[.ca] Deep Blue Good-by (ISBN 0449223833)

The Thief Within the Theft:
According to rumor, when John MacDonald first debuted Travis McGee in 1964, he submited five novels at once. Ritual considers The Deep Blue Good-by as the true first novel, although there is little evidence that would favor any of them. All can be read independently, and all are excellent reading. McGee makes his living by retrieving things that are hopelessly lost and tasking a hefty percentage off the top. This funds his idyllic existence on the Busted Flush, a housboat in Lauderdale. As McGee puts it, he is tacking his retirement in chunks spread over his life rather than all at once. When Chookie McCall, a friendly dancer tries to get McGee to listen to the probelms of one of the women in her dance troupe McGee's first reaction is to say no. But his sense of chivalry betrays him, and he finds himself drawn into the story of Catherine Kerr, who suspects that her estranged husband ran away with a nest egg that her father left for his family before he went to prison and to his death. Soon McGee, the Busted Flush, and a Rolls Royce pickup truck named Miss Agnes are out hunting for Junior Allen and the mysterious treasure he is suspected of taking. What McGee discovers soon enough is that Allen isn't just a crook, he is a true socipath. The story begins to take ugly turns and we quickly find out that even white knights can get very dirty. MacDonald's mystery storys are more often roller-coaster rides than quiet journeys, and The Deep Blue Good-by is no exception. McGee is noble defender, tough guy, and patient listener as the circumstances require. What he never is, is boring. What sets MacDonald's novels apart from his many imitators is his tight control of language and pacing. Without warning McGee's narration can shift from the mystery at hand to scathing social commentary. Descriptions are vivid without the use of excess adjectives. While MacDonald isn't really a noir writer, there is a dark shadow in all his stories. One that can leave you shaken long after you turn the last page.

He can fight and shoot and cook and mix great drinks !!:
This remains my favorite of the series featuring Travis McGee. McGee is the tall, tanned beach bum, and just happens to be an excellent detective. He's always got the right answer and he get's there by showing his work, not through conclusory narrative. He's never preachy as he disseminates his somewhat cynical but still romantic world view. McGee makes his living by retrieving treasure that good folks have been cheated out of by the bad guys. He keeps half of whatever he retrieves, but his clients are always satisfied because without his help, they would have never retrieved anything. He can fight, shoot and cook and mix great drinks and nurse just about any down-and-out beauty back to health on his houseboat called "The Busted Flush" which he won in a poker game and is docked Lauderdale. Helping those leastest sparrows is always my favorite part. The Deep Blue Good-By, written in MacDonald's heyday, presents a truly battered soul in the character of Cathy Kerr. If only I could make a life sustaining egg-nog or egg-fizz whatever it is ! I guess, like a lot of guys , If I could become somebody else I would want to become Travis McGee. To me McGee is a real person and that says a lot about the late, great John D. Macdonald.

Good, but not great:
This was my first MacDonald book, and all things considered, it was an O.K. book. It is a traditional American mystery with a hansom, smooth talking, tanned Floridian (Travis McGee)as the hero of the story. It was a quick read and I recomend it for any fan of crime fiction. However, the book falls short for a few reasons. First, I find little originality in the plot. Right from the beginning of the novel, when the problem was introduced, I had no doubt how the story would conclude. Sure enough, I was right. To me, it seemed to be a generic, open-and-shut mystery novel with little real suspense and no plot twists like I would expect in a good mystery. Secondly, I'm no feminist, but the overt machismo in this book got tiring. All of them women in this novel were helpless victims throwing themselves at Travis Macgee, who always did his best to help out the poor little ladies. I understand that this was written in the 1960's when these sorts of things were not as important. That notwithstanding, I still got a little sick of his constant portrayel of men as the saviors of women. But please, don't just take my word for it. I may have given it three stars, but it seems like most people give it five stars. There are obviousley a lot of people who really like this novel. I just am not one of them. Go out and read it for yourself.

An Appetite Whetter:
This is the first of the Travis McGee books and quickly establishes why they have been so popular for so long. From the opening page the atmosphere is totally relaxed as we are welcomed aboard Travis' houseboat, The Busted Flush. Travis works only when he has to, which means, just before he runs out of money. The rest of the time he spends lazing around the Florida waters, living the good life. He is coaxed into action by the bad-luck story of a friend of a friend and quickly and professionally gets to work coming to her rescue. On the way, he acts as a knight in shining armour to a second woman who desperately needs help, going above and beyond the call of duty, firmly entrenching him as a helluva nice guy. This book was written almost 30 years ago, yet it is fresh enough to make one believe that it is set in today's world. It's an excellent introduction to the world of Travis McGee and has certainly whetted my appetite for more. Travis McGee is the ultimate laid back hero who carries his flaws as humbly as his talents.

An Appetite Whetter:
This is the first of the Travis McGee books and quickly establishes why they have been so popular for so long. From the opening page the atmosphere is totally relaxed as we are welcomed aboard Travis' houseboat, The Busted Flush. Travis works only when he has to, which means, just before he runs out of money. The rest of the time he spends lazing around the Florida waters, living the good life. He is coaxed into action by the bad-luck story of a friend of a friend and quickly and professionally gets to work coming to her rescue. On the way, he acts as a knight in shining armour to a second woman who desperately needs help, going above and beyond the call of duty, firmly entrenching him as a helluva nice guy. This book was written almost 30 years ago, yet it is fresh enough to make one believe that it is set in today's world. It's an excellent introduction to the world of Travis McGee and has certainly whetted my appetite for more. Travis McGee is the ultimate laid back hero who carries his flaws as humbly as his talents.