Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for any American
Review: I am a lawyer who was an English major as an undergrad. Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post wrote a favorable essay about Travis McGee in 2003 which got me interested in the series (incidentally, my contracts professor used Travis as a character in many of his essay questions). I first read "A Deep Blue Goodbye" and was instantly hooked. McDonald intersperses the action of his novels (Boy, is there is action!) with Travis's insights into American society. Even though this book was published in 1964, Travis's insights are completely appropriate for today. If you are a reader who likes both action and a bit of philosophy on America, try this book or any other Travis McGee books (you don't have to read them in order). More realistic than Mike Hammer (Travis doesn't always get the woman and often gets his a-- kicked), Travis McGee never fails to thrill. Once I wanted to write the perfect detective novel. After reading Travis McGee, I knew I was beat. If you have any other questions or comments, e-mail me at schlegce@aol.com. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for any American
Review: I am a lawyer who was an English major as an undergrad. Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post wrote a favorable essay about Travis McGee in 2003 which got me interested in the series (incidentally, my contracts professor used Travis as a character in many of his essay questions). I first read "A Deep Blue Goodbye" and was instantly hooked. McDonald intersperses the action of his novels (Boy, is there is action!) with Travis's insights into American society. Even though this book was published in 1964, Travis's insights are completely appropriate for today. If you are a reader who likes both action and a bit of philosophy on America, try this book or any other Travis McGee books (you don't have to read them in order). More realistic than Mike Hammer (Travis doesn't always get the woman and often gets his a-- kicked), Travis McGee never fails to thrill. Once I wanted to write the perfect detective novel. After reading Travis McGee, I knew I was beat. If you have any other questions or comments, e-mail me at schlegce@aol.com. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Simply the Best
Review: I have read all twenty-one Travis McGee novels and all are great. The Deep Blue Good-By is especially significant because it was the first. John D. MacDonald has shaped one of the most memorable detectives (eh, salvage consultants) in American fiction. McGee's philosophical sidebars and general commentaries on topics ranging from bikers, to bikinis, to beer, to sunsets give this character a depth that can not be found anywhere else. The storylines, however unrealistic, seem realistic. McGee does not always do the right thing. But who does. That's why we relate to Travis. When MacDonald died he took Travis McGee with him. But oh what a glorious ride it was.
Rating: 
Summary: The beginning of a fruitful series
Review: I love these books. Travis McGee is one of all-time great fictional wise guys. He's witty, and pretty resourceful. The Florida setting makes a great backdrop and the books are full of action. The McGee brand of private eye was a masterstroke on the part of MacDonald. McGee is just a seemingly innocent beach bum that makes his money stealing money from those who have previously stolen it from someone else. In this opening book of the series, McGee takes on an ex-con that stole some goods belonging to a friend of a friend of McGee's. That's all you need to know of the plot. The real enjoyment of these books are the journeys McGee travels. There's a funny stream of misogyny that runs through this series that I have to comment on. McGee's exploits with women are much in the vein of James Bond, but MacDonald, I think, seems uncomfortable with the fact, because McGee is always rationalizing his behavior and the author's sympathies seem to be with him. One way or another, McGee always has some deeper reason as to why his constant use of various women is actually doing them a whole lot of good. Travis McGee is the sensitive womanizer. Now, I've never met such a person, but if one existed, I think that he'd spend the majority of his time on the analysts couch. This is just the first book, but when you're ten or twelve deep into the series, you'll no doubt laugh as McGee says something like, "All the women mean something" after one dies the sudden, yet requisite, death. Anyway, these books are fun and their goal is to entertain, and they do just that. If you read one or two, there is a good chance you'll read all of them sooner or later. I usually take one on vacation.
Rating:
Summary: McGee is who we'd all want to be if we only had the guts!
Review: I never considered myself a "mystery" fan, but I picked up "The Deep Blue Goodbye" as an act of desperation while waiting in a hospital lounge. I was hooked immediately and cannot put one down once I've started it. Sleep? Who needs it? MacDonald's Travis McGee is who we'd all really want to be given the chance to live any way we want. His commentary on Florida's growth, environment and people were decades ahead of their time. A natural follow up to Travis McGee is Carl Hiassen's crazy characters. While they don't have quite the same feel of honor as McGee and most aren't even likeable, they're all from the same swamp and are great reads.
Rating:
Summary: Classic MacDonald
Review: I only listen to tape books once, except those by MacDonald. Like a good woman, you never tire of them.
Rating:
Summary: What a great book and character!
Review: I was a little suspicious of this, being that it was written in the sixties, and I'm not such a big fan of that period, but MacDonald's writing is timeless. I am now a huge Travis McGee fan. He writes very well, and gives just enough character development to keep you interested without going overboard. He also carves a mean plot line with lots of twists and turns. Take a chance on this one...you'll be like me...aching to read the rest of the McGee series.
Rating:
Summary: What a great book and character!
Review: I was a little suspicious of this, being that it was written in the sixties, and I'm not such a big fan of that period, but MacDonald's writing is timeless. I am now a huge Travis McGee fan. He writes very well, and gives just enough character development to keep you interested without going overboard. He also carves a mean plot line with lots of twists and turns. Take a chance on this one...you'll be like me...aching to read the rest of the McGee series.
Rating:
Summary: A treasure from the past...
Review: I'm an avid reader of mysteries and I thought I had a basic knowledge of all the prolific writers (even though I haven't sampled all their works). But when a friend recommended John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, it wasn't even on my radar screen. I started this series with the first book, The Deep Blue Good-By, and was completely blown away!
Travis McGee is a combination of a Mickey Spillane and a Dashiell Hammett character. McGee is a beach bum who lives on the houseboat, cruises chicks, enjoys the good life, and does as little work as possible. When the money runs out, he acts as a modern day Robin Hood-helping those who have been swindled recover their losses (for a percentage, or course). But what makes McGee so much fun is that he is a lovable rake with an astute sense of the world and the people around him, which sometimes borders on brilliance. Having attending the University of Pennsylvania, Syracuse and Harvard, MacDonald is no slouch, either. Some of McGee's musings include:
"A woman who does not guard and treasure herself cannot be of much value to anyone else. They become a pretty little convenience, like a guest towel."
and
"A man with a credit card is in hock to his own image of himself."
The plot is fast paced, and will keep you turning pages as quickly as possible. And while McGee seems to solve at least part of the mystery, the ending isn't entirely happy. The Deep Blue Good-By is definitely a book with an edge. While written in the early 1960's, this story could have been written today except for the absence of cell phones and computers.
The only reason I gave The Deep Blue Good-By four stars instead of five is that at 144 pages, it is just a little light. But I am happy to have discovered this entertaining series, and have already started the second book, Nightmare in Pink.
Rating:
Summary: Clever, but a tad misogynistic
Review: John D. MacDonald has a tremendous sense of style, a keep eye, and a catchy turn of phrase. Read this story with a highlighter in hand to mark off the brilliant lines because they are wonderful. He has some misogynistic tendencies -- females in his books are weak creatures to be rescued with no common sense and easy to render compliant and stupid via excessive sex, a phenominon males are immune to. That may be a product of when he was writing. The story is worth reading despite that. Overall, an engaging work, a clever story, and a delightful light read.
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