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The Drowner
Lucille Hanson had rid herself of the wrong man - her rich husband who lived casually and loved carelessly. Then she found another man she hoped would be right. She was putting together the pieces of her life - until all of her hopes came to rest at the bottom of a lake, where her body was found.
It must have been an accident was what most people said. It might have been suicide, was what others wanted to think. But among her mourners just one person refused to believe it was anything but murder ...
It must have been an accident was what most people said. It might have been suicide, was what others wanted to think. But among her mourners just one person refused to believe it was anything but murder ...
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
194 people are currently reading
1704 people want to read
About the author
John D. MacDonald
568 books1,377 followersJohn 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
April 30, 2024
This is perhaps the most 1960s-ish book I've ever read. I can't even put my finger on exactly why (well, other than all of the casual sexism), but there's just something about the way the characters talk and act that makes it feel that way. I mean, someone should totally make an Austin Powers-esque spoof of this novel someday because it would be comedy gold, or at least as much as any of the other Austin Powers films ever have been. (Hit me up for more some great ideas, New Line Cinema!).
Anyway, I appreciated the mystery aspects of this book. Did Lucille Hanson die in a swimming accident or did something far more sinister occur? Her sister puts a private detective on the case and then everyone proceeds to walk around and use weird phrases to describe women's bodies. Okay, I mean, obviously that's not all that happens, but who in the heck comments on a woman's “good fertile pelvic structure”?? Ick. Paul is a decently competent detective, however, and I enjoyed following along with his investigation into Lucille's death. He also spends a lot of time macking on Lucille's bereaved younger sister which was not quite as enjoyable, but, uh, you do you, Paul.
This book is only 160-ish pages, but even as short as it is, there is a lot of superfluous talk that really does nothing as far as progressing the investigation goes. I was completely surprised by the big reveal because it had absolutely nothing to do with a lot of the stuff that had been discussed previously, so apparently it makes for a good red herring, at least.
So, yeah. The Drowner is a decent mystery if you forgive it for being a product of its time. If it had been written in the twenty-first century I'd certainly be harder on it, but I feel like that as a 1960s P.I. novel it maybe deserves a little bit of grace? Not that I'm totally forgiving it its faults, however. I mean, “good fertile pelvic structure?” Really??
3.45 stars, rounded down.
Anyway, I appreciated the mystery aspects of this book. Did Lucille Hanson die in a swimming accident or did something far more sinister occur? Her sister puts a private detective on the case and then everyone proceeds to walk around and use weird phrases to describe women's bodies. Okay, I mean, obviously that's not all that happens, but who in the heck comments on a woman's “good fertile pelvic structure”?? Ick. Paul is a decently competent detective, however, and I enjoyed following along with his investigation into Lucille's death. He also spends a lot of time macking on Lucille's bereaved younger sister which was not quite as enjoyable, but, uh, you do you, Paul.
This book is only 160-ish pages, but even as short as it is, there is a lot of superfluous talk that really does nothing as far as progressing the investigation goes. I was completely surprised by the big reveal because it had absolutely nothing to do with a lot of the stuff that had been discussed previously, so apparently it makes for a good red herring, at least.
So, yeah. The Drowner is a decent mystery if you forgive it for being a product of its time. If it had been written in the twenty-first century I'd certainly be harder on it, but I feel like that as a 1960s P.I. novel it maybe deserves a little bit of grace? Not that I'm totally forgiving it its faults, however. I mean, “good fertile pelvic structure?” Really??
3.45 stars, rounded down.
June 1, 2020
Psychological Murder Mystery
The title gives much away. Lucy Hanson died in a swimming accident, supposedly, but she was a strong swimmer and this was a little local lake. So her sister decides to hire a detective to find out what really happened. Paul is an ex-cop with a boring, deadening existence chasing adulterers. He yearns for an assignment that will test his skills, so his boss gives him this case.
This delves deeply into the why of the crime, more than the how; nevertheless, the how is very well thought out and smart. Just because the killer is crazy, it doesn't mean they're stupid. I enjoyed the characters, the southern flavor is right, and the setting is described very well.
The only negative I found is the completely sexist 1960s vibe. The male author liked women and described their bodies a lot, not in a vulgar way, but just a tad too much for my taste. Also, he supports the premise that women shouldn't give it away, but need to give it to a worthy male. Also, the author beloved that if there is no love there; there should be no sex, and if the man is a real man, he can make his woman reach her true promise of sexual fulfillment and her true purpose in life. Ugh!😍
The title gives much away. Lucy Hanson died in a swimming accident, supposedly, but she was a strong swimmer and this was a little local lake. So her sister decides to hire a detective to find out what really happened. Paul is an ex-cop with a boring, deadening existence chasing adulterers. He yearns for an assignment that will test his skills, so his boss gives him this case.
This delves deeply into the why of the crime, more than the how; nevertheless, the how is very well thought out and smart. Just because the killer is crazy, it doesn't mean they're stupid. I enjoyed the characters, the southern flavor is right, and the setting is described very well.
The only negative I found is the completely sexist 1960s vibe. The male author liked women and described their bodies a lot, not in a vulgar way, but just a tad too much for my taste. Also, he supports the premise that women shouldn't give it away, but need to give it to a worthy male. Also, the author beloved that if there is no love there; there should be no sex, and if the man is a real man, he can make his woman reach her true promise of sexual fulfillment and her true purpose in life. Ugh!😍
October 3, 2015
More mystery than noir-thriller. Although the third-person narration wanders among numerous characters and even drifts overhead to an objective point of view at times, we are mostly tethered to private investigator Paul Staniol. Even though all the action is happening to other characters, it is ultimately his story because, as the opening frame suggests, he’s the one changed by this case. Not a whole lot of action sequences in this one. No car chases or boat chases or gun battles. The action here is mostly psychological as the investigator pries information from interviewees. MacDonald spends a lot of words on character development, and it’s a frequent technique of his. He seemed to enjoy creating large character portraits and especially giving all his characters some eccentricity or foible that he could have fun describing. Even some of the minor characters are given considerable coverage on the page. As I noted in a review of another MacDonald novel, it seems a primary technique was to create reams of character portraits and then find ways tease stories out of all these “story people.” I enjoyed this one a lot, but must confess that most of the pleasure came from reading as a writer and appreciating MacDonald’s chops.
July 30, 2019
From 1963
This has a lot of the details that would make up the world of Travis McGee, his series character starting, I think, a year after this. Observations and criticism of the Florida coast as well as humanity in general. A heavy, quite intelligent, focus on economics. I think John D. is a great writer. The mystery here is good. It just is very bogged down by all these other things.
This has a lot of the details that would make up the world of Travis McGee, his series character starting, I think, a year after this. Observations and criticism of the Florida coast as well as humanity in general. A heavy, quite intelligent, focus on economics. I think John D. is a great writer. The mystery here is good. It just is very bogged down by all these other things.
March 8, 2020
I read this in anticipation of Eight Perfect Murders, which is supposed to be based on some of the greatest and most unsolvable murders in classic mystery books. I gotta say, I was kinda disappointed in this one. The others I’ve read on the Eight Perfect Murders list have been really awesome, but this felt like a pretty average and unexciting book.
I found the plot so focused on Sam’s tax problems and money that I was pretty uninterested in the book as a whole and specifically who killed Lucille and why. Then I felt like the reveal of the murderer was pretty anticlimactic and also not that shocking.
This book was pretty short, but it really felt like it dragged. I never looked forward to reading it.
That being said, once stuff was revealed, the murders themselves were pretty clever and the descriptions at times were gut wrenching. The last chapter was pretty exciting and suspenseful. I was kind of at the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to play out. I only wish the entire book had been like that. I’d be willing to read more books by John D. Macdonald because I’ve read he’s pretty legendary, but I wasn’t impressed by my first one.
I found the plot so focused on Sam’s tax problems and money that I was pretty uninterested in the book as a whole and specifically who killed Lucille and why. Then I felt like the reveal of the murderer was pretty anticlimactic and also not that shocking.
This book was pretty short, but it really felt like it dragged. I never looked forward to reading it.
That being said, once stuff was revealed, the murders themselves were pretty clever and the descriptions at times were gut wrenching. The last chapter was pretty exciting and suspenseful. I was kind of at the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to play out. I only wish the entire book had been like that. I’d be willing to read more books by John D. Macdonald because I’ve read he’s pretty legendary, but I wasn’t impressed by my first one.
January 5, 2023
MacDonald published The Drowner in 1963 right before he embarked on his rather popular Travis McGee series. The setting here is the Florida coast. The story is about one Lucille Hanson, separated but not yet divorced, who has been in a relationship with land developer Sam Kimber. One day Lucy drives her little coupe to a small deserted beach and, leaving her purse and radio going, disappears into the lake. Cramps is, of course, the conclusion though Lucy was a superior swimmer.
Her sister Barbara though doesn’t believe it and hires an investigator Paul Staniol, who carefully, holding his cards to his vest, starts poking around. What he uncovers is a sleazy Florida from tax frauds to land deals to what goes on at parties when the power goes out.
Each of the characters are well developed and we learn just how precarious things are for each of them., financially and emotionally. Staniol keeps his cool throughout. He is the consummate investigator, not a fistfighter or a ladies’ man, though keep an eye on the sexual tensions between him and Barbara.
The story is not quite as tight as it could’ve been and the ending was a little bit underwhelming.
Her sister Barbara though doesn’t believe it and hires an investigator Paul Staniol, who carefully, holding his cards to his vest, starts poking around. What he uncovers is a sleazy Florida from tax frauds to land deals to what goes on at parties when the power goes out.
Each of the characters are well developed and we learn just how precarious things are for each of them., financially and emotionally. Staniol keeps his cool throughout. He is the consummate investigator, not a fistfighter or a ladies’ man, though keep an eye on the sexual tensions between him and Barbara.
The story is not quite as tight as it could’ve been and the ending was a little bit underwhelming.
April 3, 2023
This was just okay. I read it because it's supposed to be part of the basis for Peter Swanson's Eight Perfect Murders and only kept reading it because of this. I considered abandoning it because a little over halfway through, I just quit caring who the murderer was. I also found MacDonald's casual sexism tiresome. It's a product of its time (early sixties), but it will probably keep me away from MacDonald from here on.
April 23, 2020
I read this book in preparation to read ‘Eight Perfect Murders’ (Rules for Murder) as this was one of the eight books referenced in the plot line and I wanted to fully understand the murders and the contexts of these references.
I had to download the kindle edition as there seem to be no print copies available for less than £300, and there are a few grammatical mistakes and errors throughout the book which I put down to the ebook transfer, although these didn’t take away from the book.
As this is one of the eight ‘perfect murders’ throughout literary history according to the mastermind of the novel, I was expecting this to truly blow me away with some clever, complicated mystery of a whodunnit. I was sadly very underwhelmed.
John Macdonald spends a lot of time describing his characters, and creates a web of tanglement between the characters in this book, however I have a real issue with the way he attempts to describe the women in his book. The author frequently attempts to describe feelings of sexual tension from women characters in his book and it feels not only out of place to the story and repetitive but really poorly done. Even his attempts at describing physical characteristics don’t sit right in the book and made me cringe. His male characters were not described in this way which just strikes as odd. I give an example:
“Here was a girl . . . is a girl . . . with superb physical equipment. All the glands are working. She ovulates and she’s got big useful breasts and a good fertile pelvic structure, and the female hormones are feeding into her system right on schedule.”
And another:
“He could see past the wiry roots of her hair to the white meat of her scalp. Her sleeveless blouse exposed the smooth and rounded slabs of muscle that slid under the useful hide as she moved her arms. Earnest in the irises of lavender were the little black orifices of pupil, oiled with health, letting his own image through to the invisible rods and cones.”
The mystery itself is ok, although the story is more of a crime story than a mystery. I was able to guess who had done it by halfway in, and I kept expecting there to be some huge twist - right up to the last page I was waiting for it, but no. Your suspicions are confirmed by three quarters in and that’s it in regards to mystery. No plot twist , no shock revelations, the rest of the book is just spent tying up. Perhaps I’ve been spoilt by too many Agatha Christies but for me this was just a bit disappointing.
I had to download the kindle edition as there seem to be no print copies available for less than £300, and there are a few grammatical mistakes and errors throughout the book which I put down to the ebook transfer, although these didn’t take away from the book.
As this is one of the eight ‘perfect murders’ throughout literary history according to the mastermind of the novel, I was expecting this to truly blow me away with some clever, complicated mystery of a whodunnit. I was sadly very underwhelmed.
John Macdonald spends a lot of time describing his characters, and creates a web of tanglement between the characters in this book, however I have a real issue with the way he attempts to describe the women in his book. The author frequently attempts to describe feelings of sexual tension from women characters in his book and it feels not only out of place to the story and repetitive but really poorly done. Even his attempts at describing physical characteristics don’t sit right in the book and made me cringe. His male characters were not described in this way which just strikes as odd. I give an example:
“Here was a girl . . . is a girl . . . with superb physical equipment. All the glands are working. She ovulates and she’s got big useful breasts and a good fertile pelvic structure, and the female hormones are feeding into her system right on schedule.”
And another:
“He could see past the wiry roots of her hair to the white meat of her scalp. Her sleeveless blouse exposed the smooth and rounded slabs of muscle that slid under the useful hide as she moved her arms. Earnest in the irises of lavender were the little black orifices of pupil, oiled with health, letting his own image through to the invisible rods and cones.”
The mystery itself is ok, although the story is more of a crime story than a mystery. I was able to guess who had done it by halfway in, and I kept expecting there to be some huge twist - right up to the last page I was waiting for it, but no. Your suspicions are confirmed by three quarters in and that’s it in regards to mystery. No plot twist , no shock revelations, the rest of the book is just spent tying up. Perhaps I’ve been spoilt by too many Agatha Christies but for me this was just a bit disappointing.
October 6, 2021
My final read in prep for Eight Perfect Murders. Many thanks to the library for tracking down many of the books through ILL as more than one of the books on the list are out of print.
I quite liked this one in spite of the sexism; it was pretty obvious what the author felt is the "purpose" of women. I feel like this would be a fun one to discuss with a group. It was fairly pulpy (honestly, I put my library hold sticker over the cover so my husband wouldn't tease me about reading smut) and I was expecting more of a mystery than a suspense thriller, which it turned into about 2/3 through, so it was a bit of a rollercoaster which I enjoyed. Definite shades of Carrie and even perhaps Red Dragon, if that is not too much of a spoiler. It was surprisingly very well-written and overall a lot of fun. Sexist, but fun.
I quite liked this one in spite of the sexism; it was pretty obvious what the author felt is the "purpose" of women. I feel like this would be a fun one to discuss with a group. It was fairly pulpy (honestly, I put my library hold sticker over the cover so my husband wouldn't tease me about reading smut) and I was expecting more of a mystery than a suspense thriller, which it turned into about 2/3 through, so it was a bit of a rollercoaster which I enjoyed. Definite shades of Carrie and even perhaps Red Dragon, if that is not too much of a spoiler. It was surprisingly very well-written and overall a lot of fun. Sexist, but fun.
May 6, 2020
I'd give this a 3.5 because it did have some interesting murders, but it is definitely written by a man~ every description of a woman was so intensely awkward I was just cringing reading it and in the end couldn't really imagine what he was even describing so every female character just seemed like a tangled mass of shapes... other than that, it was fine, but I feel like it would make a better movie than a book with how it was paced and how distracting the writing got at times. The murderer wasn't too hard to predict, either, and gave off real Stephen King vibes with
February 19, 2025
2.5 stars
Having never heard of this book before, I must admit the only reason I read this was out of sheer frustration with the spoiling of not just the eight implied, but also two additional classic mysteries, in Peter Swanson's, Eight Perfect Murders.
If you aren't aware, the list of spoiled books is:
1. The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne
2. Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
3. The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
4. Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
5. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
6. The Drowner by John D. MacDonald
7. Deathtrap: A Thriller in Two Acts by Ira Levin
8. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
But many readers have lamented that Swanson also spoils The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (which I think should be punishable by law) and And Then There Were None, both by Agatha Christie. So, reader...be warned.
Anyway, back to The Drowner. MacDonald crafted a detective mystery very much of its time, reflective of hard-boiled detectives of the noir era. There are many elements to this novel that don't age that well, though they aren't necessarily the obvious offenses that would come to mind first. It was fine.
Having only read it because of the Swanson book doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to read that one...ever. Just my own brand of readership at work. I feel like if I did venture into that one, it would revolve around reading it out of spite. Which may or may not pan out.
Having never heard of this book before, I must admit the only reason I read this was out of sheer frustration with the spoiling of not just the eight implied, but also two additional classic mysteries, in Peter Swanson's, Eight Perfect Murders.
If you aren't aware, the list of spoiled books is:
1. The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne
2. Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles
3. The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
4. Double Indemnity by James M. Cain
5. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
6. The Drowner by John D. MacDonald
7. Deathtrap: A Thriller in Two Acts by Ira Levin
8. The Secret History by Donna Tartt
But many readers have lamented that Swanson also spoils The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (which I think should be punishable by law) and And Then There Were None, both by Agatha Christie. So, reader...be warned.
Anyway, back to The Drowner. MacDonald crafted a detective mystery very much of its time, reflective of hard-boiled detectives of the noir era. There are many elements to this novel that don't age that well, though they aren't necessarily the obvious offenses that would come to mind first. It was fine.
Having only read it because of the Swanson book doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to read that one...ever. Just my own brand of readership at work. I feel like if I did venture into that one, it would revolve around reading it out of spite. Which may or may not pan out.
December 29, 2023
The Drowner (1963) by John D. MacDonald is a pretty good crime fiction read. A young socialite separated from her lame-brain husband has an affair with an older local business leader who himself is under investigation by the IRS. Young socialite is found drowned in the local lake and our protagonist, a PI disguised as an insurance agent, investigates. Sound complicated, well believe me this just scratches the surface...a lot going on here for a 160 pg book...but it all pieces together for a mostly satisfying read. -A few take a-ways...One: The Drowner starts off as a mystery, a who-done-it, but by the middle of the book you realized that's not the case at all. The story is linear, it's more like Columbo meets Psycho...kind-of. Two: The protagonist PI is not well-defined. And Three: Author John D. MacDonald, especially this era of his writing (early 1960's) has this annoying habit of going off into the land of fancy-writing, like he wants to emulate John Updike or similar of writers of that period. But...MacDonald is not consistent. Here the for first 80% of the book he stretches out a number of times with his fancy-writing workout, like jumping from one scene to the next with no brake between the two, or just being a wind-bag writer for the exercise. Then, the last 20% of the book he shifts gears into violent adventure mode not that far away from Mike Hammer pulp stuff. This is not unique to the The Drowner. I found Slam the Big Door, A Key to the Suite and especially A Flash of Green to be similar....But, not a big deal and maybe I'm the only one who feels this way. Overall The Drowner is a pretty good read and I found it entertaining...I recommend...I give it a 3.5 but rounding it off to 3.0 outta 5.0...
August 7, 2020
Lucille Hanson, tired of her unfaithful husband, Kelsey, asks for a divorce. They live in Florida in the 1950’s. Kelsey and Lucille agree to a year separation, but during that year she begins a relationship with a real estate investor named Sam Kimber. Before Lucille can tell Kelsey that she wants to proceed with the divorce, despite being an excellent swimmer, she drowns in a local lake.
Lucille’s sister, not convinced her sisters drowning was a suicide or accidental, hires a private investigator who starts interviewing that knew Lucille.
The characters are developed to the point that the reader can understand why they have done what they’ve done, the plot is strong, the wording is excellent, the descriptions not overdone.
A side note for me is that the self-made land developer Sam Kimber is such an interesting character that he could carry an entire book on his own.
Recommend.
Lucille’s sister, not convinced her sisters drowning was a suicide or accidental, hires a private investigator who starts interviewing that knew Lucille.
The characters are developed to the point that the reader can understand why they have done what they’ve done, the plot is strong, the wording is excellent, the descriptions not overdone.
A side note for me is that the self-made land developer Sam Kimber is such an interesting character that he could carry an entire book on his own.
Recommend.
November 4, 2022
How do I even start? This book is so weird. I was finding quite difficult to keep up with all the stories. A kind of sleazy guy, a kind of wanna be detective, the confused sister of the victim, the secretary, the IRS guy and maybe a murder caused by a tax fraude? I was uninterested and a bit bored. But when it hit the 65% mark, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT???
I did not see that coming AT ALL.
Just loved the plot twist. Loved how the build up to it came to be. Loved how it all ended.
In the end it turned out to be a much more complex book (and character) than what it's expected in this kind of book.
Great read. Will definitely consider more books from him.
However I would only recommend for those who are junkies of murder mysteries. It's a niche book.
Really outdated language and all that jazz.
I did not see that coming AT ALL.
Just loved the plot twist. Loved how the build up to it came to be. Loved how it all ended.
In the end it turned out to be a much more complex book (and character) than what it's expected in this kind of book.
Great read. Will definitely consider more books from him.
However I would only recommend for those who are junkies of murder mysteries. It's a niche book.
Really outdated language and all that jazz.
July 29, 2020
The book is fast paced and grips you till the end.
Though one can easily figure out the way murder happened and whodunit. Still, the author does not fail to grip you for single moment.
It seems to be bit confusing in the beginning, with introduction of too many characters, but once you are in the flow, it eases you.
Read this as, this book was referenced in Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson.
GoodReads !!!
April 29, 2020
This was my first John D MacDonald novel and definitely won't be my last. I had read the novel Eight Perfect Murders and one of the Perfect Murders was this book.Now, it really didn't turn out to be perfect and I won't say why, but the writing was superb. I could actually see it play out in my head, like a movie, which I don't know if it was or not. Excellent read.
This was my first John D MacDonald novel and definitely won't be my last. I had read the novel Right Perfect Murders and one of the Perfect Murders was this book.Now, it really didn't turn out to be perfect and I won't say why, but the writing was superb. I could actually see it play out in my head, like a movie, which I don't know if it was or not. Excellent read.
This was my first John D MacDonald novel and definitely won't be my last. I had read the novel Right Perfect Murders and one of the Perfect Murders was this book.Now, it really didn't turn out to be perfect and I won't say why, but the writing was superb. I could actually see it play out in my head, like a movie, which I don't know if it was or not. Excellent read.
March 4, 2020
I have an affection for John D. MacDonald. He was a man of his times, however. He was a great observer of people, but his women characters are a often attracted to unlikely older men and his 19 year-olds talk like disaffected 40 year-old divorcees. That's pretty much true through the entire Travis McGee series. And his 40 to 50 year-old male characters truly believe that they can best help women in transitional situations like divorce or death of a spouse through good-hearted f***ing. The mystery here is interesting, the characters are well-drawn but the sexual politics and pairings can be predicted because, well, it's John D. MacDonald.
February 24, 2016
2016 marks 100 years since John D. MacDonald was born. I decided to dip back into the books, mostly read 30+ years ago. Delighted to not recognize many of the books, as is the case with 'The Drowner'.
This is another of MacDonald's books set in Florida, 30 miles south of Ocala. The environs are far less described as is typical MacDonald. However, the setting is more than well depicted for the time of 1960 in north Central Florida.
The story is a great mystery that might just get you not at all sure as to if or who might have drowned a character. The plotting, I feel, is extremely well done. This is a tricky tale that MacDonald handled expertly. The characters are very well detailed.
The biggest draw back is MacDonald again flogging a subject he irrationally despised. That is the greatest disappointment of the book.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 8 of ten points.
This is another of MacDonald's books set in Florida, 30 miles south of Ocala. The environs are far less described as is typical MacDonald. However, the setting is more than well depicted for the time of 1960 in north Central Florida.
The story is a great mystery that might just get you not at all sure as to if or who might have drowned a character. The plotting, I feel, is extremely well done. This is a tricky tale that MacDonald handled expertly. The characters are very well detailed.
The biggest draw back is MacDonald again flogging a subject he irrationally despised. That is the greatest disappointment of the book.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 8 of ten points.
April 18, 2018
MacDonald at his best !! A great story
May 27, 2020
so incredibly dated
March 31, 2020
This is how you write a good mystery and a great detective novel .This is the first John D. Macdonald novel I have read and surely it won’t be the last. Now whenever I hit the recurring thriller/mystery slump, which is so common after one devours the modern bestsellers lists, I will turn to a Macdonald novel to shake me out of one.
The story is simply about a drowning victim, Lucille Hanson –but was it a murder, a suicide or a simple accident?
We are introduced to Paul Stanial, a world-weary investigator with a moral compass, sickened by the usual cheating/divorce cases and the Florida excesses he is surrounded with. Barbara ,Lucille’s sister, who is trying to figure how it all happened . Sam Kimber ,a man in love, trying to survive his loss as well as get out of a tax evasion scam. Kelsey Hanson ,the husband ,a typical drunk womanizing trust fund swinger. Angie ,the prim uptight secretary of Sam and my favorite Doctor Nile…hah!
I absolutely love the metaphorical comparison between the drowning of the victim as well as the other main characters. Everyone is drowning in one way or another; Paul is drowning in his job & the surrounding excesses, Barbara is drowning from her cheap affair with a married man .Angie is drowning in her religious upbringing. Sam is drowning in tax troubles while Kelsey is drowning in booze and entanglements of privilege.
This book is quite wordy ,the characters go on long rampages of loquaciousness and the narrative structure even suddenly changes towards the end . But it’s all done in the best possible manner ,keeping the reader engrossed with the wonderful mystery , genuine character studies, all mixed with a social commentary for that time period.
I simply loved this book ,I could write essays on the dialogues and the characters .The Drowner by John D. Macdonald is an all time favorite .
The story is simply about a drowning victim, Lucille Hanson –but was it a murder, a suicide or a simple accident?
We are introduced to Paul Stanial, a world-weary investigator with a moral compass, sickened by the usual cheating/divorce cases and the Florida excesses he is surrounded with. Barbara ,Lucille’s sister, who is trying to figure how it all happened . Sam Kimber ,a man in love, trying to survive his loss as well as get out of a tax evasion scam. Kelsey Hanson ,the husband ,a typical drunk womanizing trust fund swinger. Angie ,the prim uptight secretary of Sam and my favorite Doctor Nile…hah!
I absolutely love the metaphorical comparison between the drowning of the victim as well as the other main characters. Everyone is drowning in one way or another; Paul is drowning in his job & the surrounding excesses, Barbara is drowning from her cheap affair with a married man .Angie is drowning in her religious upbringing. Sam is drowning in tax troubles while Kelsey is drowning in booze and entanglements of privilege.
This book is quite wordy ,the characters go on long rampages of loquaciousness and the narrative structure even suddenly changes towards the end . But it’s all done in the best possible manner ,keeping the reader engrossed with the wonderful mystery , genuine character studies, all mixed with a social commentary for that time period.
I simply loved this book ,I could write essays on the dialogues and the characters .The Drowner by John D. Macdonald is an all time favorite .
June 2, 2025
Koox Ex Machina
This was a bit out of character for him: a whodunnit with the villain being a crackpot. Nutcases are always a cheat because then plausibility is meaningless and Anything Goes.
He cheated once before with a whodunnit where we found out who the who in whodunnit was through hypnotism. Hypnotism is completely out of bounds in crime books, more so than even lie-detectors.
Not nearly as much Love Boat (ABC, 1977-1986) as is his wont, but what there was was still his "trademark" Love At First Sight. (JDM must have been a moron, or have some bad gambling debts, the way he keeps doing this and thinking no one will notice.)
I am so accustomed to such drivel from this guy that it was a relief to find it was a whodunnit and not a how-do-I-love-thee-let-me-go-on-and-on-and-on-about-it-while-I-count-the-ways.
But, as is my wont, I again say that there are worse things -- Pynchon, Stephen King, SciFi, Faulkner, Joyce, Allen Ginsburg, &c. -- so I'm not as mad as I could be. I am pretty mad though; that's the upside to these books.
It did the job and kept me busy for a couple of days -- just like Love Boat (ABC, 1977-1986), Fantasy Island (ABC, 1977-1984), and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-1977) do for you people. And I say this without one atom of condescension; it's the very same thing.
This was a bit out of character for him: a whodunnit with the villain being a crackpot. Nutcases are always a cheat because then plausibility is meaningless and Anything Goes.
He cheated once before with a whodunnit where we found out who the who in whodunnit was through hypnotism. Hypnotism is completely out of bounds in crime books, more so than even lie-detectors.
Not nearly as much Love Boat (ABC, 1977-1986) as is his wont, but what there was was still his "trademark" Love At First Sight. (JDM must have been a moron, or have some bad gambling debts, the way he keeps doing this and thinking no one will notice.)
I am so accustomed to such drivel from this guy that it was a relief to find it was a whodunnit and not a how-do-I-love-thee-let-me-go-on-and-on-and-on-about-it-while-I-count-the-ways.
But, as is my wont, I again say that there are worse things -- Pynchon, Stephen King, SciFi, Faulkner, Joyce, Allen Ginsburg, &c. -- so I'm not as mad as I could be. I am pretty mad though; that's the upside to these books.
It did the job and kept me busy for a couple of days -- just like Love Boat (ABC, 1977-1986), Fantasy Island (ABC, 1977-1984), and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-1977) do for you people. And I say this without one atom of condescension; it's the very same thing.
March 29, 2025
I confess this started slow. In fact, I picked it up to read last year and couldn't get into it, but I'm glad I gave it another chance. Once it gets going, it's pretty typical JDM and for fans of JDM that means pretty good. But then, somewhere around the 2/3 mark, we get a chapter that is a wonderful twist. It works so well in that I was worried the character would somehow become a victim, but we instead learn that they are the, well, let's just say responsible.
And it really takes off from there as we wonder what will happen next or how our leads will deal with this character as more and more evidence comes to light revealing their true nature.
Yes, I left that vague so I don't have to put spoilers, but it's best this way. Anyway, the ending is so good, it elevated it from a 3.5 to a 4 or 4.5 star book. I'm going to be generous and give it the full five since there are no half marks on GR.
And it really takes off from there as we wonder what will happen next or how our leads will deal with this character as more and more evidence comes to light revealing their true nature.
Yes, I left that vague so I don't have to put spoilers, but it's best this way. Anyway, the ending is so good, it elevated it from a 3.5 to a 4 or 4.5 star book. I'm going to be generous and give it the full five since there are no half marks on GR.
June 6, 2020
Four and a half stars
I picked up this book because it was mentioned by one of my favorite thriller authors in his last book. The storyline behind this book was unlike anything I have ever read. The writing style is so unique. I got lost in the magic of the description of each character. I don't the word's to describe the writing. This author is super talented I plan on reading a lot more of his books.
I picked up this book because it was mentioned by one of my favorite thriller authors in his last book. The storyline behind this book was unlike anything I have ever read. The writing style is so unique. I got lost in the magic of the description of each character. I don't the word's to describe the writing. This author is super talented I plan on reading a lot more of his books.
August 24, 2020
This was the last book I “had” to read in preparation for Eight Perfect Murders. It is super short – the kindle version I read was only 160 pages. Sure, the book is dated and occasionally icky (first published in 1963), but the plot was interesting.
Lucille Hanson drowns in a lake in Florida. There was no one around for miles when she drown and the coroner is convinced it was an accident. Only Lucille’s younger sister, Barbara, isn’t so sure. She hires a private detective to look into it: Lucille’s rich but sleazy, estranged husband, her older gangster-ish lover, the good ol’ boy tax attorney… Investigator Paul Stanial takes the case as an antidote to the usual divorce case cheater work he does and gets more than he bargained for…
Lucille Hanson drowns in a lake in Florida. There was no one around for miles when she drown and the coroner is convinced it was an accident. Only Lucille’s younger sister, Barbara, isn’t so sure. She hires a private detective to look into it: Lucille’s rich but sleazy, estranged husband, her older gangster-ish lover, the good ol’ boy tax attorney… Investigator Paul Stanial takes the case as an antidote to the usual divorce case cheater work he does and gets more than he bargained for…
April 26, 2021
It was fine, and I tried to read it as much for the characters as much as the mystery based on the glowing introduction by Dean Koontz. I liked the setting (Florida) and that felt very real to me. But the book itself (I felt) doesn't really age well, especially with the character of Angie. Lots of bad behavior from all characters. It's not a long book but I still took a break because it wasn't compelling to me.
July 27, 2024
This book is a twisty thriller. It starts out quite tamely, but, oh, that ending. The Florida heat is a major character in this murdery tale. Beware those with a rigid moral code.
April 5, 2021
I've read all of the Travis McGee novels, so I'm used to the author's philosophizing and psychoanalysis of characters and society in general. But this was too much. The book was awful and I highly recommend that you skip it if at all possible.
April 30, 2022
3.5 almost edging up to a 4. 3.75? 3.75.
This rating, for what it's worth, is for the plot, not the writing.
MacDonald's writing here has a few glimmers of greatness mixed in with a lot of what I can only describe in the year of our lord 2022 as, well, bizarre.
Dean Koontz wrote the foreward in the version I read and was so effusive with praise about MacDonald's writing that it made me glad I've never read Koontz, to be honest.
This definitely felt like it was written by a man in the 1960s, because it was. The amount of attention paid to women's (often "round") body parts was far too much for my taste, but I chalk that up to this book being a product of its time.
Definitely not an author I'd seek out for his style, and there were some chunks of text that felt like head scratchers to me because I just did not get what he was referencing (or what he was saying was so obtuse or bizarre I just had to move past it). But I was born 24 years after this was published, so some of that is just kind of the nature of the beast.
Onto the actual plot, I had a guess at the guilty party about 60% of the way in and was proven correct pretty shortly thereafter, but the admission of why and how it all shook out was still super intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat for the last few chapters of the book. Well, the "why" was something I guessed at, but seeing it actually unfold was kind of.. grotesquely fascinating. Like a slow motion train wreck that started picking up speed as soon as I started watching.
That's a bad metaphor, but whatever.
I had never heard of this author or this book until a few weeks ago (a week ago? I really went hard on this "challenge" quickly) when I first heard about the Eight Perfect Murders "challenge," in which you read the eight murder mysteries whose plots are mentioned and spoiled in the book Eight Perfect Murders before then reading that book itself.
I don't even know if Eight Perfect Murders is a good book, but I have loved that it's forcing me to read old mysteries that I would never have heard of (or thought to read) otherwise.
I already had The Secret History on my list for this year, and would have eventually gotten around to The ABC Murders, but I can only assume that Double Indemnity and The Drowner (among the others on the list) would never have crossed my path.
Anyway. There were parts of the book that essentially led to nothing and it felt slooooooow for a 160-page book, but overall I would say this was pretty well plotted. Even though at times I was rolling my eyes, the latter half(ish) of the book really ramps things up and I'm glad I stuck it out.
--
ATY 2022: #29 - A book set on or near a body of water
Eight Perfect Murders "Challenge" - #2 of 9
This rating, for what it's worth, is for the plot, not the writing.
MacDonald's writing here has a few glimmers of greatness mixed in with a lot of what I can only describe in the year of our lord 2022 as, well, bizarre.
Dean Koontz wrote the foreward in the version I read and was so effusive with praise about MacDonald's writing that it made me glad I've never read Koontz, to be honest.
This definitely felt like it was written by a man in the 1960s, because it was. The amount of attention paid to women's (often "round") body parts was far too much for my taste, but I chalk that up to this book being a product of its time.
Definitely not an author I'd seek out for his style, and there were some chunks of text that felt like head scratchers to me because I just did not get what he was referencing (or what he was saying was so obtuse or bizarre I just had to move past it). But I was born 24 years after this was published, so some of that is just kind of the nature of the beast.
Onto the actual plot, I had a guess at the guilty party about 60% of the way in and was proven correct pretty shortly thereafter, but the admission of why and how it all shook out was still super intriguing and kept me on the edge of my seat for the last few chapters of the book. Well, the "why" was something I guessed at, but seeing it actually unfold was kind of.. grotesquely fascinating. Like a slow motion train wreck that started picking up speed as soon as I started watching.
That's a bad metaphor, but whatever.
I had never heard of this author or this book until a few weeks ago (a week ago? I really went hard on this "challenge" quickly) when I first heard about the Eight Perfect Murders "challenge," in which you read the eight murder mysteries whose plots are mentioned and spoiled in the book Eight Perfect Murders before then reading that book itself.
I don't even know if Eight Perfect Murders is a good book, but I have loved that it's forcing me to read old mysteries that I would never have heard of (or thought to read) otherwise.
I already had The Secret History on my list for this year, and would have eventually gotten around to The ABC Murders, but I can only assume that Double Indemnity and The Drowner (among the others on the list) would never have crossed my path.
Anyway. There were parts of the book that essentially led to nothing and it felt slooooooow for a 160-page book, but overall I would say this was pretty well plotted. Even though at times I was rolling my eyes, the latter half(ish) of the book really ramps things up and I'm glad I stuck it out.
--
ATY 2022: #29 - A book set on or near a body of water
Eight Perfect Murders "Challenge" - #2 of 9
August 31, 2025
In The Drowner private investigator, Paul Stanial, is hired to look into the accidental drowning of Lucy Hanson, an expert swimmer. There’s no reason to believe Lucy was murdered but her sister wants Paul to look into it. Couple this with a series of letters that hint at sketchy business deals and she can only suspect foul play, even if there is no mark on body to suggest a violent death.
She’s right, of course, and Paul soon agrees with her. The mystery is quickly revealed to involve taxes, deception, and money, specifically money the dead woman was supposed to keep safe and which has now disappeared. Quickly Paul becomes embroiled in swinger’s parties and crooked business deals.
The setting of "The Drowner" is a dark and deviant Florida. MacDonald’s landscape includes forgotten towns filled with despair, sleazy roadside motels, and endless orange groves.
MacDonald is masterful at altering his dialogue to fit the speaker. Overall, this was a good example of what the detective novel was evolving into by the mid 1960s. There is a the examination of clues surrounding a puzzling death and plenty of character study, all mixed with a strong social criticism of the swinging 60s.
I chose this book because it was mentioned in Eight Perfect Murders and I hadn't heard of it. I didn't think it was a "perfect" murder but I did enjoy the conclusion. Published in 1963 it's filled with the usual mixture of racism and sexism, which might affect how some readers enjoy it. This is also the last book MacDonald wrote before embarking on his famed Travis McGee franchise.
She’s right, of course, and Paul soon agrees with her. The mystery is quickly revealed to involve taxes, deception, and money, specifically money the dead woman was supposed to keep safe and which has now disappeared. Quickly Paul becomes embroiled in swinger’s parties and crooked business deals.
The setting of "The Drowner" is a dark and deviant Florida. MacDonald’s landscape includes forgotten towns filled with despair, sleazy roadside motels, and endless orange groves.
MacDonald is masterful at altering his dialogue to fit the speaker. Overall, this was a good example of what the detective novel was evolving into by the mid 1960s. There is a the examination of clues surrounding a puzzling death and plenty of character study, all mixed with a strong social criticism of the swinging 60s.
I chose this book because it was mentioned in Eight Perfect Murders and I hadn't heard of it. I didn't think it was a "perfect" murder but I did enjoy the conclusion. Published in 1963 it's filled with the usual mixture of racism and sexism, which might affect how some readers enjoy it. This is also the last book MacDonald wrote before embarking on his famed Travis McGee franchise.
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