Rating: 
Summary: McGee the Hammer
Review: This is a book of vengeance and revenge. Travis has finally found true love, and she is snatched from him by death. At first it appears to be a lethal illness, then horrifyingly a random sophisticated killing. Trav is almost mad with a desire to find one face to batter and then to execute the killer. To face the fact that the murder appears to be an organizational hit with no single one-of-a-kind killer seems obscenely unfair. Travis follows some paper-thin leads, discards his identity, and infiltrates a terrorist camp sponsored by a cult religious group.This is a fast paced book, one of my all-time favorite McGees. I was struck by MacDonald's uncanny accuracy in depicting the terrorist personality way back in 1979. The healthy young American soldiers in superb shape confidently believed their next lives would be vastly improved by destroying the civilization in this one. They disdained, even looked forward to death. One character tells McGee that the terrorists will not "waste" their rockets on military vessels. Blowing up a planeload of civilians containing women and children was far more "productive." The finale is a fine display of McGee's sniperly abilities, derring-do and just plain luck. (Rambo has nothing on him!) The only thing that dated "The Green Ripper" was McGee's reluctance to treat the female terrorists as anything but "ladies" no matter how fearsome they were. Today no such chivalry (even if misguided) would be allowed. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition
Rating:
Summary: One McGee's Best
Review: This was one of the most enjoyable books of the McGee series for me, and I think the fact that I have read 7 or 8 other McGee titles first may have something to do with it. In just about every book, Travis McGee does more than just flirt with women -- he flirts with the idea of falling in love with them, but he never, ever does. And so this book begins with McGee certain that he's found The One, and then she's taken from him.
So if this is your first time reading about Travis McGee...well I'd like to persuade you not to, ironically! Read "One Fearful Yellow Eye" or "The Quick Red Fox" first. Otherwise, I fear that this book may read like just another revenge story.
Rating: 
Summary: Not representative of the others
Review: This was the first Travis McGee book I read -- it's recommended as one of the best 100 mysteries by Keating -- and it really turned me off. McGee comes across as bloodthirsty and hyperviolent; not at all the sympathetic character he is in the other books. Luckily I read another McGee book and found out that The Green Ripper is not representative of the series. If, like me, you pick this book up because of Keating's recommendation, all I can say is I haven't a clue why Keating selected this as one as the best. He also choose The Blue Hammer as one of Ross Macdonald's best, when it was definitely his worst.
Rating:
Summary: Travis the Reaper
Review: Wow - where do I start? This is about the 10th McGee book I've read, and like the others, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like so many others, it starts out with our hero's newest girlfriend, who you know will not live to the end of the story. Travis must avenge her wrongful death, which leads him to the strangest adventure he's ever had. Mysterious government agents enlist his help (who are those guys?). He stumbles into Camp Weirdo, a cross between Jonestown and Usama Bin-Laden's training center, where he isn't supposed to escape. Since the camp's residents are little more than automatons, I had little sympathy for what Travis had to do. You know Travis will be resourceful, since he has several more colorful adventures ahead. I would have given this the full 5 stars, except there were too many loose ends left unanswered. I almost thought (though I know better) that MacDonald left them on purpose to support a future McGee story.
Rating: 
Summary: McGee teaches terrorists a lesson
Review: Wow - where do I start? This is about the 10th McGee book I've read, and like the others, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like so many others, it starts out with our hero's newest girlfriend, who you know will not live to the end of the story. Travis must avenge her wrongful death, which leads him to the strangest adventure he's ever had. Mysterious government agents enlist his help (who are those guys?). He stumbles into Camp Weirdo, a cross between Jonestown and Usama Bin-Laden's training center, where he isn't supposed to escape. Since the camp's residents are little more than automatons, I had little sympathy for what Travis had to do. You know Travis will be resourceful, since he has several more colorful adventures ahead. I would have given this the full 5 stars, except there were too many loose ends left unanswered. I almost thought (though I know better) that MacDonald left them on purpose to support a future McGee story.
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