Pale Gray for Guilt (Travis McGee Mysteries)
by John D. MacDonald
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Book Summary Information
Author: John D. MacDonaldEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-10
ISBN: 0449224600
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Fawcett Crest
Book Reviews of Pale Gray for Guilt (Travis McGee Mysteries)
Book Review: Notify the SEC.
Summary: 3 Stars
A surefire way to bring an interesting, smoothly written narrative to a screeching halt is to introduce a complicated subplot involving stock manipulation. When the reader is forced to stop reading and locate pencil, paper and a dictionary of financial terms in order to bring him or herself up to speed about what is transpiring, that magical bond between fiction writer and audience is broken.
Pale Gray for Guilt is installment number 9 in John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series. It starts off with a grisly murder. The victim, a hard working family man, happens to be one of McGee's oldest and dearest friends. After McGee identifies the two men most likely to be responsible for his friend's death, he sets out on a mission of revenge. With a little help from his economist friend, Meyer, McGee sets up a rather hard to follow real estate swindle designed to financially ruin one of the two men. Then, this time with a huge amount of help from Meyer, he puts in place a plan to artificially run up the price of a publicly listed stock in order to damage the net worth and, more importantly, the reputation of the other man. Simultaneously, this self same adventure in stock manipulation will bring financial security to the murder victim's widow.
Needless to say, all of this proves too complicated for most readers to really follow or believe and consequently mars what is otherwise a pretty good hardboiled, hard edged crime novel.
Standard in many Travis McGee novels is the scenario wherein McGee takes an emotionally scarred damsel in distress and restores her psychic well-being by boincking the living daylights out of her on an idyllic cruise lasting several weeks. When this highly effective therapy is over, therapist and client both happily go their separate ways. Thankfully, that nausea inducing scenario is missing from Pale Gray for Guilt and I, for one, am very grateful. Instead, MacDonald introduces the intriguing character known as Puss Killian. Puss is Travis' latest ladyfriend du jour but she is portrayed as a very strong individual and is given a lot of interesting things to say. (Faithful Travis McGee fans will hear about Puss Killian again in The Lonely Silver Rain.)
Generally, Pale Gray for Guilt is well written. It features some interesting characters and several surprising and, at times, thought provoking plot twists. A worthwhile read whose positive attributes outweigh the negative.
Summary of Pale Gray for Guilt (Travis McGee Mysteries)
With an introduction by CARL HIAASENJOHN D. MacDONALD
"...the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller."
--STEPHEN KING
"...a master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer."
--MARY HIGGINS CLARK
"...a dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character."
--SUE GRAFTON
"...my favorite novelist of all time."
--DEAN KOONTZ
"...the consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer."
--JONATHAN KELLERMAN
"...remains one of my idols."
--DONALD WESTLAKE
THE TRAVIS McGEE SERIES
"...one of the great sagas in American fiction."
--ROBERT B. PARKER
"...what a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again."
--ED McBAIN
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