Reading order · 21 books · 1964 to 1985 · Set in Fort Lauderdale
Travis McGee Books in Order
Travis McGee lives on a houseboat, the Busted Flush, which he won in a poker game, moored at Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale. He takes his retirement in instalments, working only when he needs money, recovering things people have lost for half of what they are worth. His friend Meyer, an economist, is his sounding board. Every title has a colour.
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Series facts
- Books
- 21
- Published
- 1964 to 1985
- First book
- The Deep Blue Good-by
- Latest
- The Lonely Silver Rain (1985)
- Setting
- Set in Fort Lauderdale
The reading order
Every Travis McGee book in publication order. Choose a title for its cast and summary.
21 books · Set in Fort Lauderdale
- 1The Deep Blue Good-by1964With Travis McGeeA young woman asks Travis McGee to find out what her father, a soldier who died in prison, hid before he died, and a dangerous man is already on the trail.Buy on Amazon
- 2Nightmare in Pink1964With Travis McGeeMcGee goes to New York to help the sister of an old army friend, whose fiancé was murdered.Buy on Amazon
- 3A Purple Place for Dying1964With Travis McGeeMcGee is hired in Arizona by a woman who is shot dead in front of him.Buy on Amazon
- 4The Quick Red Fox1964With Travis McGeeA famous film star is being blackmailed, and hires McGee to find out who is behind it.Buy on Amazon
- 5A Deadly Shade of Gold1965With Travis McGeeAn old friend is murdered after finding a valuable gold statue, and McGee follows the trail to Mexico.Buy on Amazon
- 6Bright Orange for the Shroud1965With Travis McGeeAn old friend has been swindled out of his fortune by a gang of con men, and McGee sets out to get it back.Buy on Amazon
- 7Darker Than Amber1966With Travis McGeeMcGee and Meyer are fishing under a bridge when a woman is thrown into the water, her feet weighted down, and they pull her out.Buy on Amazon
- 8One Fearful Yellow Eye1966With Travis McGeeMcGee goes to Chicago to help a widow whose late husband’s fortune has vanished.Buy on Amazon
- 9Pale Gray for Guilt1968With Travis McGeeAn old friend is ruined by property developers and dies, and McGee and Meyer set out to take revenge.Buy on Amazon
- 10The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper1968With Travis McGeeA dying friend’s last letter asks Travis McGee to watch over her daughter, and when tragedy strikes, McGee goes to a small Florida town to find out what really happened.Buy on Amazon
- 11Dress Her in Indigo1969With Travis McGeeMcGee and Meyer travel to Mexico to find out how a wealthy man’s daughter died.Buy on Amazon
- 12The Long Lavender Look1970With Travis McGeeSwerving to avoid a girl on a dark road, McGee crashes his car, and soon finds himself arrested for murder in a small Florida town.Buy on Amazon
- 13A Tan and Sandy Silence1972With Travis McGeeMcGee goes looking for an old flame who has gone missing, and follows the trail to the Caribbean.Buy on Amazon
- 14The Scarlet Ruse1973With Travis McGeeA stamp collector discovers that his valuable stamps have been replaced with forgeries, and asks McGee to find out who did it.Buy on Amazon
- 15The Turquoise Lament1973With Travis McGeeThe daughter of an old friend fears that her husband is trying to kill her.Buy on Amazon
- 16The Dreadful Lemon Sky1975With Travis McGeeAn old friend leaves a large sum of money with McGee for safekeeping, and then dies.Buy on Amazon
- 17The Empty Copper Sea1978With Travis McGeeA friend has lost his boat captain’s licence after his employer disappeared overboard, and McGee sets out to prove what really happened.Buy on Amazon
- 18The Green Ripper1979With Travis McGeeMcGee goes after a secretive cult in California, on a personal mission of revenge.Buy on Amazon
- 19Free Fall in Crimson1981With Travis McGeeA wealthy man is beaten to death, and his son hires McGee.Buy on Amazon
- 20Cinnamon Skin1982With Travis McGeeMeyer’s niece is killed in a boat explosion, and McGee and Meyer follow the killer to Mexico.Buy on Amazon
- 21The Lonely Silver Rain1985With Travis McGeeMcGee tracks down a stolen yacht for a friend, and finds himself targeted by drug runners.Buy on Amazon
Do you need to read them in order?
Read in order, starting with The Deep Blue Good-by. Each case stands alone, but McGee ages and changes.
Who appears in which book
The series’ main characters, book by book. Lead means the book is told around them; minor covers cameos.
| Book | Travis McGee | Meyer | Gretel Howard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 The Deep Blue Good-by | LLead | ||
| 2 Nightmare in Pink | LLead | MMajor | |
| 3 A Purple Place for Dying | LLead | MMajor | |
| 4 The Quick Red Fox | LLead | MMajor | |
| 5 A Deadly Shade of Gold | LLead | MMajor | |
| 6 Bright Orange for the Shroud | LLead | MMajor | |
| 7 Darker Than Amber | LLead | MMajor | |
| 8 One Fearful Yellow Eye | LLead | MMajor | |
| 9 Pale Gray for Guilt | LLead | MMajor | |
| 10 The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper | LLead | MMajor | |
| 11 Dress Her in Indigo | LLead | MMajor | |
| 12 The Long Lavender Look | LLead | MMajor | |
| 13 A Tan and Sandy Silence | LLead | MMajor | |
| 14 The Scarlet Ruse | LLead | MMajor | |
| 15 The Turquoise Lament | LLead | MMajor | |
| 16 The Dreadful Lemon Sky | LLead | MMajor | |
| 17 The Empty Copper Sea | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 18 The Green Ripper | LLead | MMajor | MMajor |
| 19 Free Fall in Crimson | LLead | MMajor | |
| 20 Cinnamon Skin | LLead | MMajor | |
| 21 The Lonely Silver Rain | LLead | MMajor |
Characters in the Travis McGee books
5 characters from John D. MacDonald’s chart, with the number of Travis McGee books each appears in.
| Character | Books | First in this series |
|---|---|---|
| Travis McGee“Salvage consultant” living on a houseboat in Fort Lauderdale | 21 | The Deep Blue Good-by 1964 |
| MeyerEconomist and McGee’s closest friend | 20 | Nightmare in Pink 1964 |
| Gretel HowardWoman McGee meets in the Florida backwoods | 2 | The Empty Copper Sea 1978 |
| Puss KillianWoman who shares McGee’s houseboat for a time | 1 | Pale Gray for Guilt 1968 |
| Jean KillianPuss Killian’s daughter | 1 | The Lonely Silver Rain 1985 |