Myst** John D. MacDonald

It's been a while, yet here is one more Mystery Writer blog entry. ;)
John D. MacDonald was a writer during the 30 years - after WWII. Only a part of that legacy is his Travis McGee series of 21 novels. One myth is that he was to have considered one more novel where-in his independent crime hero / 50% fee salvage consultant of South Florida was to have died. This is in part owing to the use of colour within the Book Titles; Black had not been used. The author himself died unfortunately+ after a heart bypass operation in 1986, at the age of 70.

There is little that I can add beyond my own viewpoint of the McGee series. I've read about 15 of the novels - most via omnibus reprint editions as well as a few early career short stories. Quite a few others, however, have already written about the author and his main series character in greater detail.
Generally 'I' prefer the later novels of this 1964-1985 series. I know that one of the mid-era novels I read was a leading disappoint within my larger field of mystery fiction readings (it might be the stolen stamp collection novel). IMO it was dull and had no victim until the last third.
However, most are a lively mixture of tense action, casual relationships, location setting, and the hero knight's unfavorable philosophies upon his modern developing society. AKA 'Future Mankind is slowly Doomed'. The philosophy bits can get a bit unwieldy at times.
Confessions of a Mystery Novelist... wrote about the first McGee novel, earlier this week. JDM had already been writing for about 18 years before beginning what started off as a paperback original series.


selected web links:
+ The Trap of Solid Gold, a blog celebrating JDM.
Travis McGee and Me, a blog celebrating the McGee series.
JDMhomepage.org, the extensive website of JDM and McGee topics.
Interview with John D. by Ed Gorman (1984). From Mysteryfile.com