The Lonely Silver Rain

My mother collects the paperbacks, and I bought her a bunch for Christmas this year, and, on a sick day when I had nothing else to read that felt right for a sick day, I picked up the Lonely Silver Rain and read it straight through. I wish I hadn't started with the last book in the series, but I was still quite glad to have read it. The writing in this book is several cuts above that of the average mystery; in fact, the mystery or adventure or whatever you want to call it is only about 1/3 of the book. The 2/3 that is the incredible, thoughtful voice of MacDonald as Travis McGee is what has me determined to dig up copies of the whole series and read it straight through. Highly recommended.

We only recently "discovered" John D MacDonald, one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century, via his last non-series novel "Barrier Island". Having enjoyed it immensely, we wanted to try one of his famous Travis McGee stories, and just happened to stumble upon "Silver Rain", the very last in that series before the author's death. By now, McGee is late middle-aged, but still a macho bachelor able to fend for himself. He promptly solves the disappearance of a near million-dollar yacht for one of his friends, but the yacht came complete with three dead bodies on it. One was the daughter of a "connected" Peruvian diplomat, and revenge was a necessary matter of honor. Directing attacks against the boat's owner and then Travis was for show despite the mob-type villains who were the real culprits. To save his own life, McGee goes on to expose the killer and see to it that "justice" (of sorts) was carried out. This interesting yarn held our attention nicely, but a sub-plot that only blossomed and matured near the book's end rather stole the show. Someone, seemingly as a prank, was leaving pipe-cleaner kitty-cats on McGee's houseboat. Finally he stays up late one night and catches the perp, who turns out to be a lovely young woman who claims she is his daughter! She goes on to berate Travis for using her mother as a sex toy, then throwing her away when he was done with her. McGee gets the girl to join him at his bank the next day, and retrieves a poignant letter from his safety deposit bank which explained the whole thing. The mother was actually a dying woman who singled out Travis to father her daughter, then returned to die with her own family. Her own moving account of the whole story had tears streaming down our cheeks. At book's end, Travis puts his life savings into trust for his college-bound offspring. While we have heard that MacD planned one more final McGee novel, we can't help but wonder if he knew the end was near as he penned "Rain". The emotional conclusion had an air of finality about it that left us feeling like we had known a great man. Perhaps the author's best skill was a knack for philosophical discussion of the human condition with his reader while seeming to carry on little more than a fireside chat. We commend this wise and gifted author to your attention.

'The Lonely Silver Rain' is an excellent Travis McGee novel in all respects. It's also the perfect ending to the best run of detective novels ever written. Part of me sad that there the knight in tarnished armor will never sally forth on another adventure. Another part of me is glad that his story ended well, and with class. Besides, I can always go back and read the Travis McGee books again. And again. And again.

The Travis McGee series represents one of the greatest accomplishments of American fiction -- ever. Never mind the rumors of MacDonald working on another story (before he died) with the color "Black" in the title, this is the way a series should end. Travis has taken countless blows, physical and emotional, throughout his career. In this novel, however, we see Travis's rusty armour nearly falling off, his horse nearly crippled, and his enemies closing in on all sides for the kill. As he triumphs one last time over the insurmountable odds, he gains a new reason to continue being the white knight. While this book is superb, I wouldn't recommend reading it until you've read at least a few others in the series (especially "Pale Gray for Guilt"). Not only will you understand more about the plot and characters, you will have more invested in seeing Travis's ultimate redemption.

Travis McGee is one of the most interesting characters I have ever cared about in any mystery series. I like him, I like his friends, and I enjoy all his adventures. I picture him as a real person who, I would have like to have met.