John Dann MacDonald (July 24, 1916 – December 28, 1986) was an American writer of novels and short stories, known for his thrillers, many of them set in his adopted home of Florida. His best-known works include the popular and critically acclaimed Travis McGee series, and his novel The Executioners, which was filmed twice as Cape Fear. In 1972, MacDonald was named a grandmaster of the Mystery Writers of America, and he won a 1980 U.S. National Book Award in the one-year category. Stephen King praised MacDonald as "the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." Kingsley Amis said, MacDonald "is by any standards a better writer than Saul Bellow, only MacDonald writes thrillers and Bellow is a human-heart chap, so guess who wears the top-grade laurels?
My Opinion: I haven't read his stories in many years but may go back and read them again. If so, I will start with his first Travis McGee book, The Deep Blue Good-by. I strongly recommend him.
Main article: Travis McGee
(1964) The Deep Blue Good-by
(1964) Nightmare in Pink
(1964) A Purple Place for Dying
(1964) The Quick Red Fox
(1965) A Deadly Shade of Gold
(1965) Bright Orange for the Shroud
(1966) Darker than Amber
(1966) One Fearful Yellow Eye
(1968) Pale Gray for Guilt
(1969) Dress Her in Indigo
(1970) The Long Lavender Look
(1971) A Tan and Sandy Silence
(1973) The Scarlet Ruse
(1973) The Turquoise Lament
(1975) The Dreadful Lemon Sky
(1978) The Empty Copper Sea
(1979) The Green Ripper
(1981) Free Fall in Crimson
(1982) Cinnamon Skin
(1985) The Lonely Silver Rain
(1950) The Brass Cupcake
(1951) Murder for the Bride
(1951) Judge Me Not
(1951) Weep for Me
(1952) The Damned
(1953) Dead Low Tide
(1953) The Neon Jungle
(1953) Cancel All Our Vows
(1954) All These Condemned
(1954) Area of Suspicion
(1954) Contrary Pleasure
(1955) A Bullet for Cinderella (reprinted as On the Make)
(1956) Cry Hard, Cry Fast
(1956) April Evil
(1956) Border Town Girl (reprinted as Five Star Fugitive)
(1956) Murder in the Wind (reprinted as Hurricane)
(1956) You Live Once (reprinted as You Kill Me)
(1957) Death Trap
(1957) The Price of Murder
(1957) The Empty Trap
(1957) A Man of Affairs
(1958) The Deceivers
(1958) Clemmie
(1958) The Executioners (reprinted as Cape Fear)
(1958) Soft Touch
(1959) Deadly Welcome
(1959) The Beach Girls
(1959) Please Write for Details
(1959) The Crossroads
(1960) Slam the Big Door
(1960) The Only Girl in the Game
(1960) The End of the Night
(1961) Where is Janice Gantry?
(1962) A Key to the Suite
(1962) A Flash of Green
(1963) I Could Go On Singing (screenplay novelization)
(1963) On the Run
(1963) The Drowner
(1966) The Last One Left
(1977) Condominium
(1984) One More Sunday
(1986) Barrier Island