, little reddish eyes, pipe-cleaner bones, narrow forehead" has an IQ off the charts, until his high school test him repeatedly until his teachers get the score they are looking for: 99. And Pink steals the key to the Buick, enters, then solves the problem and hands the solution to Sternweister. Oh, I'd like to read more about Pink. Where is he today?
ATMOSPHERE/PLACE - 3: A small town that could be anywhere. But the interest is in how this small town treats their singular genius: they refuse to give the boy the time of day.
SUMMARY: 3.2 for an outstanding plot and a stunning solution.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

And that’s just what it was, the good old stuff! John D is probably one of the best 20th century writers, his description of ordinary things is just delightful. From sunsets to women’s clothing he makes it all come alive.

This was 13 short stories and they were all great. I loved that he gave his exact Sarasota home address. I was lucky enough to take a look at it a few years back. My library had a tour of his haunts in Sarasota to honor his 100th birthday. What fun, from The Crescent Club to this beautiful home and lots in between. His Gulf Coast stories are my favorites.

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book on Libby. I just couldn’t finish this one. It was just not my favorite by JDM. It was boring. I have read many of JDM’s books and really liked most of them. These stories were written by him at the beginning of his career. He certainly got better over the years. I especially liked his Travis McGee books and have read all of them I believe.

I think that I will take a break from reading until after Christmas. Just too much going on.

Merry Christmas everyone and especially to all my Goodreads friends.

[Megargee · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are 13 of the early John D. MacDonald short stories originally published in the pulps from 1947 - 1952 when he was learning his craft. They have been gently edited (in 1982) to update anachronisms such as taxi fares. Francis Nevins contributes a biography of JDM and JDM has added an Author's Foreword commenting on the various stories. This collection was so successful that it was followed by a sequel More Good Old Stuff which I found and reviewed in April 2020.
While not as good IMHO as his later full length novels such as the Travis McGee series, these early stories are entertaining.

[Lee Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love me some John D. MacDonald. Although I prefer his novels to his short fiction.

[Noreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of early short stories. My favorite is “Dead on the Pin”, scenario in a bowling alley. Wish my dad was alive, to share with him or read to him.

He bowled until he was 86. Didn’t realize how much he experienced/learned from bowling 🎳 every Sunday while Mom took us kids to Sunday school.

Men thrive in fair competitive activities their whole lives. Brings out the best in them. Seems like bowling did for my dad. Waiting until you’re 60-70 years old to start and expect to be competent or competitive is like a 5-6 year old expecting to be Tour de France competitor at 7 years old.

Thank you dad.

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a lot of John D. MacDonald's works and I have always enjoyed him.

This is a collection of his early short stories--most published in the 1950's. A few were slighly updated--but it has little effect on the quality of the stories as far as I was concerned.

Most of the stories were quite interesting and rate a solid three stars. Nothing world shaking, nothing incredible--but no terrible stories either.

As a fan of MacDonald, I found this "blast from the past" thoroughly enjoyable.

If you have never read any of John d. MacDonald's work, I urge you to try some of it. If you do not care for short stories, try his Travis McGee series. You may find--as I did--that you will enjoy his works.

Recommended for any mystery fan.

[Carla Remy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It really disappointed me that John D. gently updated these stories to not be "distracting" in 1982. He changed things like years and money, nothing that major. This is particularly funny, since now it's been about the same amount of years since 1982 as it was then since these stories came out. But there are some great things in this, just not all. Well, I'm sure it is all great, I just didn't love it all.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of some of MacDonald's short stories from the late '40s and the early '50s. I started the book expecting it to be quaint and dated (despite the fact that MacDonald "updated" the stories prior to the book's publication in1982.) I was pleasantly surprised to find the stories fresh for the most part, engrossing and not terribly predictable.

You can find the germ of some characters in MacDonald's later works, most notably Travis McGee, similar to recognizable musical themes in various composers' work.

I will note that the "updates" just didn't work. MacDonald was a writer influenced by WW II and the Korean War, and the generation of men from those conflicts was quite different from those who served in Vietnam. Simply changing a date or popular reference doesn't change the timbre of the characters.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

John D. MacDonald was one of the most read mystery writers of the sixties, seventies and eighties. Prior to that time he made a living in what was known at the time as the "pulp" magazine industry. This book is a collection of short stories of that period and vary in length from a few pages to Novella range. They were written from 1947 until 1952 which was prior to his period of popularity. They have been updated as evidenced in his last short story which discussed K-mart which was not incorporated until 1962 from its Kresge five and dime heritage. I quite frankly enjoyed this collection of short stories more than many of his more popular "Travis McGee" novels which to some of my friends will be a sacriledge. In any case, a hard book to find, but clever mysteries for those so inclined.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

26 jan 15, monday evening, 9:24 p.m. e.s.t.
#32 from macdonald for me...just finished I Could Go On Singing...a story about a movie about judy garland who is called jenny bowman in the story and who checks into the hospital as miss dreary mudd. whooo-weee! macdonald rocks the casbah. cue carly, these are! the good old days!

i think all 32 titles, only one of which was a travis mcgee story, have stated on the cover, as this one does, "creator of travis mcgee" or some variation thereof..and though only 1 of the 32 i've read has been about travis mcgee, they have all been great stories..save one maybe.

this one has the introduction by francis m nevins, jr.

okee dokee then, as the good doctor said (would you still love me if i joined the 101st lawyer battalion?, 1984) onward upward

(1982) the good old stuff, john d macdonald
macdonald writes in a foreword these stories were first published 1947-1952, that some things were changed, but in the main they remain as written. i suspect the dates have been changed in the first story, where i'm at...story is placed sometime after 1979, and obviously, that would not have been the case 1947-1952...'52 for the first

#1 murder for money 4-stars
(all that blood money can buy, detective tales, apr 1952)
this one has some like-kind exchange with Where is Janice Gantry? though a protagonist w/an insurance claims adjuster occupation is almost the only similarity.
time place scene setting
*west coast of florida, sarasota, clearwater beach, redington
*1979 or later...1979 one date in the story
*the davisson residence
*police h-q, clearwater
*bon villa, hotel
*aqua azul, bar
*a cabana, where kathy marrick stays
*coral tour haven, owned operated by drynfells
*a small real estate office
*kingfisher, another hotel
characters, major minor famous-real peripheral
*gilbert "gil" darrigan: our 3rd-person narrator, our hero, works as chief adjuster for guardsman life & casualty, headquartered in hartford, is sent to investigate the disappearance of a customer/client, temple davisson
*a heavy woman, mrs hoke, neighbor to the davissons
*mrs davisson, 2nd wife, dinah pell davisson, @30-year-old, she was initially the nurse for the 1st mrs davisson, after the 1st wife passed, and after a time, temple asked her to marry him...they have a marriage initially one of convenience, and then he began to court her
*bergman..? famous?
*police
*1st wife, anna thorn davisson, died 78
*two children of 1st marriage:
*colonel temple c davisson jr. 36, married, works pentagon
*alicia jean davisson, single, 33
*1st hubby of dinah davisson, killed in a plane crash
*she has a married sister in melbourne, australia..and this is another like-kind exchange with a character from one of the novels
*temple davisson, @61-year-old, ruthless in business, sold a knitting factory/business, moved to florida, began to buy real estate, made out good
*hairdresser, some people in for cocktails, the deens
*myron drynfells, owns the coral tour haven, a hotel
*a black man was slowly sweeping, a girl behind the desk, three lean woman in bathing suits, mrs jerrold one of them, two heavy men in white suits, a young couple, the bartender, teddy
*mrs. kathy merrick...compared to dietrich, a famous actress
*a pretty girl sat on a rubberized mattress, beth, mrs drynfells, latino woman
*brad sharvis, 30s, real estate agent known by the davissons
*doris..wife who left our hero gil
*a girl was typing a lease agreement for an elderly couple
*some man who sold a chain of movie houses...and, strangely, this seems to have a continuity error later as he is described as selling a 9-unit hotel...james c brock and his wife
*the girl at the desk...nero wolfe...the man, little store, shells
*the man who obviously belonged with the battered pickup parked in front
*assistant in hartford, robby...palmer, also with the home office
*jack anderson...famous reporter? i think
*drynfells's first wife...so many macdonald characters have spouses, parents, siblings, children who died
*desk clerk...two heavy men advanced on their car...public stenographer

my take on the 1st
a couple references, jack anderson, bergman...that i have trouble placing, that seeming continuity error with the brock character, this story still works. it is a mystery, who-dunnit, insurance investigator story...and for the brevity it was interesting trying to figure out the questions the story answers. whodunnit. that is relatively easy to figure. and like so many macdonald stories, the lonesome tough man needs to find succor, and that answer wasn't what i thought it would be, still there, just not what i expected.

#2 death writes the answer 3-stars
(this one will kill you, new detective, may 1950)

i think o henry, guy de maupassant, probably others, have written stories like this one. also short & sweet, a handful of pages, compared to the first, 20+ or -. a man decides it is time to kill his wife, he's methodical, so it will work, has all the angles figured, the perfect murder. like the first, this is also 3rd-person, limited to our hero, the man who wants to kill his wife.
time place scene setting
*the couples one-room efficiency apartment where they've lived for eight years...and a drugstore nearby, benninger's.
characters, all
*myra kallon, wife of peter, myra has put on weight, wets her middle finger right hand to turn the page.
*peter kallon, some sort of accountant, likes puzzles, they've been married eight years, no children
*his mother, sister...who never called him pete...no one calls him pete
*one account, a man, garage
*an excuse to call friends
*harry benninger, the younger brother, behind the counter of the drugstore
*a neighborhood couple
*a western union girl, a police lieutenant

#3 miranda 5-stars
(15 mystery stories, october 1950)
heh! this one makes the collection worth the time! a touch of the macabre. also a comedic tone. 1st-person. this story is great for the unexpected. this story is a hoot. and...i think in the foreword macdonald writes something about the stories, that some are like the bad television, or that they anticipate, predate bad television. heh!
bad in a good way. our hero, george a. corliss, wakes up in a hospital with a decided opinion about what has happened and what must be done now.
time place scene setting
*a hospital
*the suburbs of joanna center, new york area, 88 april lane, home of the corliss family, childless, alas.
*gas station, service station owned by conner, where palmer works
*the unicorn, bar & grill
*a two-lane highway
*miranda's apartment
*a cigar store near the unicorn...a cabin on the lake
characters, all
*our hero, 1st-person narrator, george a corliss, who works for a new york publishing house, putters around with a lathe other tools in the basement, he looks like van johnson, no idea, me
*connie corliss, his wife, and they are childless, alas, she gets a small allowance from her father...she has uxorial capacities...and she is perhaps one of the first female characters that macdonald uses...and he will go on to use it often...the comparison of her face to a withered monkey...the ole simian face, as he defined it later.
*friends...doctors...god
*a 23-year-old gas pumper, latin type, louie palmer
*a reluctant author in the mountain town called crane, new york
*the young doctor, a nurse, the absentminded old one (doc)
*nurse miranda wysner
*a muted newscaster...neighborhood children at play
*mallory, at the office
*bogart, james m cain
*an old man, a great-great grandfather who in a month will become a great-great-grandfather
*conner, owner of the station where louie palmer is employed
*guy at the cigar store

#4 they let me live 3-stars
(doc savage, july-august 1947)

this is the longest story to this point in the collection, 9 left, 4 read, just shy of 80-pages. and we are also about halfway into the paperback by story's end. plus macdonald roams the globe, ceylon, calcutta, the pacific, the states, back to ceylon, planes, ships, trains, rickshaws. one man during the war, plane crash, 13 months to recover, returns to find a friend has fallen from grace, on top of being dead...and our hero, the 1st-person narrator of this story, howard garry, begins a long process of discovering the truth. the story is the length it is, but it almost too long...a bit too complicated, between garry's plane crash and recovery, to a sidetrack back to his old job...in between and after meeting men who knew his friend who fell from grace...then to ceylon and a rather complicated scheme of things there, everything tied up neatly with a bow by story end. a complicated bow...and i wondered if half of the characters who found their demise would not have been killed prior, at some point during the 13 months between his friend's death and garry's arrival on ceylon...death came to easy for so many once he arrived there...is there any reason to believe other things hadn't happened before his arrival that would have resulted in their death...long before he arrived? like i say...complicated...or not. still, three-stars.
time place scene setting
*a ship in the pacific heading for the states
*calcutta, a plane crash in the himilayas
*chengdu...ceylon
*bennetville, ohio and the only hotel in town
*mitch's bar & grill
*youngstown, ohio
*motel coffeeshop, cleveland
*chicago, a corner grocery
*a 40-mile section of two-lane being converted to 4-lane
*a bar in rochester, new york
*gas station in seattle
*siam express, from l.a. to rangoon
*queen's hotel kandy, train to colombo, american counsel office
*the galle face, hotel on beach
*the colombo club...31 galle road...the princess hotel...the january club...china sea inn
*1946, a year after the war, may 1946
*13 months earlier, when our hero crashes, plane, only survivor, himilayas
*time passes...as in "two weeks later" though that is about the only sign that time passes...while howard garry investigates
characters all
*silly woman from the alphabetical agency
*doc in calcutta
*crew chief
*pilot, co-pilot dead, other passengers, crew chief, all dead
&doc, a very solid little british, a nurse
*howard garry, out 1st-person hero, two fingers gone from one hand, a captain in the army, the war over. before war, and once again, he is a construction engineer for saggerty & hartshaw
*dan christoff, his friend, deceased, and garry sets out to learn the truth, "drowned"
*dorothy christoff, dan's wife, now living in youngstown, ohio
*billy christoff, their now 4-year-old child
*the colonel who send howard garry to chengdu, christoff to ceylon, lord mountbatten's staff
*a blonde dish in an aqua convertible
*carter, on ship...a bored sergeant who pays 5,800 in back pay to garry
*two civilians from colombo, ceylon, a man and a woman, later their names:
*miss constance severence
*mr o'dell
*carl and mary christoff, daniel's parents
*two stocky men pawing at my hand...two drunks...room clerk
*saggerty, employer/boss of howard garry...brent, new guy who will take on garry's responsibilities while he trots the globe
*quinn, man on the crash boat from which christoff fell while at sea
**an expression: a teek hai sahib= a good joe
*1st skipper, fenner, of the crash boat, killed, he and another to-do with plastic explosives
*stenwitz, was on the crash boat, the betsy when christoff went overboard
*stan benjamin, also on the boat
*john hague, as in bottle of
*four left in country, baker, ruggerio, janson, and quinn
*wilmert l. quinn, full name
*janice, his wife
*duckwood, roommate on the siam express
*two well-stuff schoolteachers from kansas...the purser, the sailor manning the unlowered gangplank...a fat sailor...the driver...clean-limbed natives, a blonde young man, young vice counsel
*couples strolling along the promenade
*fernando, room boy, colombo, ceylon
*a small string group...chopin...white-bearded doorman
*a singhalese in a white uniform, pereira
*o'dell's wife and daughters're south africa
*nosey parker
*edgar wallace, real person? famous?
*the boy...the rickshaw coolie...strangers
*guy wend, owns a small rubber plantation
*van hosen, writes for a local paper
*a big man with a long white face, leslie saxon, with the central police bureau
*peter kaymark, british officer
*two singhalese in police uniforms
*a smiling native in white uniform...sprinkling of members at the other tables...an old man with a leathery face...his partner
*colonel rith-lee, peter kaymark's superior
*a hundred curious people standing in a wide circle...several burly singhalese...half a dozen servants
*the head boy, ratmani
*three uniformed policemen...taxi driver...colonel blimp

#5 breath no more 2-stars
(breath no more,my lovely, detective tales, may 1950)
#5 and #6 are described by macdonald in the foreward as precursors, kind-of, to travis mcgeee...and bad television series that would come later.
time place scene setting
*grouper island, florida, owned by park falkner
*park falkner's spread on grouper island
*winter haven, florida
*a 21' cabin cruiser
characters all
*carl branneck, who changed his name from roger krindall, now a wealthy biloxi businessman, married to a widow, a 16-year-old step-daughter, built the coast drive motel, biloxi, for sale
*laura hale, who knew carl when he was roger
*park falkner, 3rd-person narrator, mid-30s, apparently wealthy and he reminds me of an unflattering but "strong" female character in All These Condemned,a sense that he manipulates others. too, laura hale is victim of murder made to look like a drowning, much as the storyline in the novel linked
*pamela, a little waitress from winter haven
*carlos berreda, a torero
*taffy angus, an over-40 ex-model
*johnny loomis, a sports reporter from chicago
*steve townsend, works for the irs
*mick rogers, an employee of park falkner
*mrs mick rogers who fixes meals
*lew cherezack, park falkner's pilot
*thomas o'day, a large young guy
*conchita cintron,a sense that she is a famous and possibly real bullfighter
*the lambertson lungs wooo-wee! spooky. a sense of large jell-o-like objects...never heard the expression before
*myron c cauldfeldt, a wealthy chicago citizen bled white in a badget game courtesy of laura/branneck
*falkner's investigators a psychiatrist shot (past), 3 suspects
*a fat middle-aged tourist and a bronzed dark-haired girl
*mary alice, park's past, new york city apartment..a janitor and a mouse

my take on the story
good idea, poor execution, two-stars. reads more like an outline of a story. was macdonald concerned about story length? requirements? i dunno..as it is indeed nothing more than 2-star, it was okay. much is left thin...park apparently has investigators...apparently he uses investigators for..something, not explained, only explained as this gives meaning to his life, a brief past story about a psychiatrist...and this story about branneck's badger game with laura hale...meh. how and why would she lay half-asleep on the beach next to the man who ran off with the loot? but..treasure the bad..a rare instance of macdonald fluffing it.

#6 from some hidden grave 2-stars
(the lady is a corpse, detective tales, september 1950)
time place scene setting
*grouper island, sometimes called park island, florida...though in this one, i don't recall florida..gulf is used so it is the gulf side of florida
*park falkner's spread on the beach, various locations in and around the beach house
*place in new york, abandoned farm near alden village, the harmon place
characters, all
*park falkner, 3rd-person narrator, apparently a wealthy man, and like the other, a tropical disease eliminated forever hair, eyebrows, lashes...he sounds like a shaved mr clean. it is not explained, either in this one, or the previous, but he has or uses investigative agencies. in this story, he is trying to solve a disappearance andlikely murder that happened in new york.
*taffy angus, 42-year-old ex-model and park's lady
*gibson girl...mussolini...carl branneck killed laura hale...that is a mention and that is the previous story, a sideline or a result of the "case" park is investigating in the previous story
*report from new york agency..to park falkner
*milhaud, schonberg, antheil..music
*lew cherezack, pilot
*georgie wane, blonde, hired by falkner to get between four guys also invited to the house. georgie and the one below have been hired
*"blackie", june luce, a brunette
*mrs mick rogers, cook
*mick rogers, falkner's man of all work
*francie, doughy little maid
*bill hewett, copywriter with lanteen, soren and howliss
*prine smith, newspaperman
*guy darana, actor, muscle boy
*stacey brian, voice, radio, immitations
*lisa mann, disappeared 9 months ago..knew the four guys above, one of them is responsible
*alicia french
*lisa ann's parents
*metropolitan police
*a guy who drove a hearse, georgie had a crush on/past
*the guy's boss
*jimmy steart (type), famous actor..edward g robinson, famous something
*jazz piano: errol garner and mary lou williams and art tatum
*one couple who had sneaked away/past story
*lieutenant norris, police
*john henry lewis..mick was a boxer, had a bout with him

my take on the story
park falkner's ability to use agencies, presumably detective agencies, his ability to invite all these people to his place in florida, the whole set-up is not really explained that well. when the bad guy is uncovered, the bad guy flips...which seemed hokey. story would have gone over better had there been an explanation for falkner. where does there exist anyone in the world like this? that is what is difficult to believe. the uncover the bad guy, gimmicks are used. there is the sense that one is reading a story from a writer whose skills are lacking.

#7 a time for dying 3-stars
(tune in on station homocide, new detective, september 1948)
my take
3rd-person, jimmy hoke's eyes, another in the o-henry vein, guy de maupassant, read tricky ending. and the ending makes this reader wonder just what happened. it it not entirely clear. short though, one of the shortest in the collection.
time place scene
*los angeles, jimmy hoke's apartment
*a studio
*time covers a day, a long day, two at the most
characters
*jimmy hoke, 48, comical man of television, intent on murder, murder of the man who writes for his television show so he can possess the man's wife
*merv & johnny..presumably merv griffin, johnny carson, hosts of well-known talk shows
*bob morrit, head writer
*anna morrit, bob's wife
*a ragged guide, rio..where curare is provided
*servants..supporting characters..the band leader..thee studio audience..20 million viewers

#8 noose for a tigress 2-stars
(dime detective, august 1952)

9 murder in mind
(mystery book mag, winter 1949
1st person 4 stars

10 check out at dawn
night watch, detective tales, may 1950
3rd 3 stars

11 she cannot die
the tin suitcase, doc savage, may-june 1948
3rd 3 stars

12 dead on the pin
mystery book magazine, summer 1950
1st, 4 stars

13 a trap for the careless
detective tales, march 1950
1st, 4 stars

overall average, 3.25 stars

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A baker's dozen of prime mystery stories from the pulps.

Surely I'm not the only reader to get John D MacDonald confused with his contemporary whose name was Kenneth Millar, but who used the pen name Ross MacDonald. I love Ross MacDonald's West Coast-based P.I. Lew Archer for his kind heart, his concern for children and young people, and for his creator's beautiful writing.

I've read a few of John D MacDonald's books about Florida-based P.I. Travis McGee, but they don't resonate with me like the Lew Archer books. Not every book is for every reader. Those stories pre-date Travis McGee and represent the years in the late 1940's and early 1950's when MacDonald was supporting his family by writing dozens of stories for various pulp magazines.

We owe thanks to professor and mystery story-lover Francis M Nevins, Jr. He persuaded Edward D Hoch and John D MacDonald (and maybe others) to collect some of their best stories from the pulp era and publish them in collections. This book and its sequel are a result of his efforts.

The author picked the stories himself. Believing that details (say, the price of a cup of coffee) that date a story are distractions, he changed some things. I think this was a mistake, particularly making some post-WWII stories about the aftermath of Vietnam. MacDonald served in WWII and knew the territory. He didn't know the Vietnam conflict from personal experience and it shows.

Ironically, the changes he made in 1982 are now dated themselves. I doubt he foresaw this problem or could have been persuaded against it. He was (by all accounts) a man with his own ideas.

His detectives are a widely varied lot - insurance investigators, FBI agents, DEA agents, city cops, country cops, former cops, and some rank amateurs who get involved in mysteries to save their own skins or for other reasons. Nor is there one setting that appears more often than another. You have to be prepared to change gears frequently, but I didn't mind.

When he writes of Florida, it's the post-WWII Florida that old folks (like me) remember from vacations - miles of two-lane roads lined with one-story cinderblock motels on the beach and lots of mom-and-pop tourist attractions. Growing fast, but far from skyscraper condos and theme parks and multi-million dollar homes. Still, people are greedy and what seems like a small profit today wasn't small then.

Some of the stories are the usual crimes with the usual motives and the usual suspects. Husbands want to be rid of wives and wives of husbands. Two are stories of men who plan murders meticulously, only to be ruined by a tiny, unexpected detail. The biter bit, as MacDonald says.

To my surprise, I enjoyed "They Let Me Live" - a long, violent story of the aftermath of WWII and espionage in Asia. I don't normally like spy thrillers, but this one is good, if very bloody. MacDonald served in the OSS (precursor to the CIA) in the China/Burma/ India theatre, so he was on familiar ground. Still, I can sympathize with the editor who warned him "The war's over. Come home."

My two least favorites feature a character named Park Falkner - a rich man who owns an island in the Gulf of Mexico and uses his money to punish those who've slipped under the wire of the justice system. A nasty idea which produces predictably nasty results. I liked "Murder in Mind" which concerns a clever murder solved by a shrewd country cop with unconventional ways of thinking. Much more to my tastes.

"Dead on the Pin" is a quirky story that appeals to me, even though I hated bowling the few times I tried it. "A Trap for the Careless" is about a middle-aged farmer caught in a racket that matches lonely men to beautiful women and relieves the men of their money even faster than fast women are said to do. Shay Pritchard is one of MacDonald's playboy detectives. Probably these characters were created for the male readers who supported the pulps. Today, they seem antiquated and unpleasant.

MacDonald will never be my favorite, but this selection of early stories is well worth the small price of admission. I've already bought the second volume.

[Tim O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a curious thing. A lucky find I wasn't looking for that turned up randomly by chance; a collection of John D. MacDonald's shorts called "More of the Good Old Stuff" (1984) at a used bookstore. Enjoyed it so much decided it'd be worth finding an original hard-cover copy of the first published collection "The Good Old Stuff" (1982). Turns out to be quite collectible. After passing on a number of ridiculously-priced similar copies, a like-new edition turned up on eBay for $16. And it's as though it was never opened except for the tiniest marks ticked off by a mechanical pencil on the cover sheet notating 8 of 48 books he'd published by that time. No evidence of any other use, whatsoever. None. A mystery? Fitting. But an amazingly good deal for a vintage book in mint condition to complete the set. I only wish now I had the other 47 books along with his Travis McGee series that were my first reads in high school as a few of the paperbacks were tucked tightly into my parents' bookshelf squeezed between fatter, hardcover volumes of fiction. And, yes, along with a full arsenal of Collier's encyclopedias that, not to be snobby, seemed to be sufficiently more complex and of a higher caliber of writing than either the World Book (generic) or the better-selling Britannica collection. Fair warning: Good Stuff I and II are a drug if you're a "sucker" for the True-Crime shorts of pulp fiction among the tonnage of noir genre that hit the newstands during the late 1940's and early 1950's. MacDonald virtually owned the genre and this book features the best of his earliest works. Even as a rookie, Mac had what it takes. And as the years went buy, he honed his signature prose and tight dialogue and genius for character development to as potent a hybrid of storytelling as has ever graced a printed page. Haven't had so much fun reading "killer stuff" since I can remember. But not five stars. Four for a pop cult following (likened to Harry Potterdom series as a contemporary comparison). Five being reserved for classics the likes of "The Grapes of Wrath" which I finished previously. Next up: "East of Eden." An embarrassment of riches.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Violet and Damien's love story.
Violet is what the ton considers a wallflower but her status is even worse due to a terrible stutter that she can't control. Her mother feels she is an embarrassment and want to send her away to take care of a ailing grandmother who feels she can beat the stutter out of her! So Violet runs away to the notorious School for Spinsters to get away and find herself worth.
Damien is a man of honor who finds himself in a bad position of having to be the responsible one and get his father out of the debts he keep increasing. Basically feeling like he's trapped and has to be the father to his family especially his own parents. His father makes the demand that he marry a spoiled and mean heiress to save the family. In trying to clear his father's debts he meets Cedric, who offers him money to come help the student at the school, who turns out to be Violet.
Through twists and turns, up and downs, they truly get to know each other because they believe that neither could ever possibly have the other.
I will not give away the story, but I absolutely loved this book and can't wait for the next one! This is not your typical kind of school and it really surprised me! I couldn't put this book down.

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is a wallflower, he is a rake....

Yep, it starts with a tried and true trope. Damian is a very experienced rake who has skated by on his good looks, but now he needs to set aside his ways and marry a duke's evil daughter o save the family from financial ruin (thanks dad, for gambling the family fortune away and then some.).
The earl is good intentioned but determined to marry the evil Persephone as its the quickest way to restore the family fortune.

Violet, has a stutter, is a plain wallflower with little money and a horrible mother (they kind of both have shady parents). She has saved her pin money to pay for lessons on how not to be a wallflower ( love Mr. Gregor, he's so clever). and Damian is hired to tutor her in confidence lessons, something Violet is lacking (oh, Violet, she has so much potential!).

This a a great read with familiar tropes but written with a deft hand so you are engaged with the characters and invested in their plight.
Recommend.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recall reading and enjoying a book from this author many years ago. So, as soon as I saw the gorgeous purple cover on this one, I knew that I had to read it. I generally shy away from stories involving "tutoring" but this was not the same tired old plot. Wallflower Violet appealed to Mrs. Harding's school for spinsters because she desperately needed to learn the skills required to find a husband. Enter the Earl of Scarsdale. Damian's family was on the verge of financial ruin and he reluctantly agreed to assist with Violet's lessons. Obviously, over time, the lessons become very real.
This book was very entertaining. It made me laugh, cry and stay up all night reading it. The dialog was witty and there were a few plot twists that I did not see coming. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.
I received a free ARC from BookSirens and this is my honest review.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

My father loved MacDonald's Travis McGee suspense stories. Since they were on the shelf in our home, I started reading them and got hooked, too. MacDonald became a good author by writing incessantly--hundreds of short stories over the years. This collection of his early writing isn't perfect, but the themes and characters are solid MacDonald. "They Let Me Live" is one of my favorites, but I enjoyed them all. And they are all different, definitely not the same story with a different slant.

Short stories are like potato chips. You can't read just one and the next thing you know, it is way past your bed time but you just have to read one more!

[Joel Wong · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overhyped and definitely not deserving of the title of best author of short stories. Roald Dahl does a much better job. JDM's character's are too stilted and repetitive. Makes one wonder if he's writing about his own morbid fascination as a rich playboy to bother with such little dirty secrets of others. Sensuous and cruel lips... Seriously... All his villians come from the same mould. Utterly boring

[Jeffrey Powanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of MacDonald's pulp crime stories from the late Forties and Early Fifties that trace his apprenticeship as a writer. I prefer the longer stories in this collection: "Murder for Money," "They Let Me Live," and "A Trap for the Careless," but all of the stories exhibit MacDonald's distinctive talents in plotting, atmosphere, realism, wit, and style.

I enjoyed these stories a lot, so I purchased the second volume, More Good Old Stuff.

[Jordan]

This book seems to be about a young boy coping with the life whilst being poor. I find this book very interesting as I have (luckily) never been in the situation in which I needed to murder someone for money. I find this very intriguing to see life through the eyes of another person in a situation so gruesome.

[Gordon Popular · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like them hard nosed and hard boiled then this is the book for you. MacDonald took some of his short stories from the 40's and 50's and updated them to appear like they were written in the 60's. You also will find the makings for Travis McGee in two of the stories. Quick reads that keep you interested. This book is really higher than a 3 but not quite a 4. Highly recommended.

[Ann Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a short and entertaining story. I read it in one sitting. I liked the characters, Josiah and Amelia. They were both strong and practical. Josiah may be a vicar, but he has this story on fire. I haven't read many if Laura Trentham's book but have enjoyed the few that I have.
I received this book from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for an honest review.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Good All Stuff by John D. MacDonald is one the best books on short stories that I have read!!! These stories are a beginning of later stories. In my opinion his Travis McGee series is one of my favorite series that I have read!!!! I read them all!!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some darn good short stories. Not a bad way to spend a day.

[Mark Ridenour · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kayoc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read, very noir.

[JoAnn Ainsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written short stories.

[Winans E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Writing! One of the best.

I remember the first John D. I read: A Deadly Shade of Gold. i was hooked then. Read Travis McGee thru twice.

[Me Meshelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Laura Trentham I have read, and I can't wait to read more by this author.
I love the Lyon's Den stories and Laura gave this story a nice twist. There are great characters and a good story line. We usually do not see a Vicar that is also a spy. It made me keep reading and I finished it in one sitting.
The Lyons world wide series by different authors are amazing. Wonderful read and plots.