Marci (marcijo28) -
I don't know how I missed MacDonald's books until recently, but I am so glad I discovered them. I think they're great stories for anyone to read.
Cyndi J. (cyndij) reviewed A Purple Place for Dying (Travis McGee, Bk 3) on + 1031 more book reviews
An early Travis McGee book, published in 1964. Mona Yeoman pays McGee's way to her remote place in Arizona. She has a lover and wants to divorce her husband, who's systematically plundered millions of dollars out of her inheritance. She figures McGee can find leverage to get her $100K from Jass and give her a divorce. McGee doesn't want to do it but before he can tell her so, a sniper takes out Mona and almost gets McGee. By the time he gets back with the police everything is gone and nobody believes his story. But now he's angry and starts asking around, doing the job the sheriff should have done. I did like the straightforward murder plot.
This book has been on my shelves for at least 30 years, maybe more. I did not remember the plot at all but I guess I liked it or I wouldn't have kept it. But I didn't like it this time around. First thing, I know these books are a product of their time, but the male chauvinism choked me. McGee's character is always kind to the wounded ones, but every woman mentioned in this book is considered on their looks and how they'd be in bed, whether they need to be f'ed by a good man, they need to be spanked to keep them in their place, etc etc. I'm sure I would have first read this book when I was a young teen or at the latest early 20s, and I would have just accepted the attitude. Thankfully times have changed. Okay that's said. Second, the book is set in Arizona except for a few pages at the end; I don't feel like it had that great sense of place that MacDonald usually managed. There's no Meyer or Busted Flush. Third, there's not a likable person in the entire book except McGee (and I find him only so-so in this book). Fourth - which ties into point #1 and #3 - no one in this book except McGee thinks it was a bad thing for the husband to embezzle every dime his wife inherited and then dole out money to keep her dependent. It's all, "Oh well he needed the money and he'd be good to her." "She'd just have spent it all anyway".
It does move fast, it's got some good action scenes, McGee trots out his knight errant metaphor. I know it's got an important place in the genre. It might stay on my shelf because I'm a little OCD about having all the books in a series, but I can't like this one anymore.
This book has been on my shelves for at least 30 years, maybe more. I did not remember the plot at all but I guess I liked it or I wouldn't have kept it. But I didn't like it this time around. First thing, I know these books are a product of their time, but the male chauvinism choked me. McGee's character is always kind to the wounded ones, but every woman mentioned in this book is considered on their looks and how they'd be in bed, whether they need to be f'ed by a good man, they need to be spanked to keep them in their place, etc etc. I'm sure I would have first read this book when I was a young teen or at the latest early 20s, and I would have just accepted the attitude. Thankfully times have changed. Okay that's said. Second, the book is set in Arizona except for a few pages at the end; I don't feel like it had that great sense of place that MacDonald usually managed. There's no Meyer or Busted Flush. Third, there's not a likable person in the entire book except McGee (and I find him only so-so in this book). Fourth - which ties into point #1 and #3 - no one in this book except McGee thinks it was a bad thing for the husband to embezzle every dime his wife inherited and then dole out money to keep her dependent. It's all, "Oh well he needed the money and he'd be good to her." "She'd just have spent it all anyway".
It does move fast, it's got some good action scenes, McGee trots out his knight errant metaphor. I know it's got an important place in the genre. It might stay on my shelf because I'm a little OCD about having all the books in a series, but I can't like this one anymore.
Suzanne H. (DameEdna) -
I have read all of the Travis McGee novels at least once. They are snappy, exciting, full of local color.
Cheryl (Toni) J. (toni) reviewed A Purple Place for Dying (Travis McGee, Bk 3) on + 351 more book reviews
#3 Travis McGee series
Classic Macdonald, the Master rules.
I've not read this book.
