Empty Copper Sea

The trouble with discovering John D. McDonald's Travis McGee series is that there will be no more. Mr. McDonald passed away several years ago. I find myself re-reading his books in order about every other year. They are still fresh, funny (at times) and insightful. I like Empty Copper Sea best because Travis meets the main love of his life. Gretel Howard is all that Travis deserves and more. Meyer, the famous economist and chili maker extraordinaire plays a pretty big role in this installment as well. All the familiar elements of Travis' life are here in this book yet the presentation is still fresh. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

The Travis McGee series is among my favorite reading material. In this book I especially like all the permutations of the male-female relationships - Travis and the piano player, Mrs. Lawless and her husband, the two boat girls and how they view men. The plot twists are good too. You know something is fishy about Hub Lawless' drowning, but you don't (at least I didn't) know exactly how Travis will shake out the riddle. One quibble about the synopsis posted above: Van Harder, the boat captain, isn't accused of murder, but of drunkenness and dereliction of duty.

Ever since John D. MacDonald introduced his hero, Travis McGee in "The Deep Blue Good-by" in 1964, readers have looked forward to the next episode of this hero of hue--each McGee title contains a color--and the man Time magazine calls "a knight in tarnished armor." In "The Empty Copper Sea," we find Travis once again setting sail to right the wrongs of the oppressed, the downtrodden, the underdog in this, the 17th of the series. In this installment, we find the usual assortment of suspects, friends and other unique characters and it is up to Travis and friend Meyer to sort everything out. Hub Lawless is reported to have drowned after falling overboard at sea, but no one seems to believe this, especially the insurance company responsible for a $2 million policy payment and certainly not Travis McGee, whose good friend Van Harder is held responsible for Lawless' death. And Trav is not one to see his friends wronged. And wronged Harder is, especially when we discover an anonymously sent photograph of Lawless sipping beer somewhere in Mexico. Something is rotten in that state, as well! The plot and characters enter a convoluted trail, nevertheless, but MacDonald is a master at keeping everything in order and as the plot is revealed sense is made of all the comings and goings. The New Yorker has called MacDonald's books a "satisfying mixture of gentle sex and bloody violence" and "Empty Copper Sea" is no exception. MacDonald does not hold back on his violence (remember, he also wrote "Cape Fear"!) and the book cruises on course to its violent--and surprising--climax. It is the interplay between Travis and Meyer that makes the book more than just an action novel: Meyer, the renown economist, intellectual, and Travis's alter ego, and McGee, the Don Quixote of Ft. Lauderdamndale, working out of Slip F-18 in Bahia Mar aboard his houseboat "The Busted Flush." The McGee books have sold millions and continue to hold their own in bookshelves today, a fitting tribute to MacDonald's ability to capture themes, characters, and plots for all time. A number of attempts has been made to film McGee (the last was a dreadful version of "Empty Copper Sea" with an equally dreadful Sam Elliott as Travis, who just couldn't capture the essence of MacDonald's McGee, no matter how hard he tried!) but so far, these attempts have fallen short. MacDonald's prose, perhaps, is not to be transported to the screen. No matter. He's still worth the voyage!

After hearing John D. McDonald's name mentioned often when people spoke of fine 20th century authors, I decided to give him a try. I didn't regret it. Travis McGee has to be one of the most memorable characters that I have ever read about. His witty banter with his close companion Meyer is always entertaining, and often enlightening. McDonald somehow manages to sneak in his own personal concerns over the destruction of the Florida that he loves so much, without disturbing the plot at all. Brilliant. The other characters in the book are also very well developed. You get a true feeling for everyone of them, and McDonald can make a character that you either love or hate, with surprising ease. The best thing about this book are the unforgettable characters and the intricate and detailed plot. Don't miss this book, or any other by McDonald. In fact, I just ordered 2 more Travis McGee books :

the book was great, the tv movie lacked just a little..