July 19, 2011

The Deep Blue Good-by by John D. MacDonald


Travis McGee, professional beach bum and retriever of lost items, helps out a bevy of abused women in this first novel of the series. An interesting novel in that it seems to be one of the first of many Florida based mystery/thrillers and also features a bad guy who wouldn't be out of place in an Energizer battery commercial.

What was an added dimension to my read though was that the book was previously owned by someone in Minneapolis, MN. I know this because they wrote their name and address on the first page. So, I got to Google Map where this person probably read the book. Kind of neat having a hot beach novel with its original home in a typically snow bound city.

Also, the previous reader marked a number of different passages throughout. For example: "And I am wary of a lot of other things, such as plastic credit cards, payroll deductions, insurance programs, retirement benefits, saving accounts, Green Stamps, time clocks, newspapers, mortgages,sermons, miracle fabrics, deodorants, check lists, time payments, political parties, lending libraries, television, actresses, junior chamber of commerce, pageants, progress, and manifest destiny." What does Travis believe in? Cash and carry, amateur psychology, and rampant moralizing.

All in all, a fun first read in a long series of novels.

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