Five Complete Travis McGee Novels: A Tan and Sandy Silence/The Dreadful Lemon Sky/The Empty Copper Sea/The Green Ripper/Free Fall in Crimson

Travis McGee #13, 16-19

by John D. MacDonald

Very good condition

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

692 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1985

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

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somehow I missed the Travis McGee series in the 70s and a friend of mine passed this compilation to me in 2002. I immediately fell in love with MacDonald's characters, settings and plots. I think they translate well to the new millenium. Who wouldn't be captivated by the senstive, tough-guy,vagabond Travis?

[David Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

70s neo-noir goodness, Travis McGee is the spiritual ancestor of Robert Parker's Spenser. Meyer is a first-rate sidekick despite occasional digressions into "stuff that worries the author".

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent crime novels with a wonderful atmosphere of what Florida, especially South Florida, used to be like. Enjoy!

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely worth the $9.00 I spent at a used book store! I love reading about Travis McGee! Meyer is weird too because he is so intelligent! All FIVE (5) of these books were delicious! Each different adventures with each different women! I love to quote some of the things McGee & Meyer say. I can see myself reading more McGee books! I am reading John D. MacDonald because when reading Brad Thor he had Steve Harvath reading about Travis McGee when he had a chance to read a book. I have read another author that did the same thing but can't recall which one it was. I will think about that!

[LeAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far in this compilation, I have read "A Tan and Sandy Silence" and "A Dreadful Lemon Sky". I liked both of them very much. I have posted my review of the Lemon one elsewhere. I have finished "The Empty Copper Sea" and "The Green Ripper" now and really enjoyed them. Only one more to go in this collection. The stories in this one are from the latter half of the McGee series.

I am now finishing this anthology and reading "Free Fall in Crimson". I'm on page 644 of 692 and so far it's slow going. Nothing much has happened in 57 pages. His books are usually page turners but not this one. I have added the April 22nd date as the start of this one. Many readers actually liked this one and gave it 4 or 5 stars, but for me it was slow, not much action and most of it in the last pages.

I have posted my review for "Free Fall in Crimson" under the individual book.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading fiction doesn't get any better than this for me.

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

John D. MacDonald was a great writer. I decided to re-read these Travis McGee novels because I remember I loved them, but I didn't remember the plots, so they were brand new! Travis McGee, a self-styled "salvage consultant," lives aboard a housboat in Ft. Lauderdale when he isn't untangling messy situations for a fee. He's like a retired James Bond in Florida, bedding women, drinking, fighting and occasionally killing people who deserve it. These novels were written between 1971 and 1981, so they are not politically correct, but they are still gripping, exciting and unpredictable. Also, his best friend Meyer deserves a book series of his own! Read MacDonald; he won't disappoint.

[J.J. Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply said there is no such thing as too much Travis McGee--or John D. MacDonald.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading A Tan and Sandy currently.

[Alaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

See individual novels for reviews.