A Purple Place for Dying: A Travis McGee Novel

Travis McGee is someone I have been hoping and praying to meet. I read these books 50 years ago when McDonald was still writing them. They're still a fantastic read. They still fit the time and place. I still love these books. McDonald writes.so well that the dialogue still fits the time. He was a true master to his craft and no one can beat him. I wish he was still here writing these books. The dialogue fits and the people still keep Travis busy.

I admire all of John D. MacDonald's work, and certainly the Travis McGee series was his most powerful creation. Few, if any, popular mysteries are of such high quality. Though this book is entertaining, and well crafted, it is not my favorite McGee. There are perhaps three reasons for this: 1) It follows the pattern of a standard mystery from the fifties or early sixties, and hence seems a bit derivative. I think MacDonald was experimenting with moving McGee away from his native habitat, perhaps to make use of a plot he had invented in other circumstances. I'm not sure the experiment was successful. 2) McGee is far from the water, and I think the sense of warmth and good will found in many of the other books in this series comes from MacDonald's love of the water in general, and Florida in particular. McGee was out of his habitat, and seemed a bit strained and depressed as a result. 3) McGee (and MacDonald) really don't like the female lead in the book very much, and one of the things that holds MacDonald's books together is the main character's and the author's obvious attraction and sympathy for women. Here the lead is prissy, overly intellectual, and distasteful to MacDonald and McGee. As a result, the book feels a bit sour, and lacking the good will and sense of joy found in the best of the other McGees. Nevertheless, this is a Travis McGee book from the early sixties, a time when MacDonald was at the height of his remarkable powers. As such, it is not to be missed. I, however, will confess to having missed the Busted Flush, the sandy rumped sun bunnies, and the sleazy streets of Florida. A good book, but not at the top of my list of McGees. (I've read them all several times, a few of them many times.)

A Purple Place of Dying is the third novel by John D. MacDonald featuring Travis McGee. McGee has been summoned to the country by Mona Yeoman to try and force a divorce and financial settlement from her tycoon husband. McGee is not inclined to go for it but before the meeting ends, Yeoman takes a bullet to the spine and falls to the ground dead. Before long, the body has disappeared and Travis learns that everyone assumes the woman has run off with a college professor she's been having an affair with. Away from his home turf and not sure who he can trust, McGee digs in to try and find out who killed Mona Yeoman. John MacDonald knew how to tell a story and tell it well. His use of language is clear and concise. The dialogue is crisp and intelligent and includes the snappy patter that any self-respecting detective series must have. At just under 300 pages, A Purple Place for Dying is certainly not padded, the story moves along well and keeps the reader guessing at a solution to the mystery until the reveal. The characters were well developed and interesting. Mona's husband was particularly enjoyable and Travis McGee manages to be both tough without becoming a caricature of a hard-boiled detective. He's decent, honest for the most part, and the kind of guy you'd want on your side when in trouble. In any review, I try to point out the good along with the bad. In this case, I can't really find any flaws or weaknesses in the book. It's well written, the story is interesting, and the characters were strong. This was the first novel of MacDonald's that I have read but I can see why he was recognized as a master of the craft of writing. If you're looking for a good detective novel, this one is an excellent choice.

Good page turner. Couldn't stop reading to the end. I found it very adventurous and interesting. Love the way John D MacDonald writes.

I have been reading these books since the 60's and you cannot get a more enjoyable read. Travis McGee, his friend Meyer and the busted Flush, plus all the antics that go on make for one of the best book series I have ever read. Try one and I will bet you can't put it down!

An enjoyable read. Love John Macdonald's books especially the Travis McGee series. A quiet hero with a great attitude towards life and all its idiosyncrasies

This book was an enjoyable read and having read all Lee child books it's understandable where he got the inspiration to base his main character on as both are similar. I will continue to read about Travis McGee"s exploits and would recommend these books to anyone who enjoys a relaxing non complicated enjoyable read.

I have read all "McGee" novels, many of them are superb, for example Nightmare in Pink or The Deep Blue Good-By, but I missed A Purple Place for Dying because it was no longer available in the local bookstores in the Seventies and Eighties. Now I was able to download it on my Kindle. Sad to say, it is not one of McDonald's best. It plays somewhere in the South-West but does not truly capture the local atmosphere there. The story is too constructed and the killers' motives not really believable. The writer is at his best in stories that take place in Florida, especially the boat scenes. I also highly recommend a non-McGee novel: The Last One Left, 350 pages and interesting characters and side stories..