More Good Old Stuff is a classic collection of short fiction from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, now available as an eBook. The companion to The Good Old Stuff, this anthology features fourteen more early stories by one of America's premier authors of hard-boiled noir. Culled from the hundreds that John D. MacDonald published in the wildly popular pulp magazines of the 1940s and '50s, these are electrifying tales of murder, corruption, intrigue, and revenge: a serial widow making a fortune by murdering her husbands . . . an amnesiac being watched by the mob . . . an ex-cop trying to crack the case that nearly wrecked his life. All are told through MacDonald's vivid language and taut storytelling--the hallmarks of a writer who holds a distinguished place in the popular canon. This collection includes "Deadly Damsel," "State Police Report That . . . ," "Death for Sale,"...

April Evil is one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, now available as an eBook. Springtime in Florida. The vacation season is over. It's a hot day . . . too hot for April. The sun beats relentlessly down on the sidewalks. Most of the tourists have gone back north, and the residents of Flamingo have the town pretty much to themselves. They can play golf on empty courses, relax on pristine beaches. Kids can play hide-and-seek in the tall grass around the vacant winter houses. The real estate men, the car salesmen, and the police can all relax. But at 11:30 this morning, a man and a woman in a dusty gray Buick with Illinois plates drive into town. And they're about to hit like a hurricane. The evil days have begun.Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald "The great entertainer of our...

I Could Go on Singing, based on the Judy Garland film and one of many classic novels from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook. In a stirring adaptation of Judy Garland's final film, acclaimed novelist John D. MacDonald pulls back the curtain on the life of a great star after the crowds have left and the lights have gone out. This is the haunting story of Jenny Bowman, a famous singer whose world is one of spellbinding triumph and heartbreaking need. She may have risen to the top, but success cannot ultimately return to Jenny the one thing she truly wants: time with the child who was taken away from her years ago. Masterfully depicting the tension between public images and private struggles, I Could Go on Singing is a striking novel about the bonds of love and the ugly side of celebrity. Features a new Introduction by Dean Koontz Praise for...

Martin Rhode, a distinguished soldier of one of Earth's warring states, has been unwittingly captured by aliens after innocently exploring a hole caused by what was perceived to be enemy warfare. As it turns out, the aliens are being pursued by natives of an enemy planet and they have sought refuge on Earth. They do not plan on staying long, however, but actually intend to lure their rivals in so that they may all be destroyed along with everyone else on the planet, by a special weapon they are at that moment creating. Martin Rhode appeals to the aliens, and they allow him to send a warning to all Earth people that it will soon be the end of the world. At first disbelieving, warring states and individuals afterwards realize their mistakes and immediately reconcile with each other, and make plans on solving the imminent problem that they face—that of expelling the alien presence in their midst!Also includes the stories: ALL OUR YESTERDAYS, DELUSION DRIVE, MINION OF CHAOS,...

Murder in the Wind, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.With the waters rising and the winds whipping through the sky, a hurricane of terrifying intensity is looming over Florida. Along a state highway, a handful of foolhardy souls trying to outrun the storm are forced to seek shelter in an abandoned house after discovering that a nearby bridge is out of commission. Thrown together by nothing more than chance, this disparate bunch of misfits and wanderers includes an undercover agent seeking revenge for a personal tragedy, a burgeoning criminal in over his head, a beautiful young widow trying to start over, and a businessman whose life's work is crumbling before his eyes. Their refuge from the awesome power of nature becomes a sort of grand and grisly hotel - especially once the invisible hand of flying death descends. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

Step by step, Dwight McAran built a wall of vicious hate around himself. It was easy. He was a man who could slap one woman to death because she loved him, and hum a love song to another while he raped her. Sure, he did some time in jail. He sat in a cell and simmered for five long years until his hate hardened to a core of white-hot evil, a core of stark, steaming evil designed to explode in a fury of vengeance. Revenge was all he craved - and a plan was what he had - a plan just crazy enough to work....

"McGee has become part of our national fabric."SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCERA lovely young girl steps in front of Travis McGee's headlights. McGee misses the girl but lands in ten feet of swamp water. As he's limping along the deserted road, someone in an old truck takes a few shots at him. And, when he goes to the local sheriff to complain, the intrepid Travis McGee finds himself arrested and charged with murder. And he can't help but ask himself, is this what they call southern hospitality...?

Helping damsels in distress is nothing new for Travis McGee--it's basically how he spends his life. But this one was different right from the start. Tossed off a bridge with cement wired to her feet, dragged to safety by Travis and Meyer, she was a hot Eurasian beauty with a cold heart...ready to snare them in a murder racket to end all murders....

From a beloved master of crime fiction, The Quick Red Fox is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat.   She’s the opposite of a damsel in distress: a famous movie star, very beautiful, very much in control of her life. She’s just made one little mistake and now she needs Travis McGee to set it right. The money is good and Travis’s funds are in need of replenishing. But that’s not the only reason he takes the case. There is the movie star’s assistant—efficient and reserved, with a sadness underneath that makes McGee feel he’d brave any danger to help her.   “John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all us in the field. Talk about the best.”—Mary Higgins Clark   Sultry movie star Lysa Dean has gotten herself into a spot of blackmail, posing for naked photos while participating in a debauched party near Big Sur. If the pictures get out, Lysa’s engagement to her rich, strait laced fiancé doesn’t stand a chance. Enter Travis McGee, who’s agreed to put a stop to the extortion, working alongside Lysa’s assistant, Dana Holtzer.   They begin by tracking down everyone associated with the lurid evening, and soon enough they’re led on a chase across the nation as murder after murder piles up. Further complicating matters, Travis and Dana’s relationship soon turns steamy. And just when he thinks he knows exactly where things are headed, one big twist shakes McGee’s life to the very foundation.   Features a new Introduction by Lee Child

With an introduction by CARL HIAASEN JOHN 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

We were in the bedroom together and she was very eager, with a readiness that completely contradicted her coolness toward me during the evening. There was nothing flattering about it. The alcohol had primed her, the music and dancing had quickened her. I was merely a convenience, a perfectly legal and available convenience. It was all very sudden and very meaningless. There were no words of love. Afterward I searched my heart and knew she had killed something. It took me a long time to realise it was my pride in my manhood.

To ever-loyal Kirby Winter, multimillionaire Uncle Omar left nothing - nothing but a gold watch and a sealed letter to be opened in one year. But Kirby is destined to inherit the magical power to freeze time in its tracks. Power like that promises unlimited wealth, wealth that can't buy love, but does make a down payment on a lot of deadly trouble. In a universe without time, can Kirby stay one step ahead?

Welcome to Golden Sands, the dream condominium built on a weak foundation and a thousand dirty secrets. Here is a panoramic look at the shocking facts of life in a Sun Belt community -- the real estate swindles and political payoffs, the maintenance charges that run up and the health benefits that run cut...the crackups and marital breakdowns...the disaster that awaits those who play in the path of the hurricane...

Mystery/Crime. 50566 words long. First published in 2010

Who killed Ken Dean -- and why?Four years ago Gevan Dean found his fiancee Niki Webb in his brother's arms -- and fled his hometown for the peaceful life in the Florida sun. But now Ken is dead -- murdered by a thief, the police say -- and Gevan's presence is desperately needed to keep their company, Dean Products, from falling apart.Gevan soon sees there's more going on at Dean Products than a classic power struggle between old guard and new blood. But everywhere he turns, he finds only questions and confusion. He must struggle to keep his hands off the grieving widow, the beautiful seductress Niki, who is all too eager to pick up where they left off. He must grapple with the motives of Stanley Mottling, the new production chief. He must come to terms with the presence of a Colonel from the Pentagon, who supervises the company's new defense contracts.But Gevan Dean doesn't suspect the truth behind Ken's murder or what is really going on at Dean Products -- until the stakes get too high to ignore and the truth explodes violently in his face . . . .

The Beach Girls is one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, now available as an eBook. Sure, Leo Rice seems like a nice enough guy . . . but why does he have to choose their beach? He could head ten miles up the Florida strip and everyone could just live happily ever after--no questions asked. But Leo Rice does ask questions . . . and suddenly Stebbins' Marina, an oasis of easy living, hard drinking, and free love for its residents, is in jeopardy. And in less than a month, their paradise will be interrupted by twisted emotions, buried hatreds--and brutal murder.Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald "The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller."--Stephen King "My favorite novelist of all time."--Dean Koontz "To diggers a...

When Lloyd Westcott was hired to build and run the Green Oasis casino he didn't ask about the owner or where the backing came from. He didn't care, as long as the place was legit and he could run it clean as a whistle. But then the Big Man moved in.

Mystery/suspense novel set on an empty Florida key. By the author of the Travis McGee series. A young widow goes missing, and a whole town asks.... WHERE IS JANICE GANTRY?

John D. MacDonald murder mystery. Shorter version published in COSMOPOLITAN as "Taint of the Tiger"

When Travis McGee's friend Meyer lent his boat to his niece Norma, and her new husband Even, the boat exploded out in the waters of the Florida Keys. Travis McGee thinks it's no accident, and clues lead him to ponder possibilities of drugs and also to wonder where Evan was when his wife was killed...."Proves again that MacDonald keeps getting better with each new adventure."THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

"McGee has become part of our national fabric."SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCERUsually women came to take refuge aboard The Busted Flush. But this time a man stumbled on board, a walking zombie who fell into bed. Turned out poor Arthur Wilkinson was the latest victim of a fragile-looking blonde sexpot who used the blackest arts of love to lure unsuspecting suckers into a web of sordid schemes. Travis had thought he'd have a quiet summer. Instead he took on the most cunning, heartless, vicious con artists he'd ever met....

The House Guests is a classic memoir of animal companionship from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, now available as an eBook. A master of the noir novel turns his sharp insights and considerable narrative talents to the human-animal bond in this charming work of nonfiction. In The House Guests, John D. MacDonald tells the story of his family's unforgettable pets: tomcats Roger and Geoffrey, two mischievous boys whose zany habits and remarkable senses of humor endeared them to everyone they met, and an extraordinary goose called Knees. Both a rare peek inside MacDonald's private life and a fascinating compendium of information about the animal kingdom, The House Guests is by turns touching, hilarious, and absorbing, sure to mesmerize MacDonald fans and pet lovers alike. Features a new Introduction by Dean Koontz Praise for John D. MacDonald ...

Murder mystery about scandal, deception, and cheating husband.

"The professional's professional of suspense writers."THE NEW YORK TIMESVan Harder, once a hard drinker, has found religion. But that doesn't keep folks from saying he murdered his employer, Hub Lawless, whose body hasn't been found. To clear his name, and cear up the mystery, Van asks friend-in-need Travis McGee to find out what really happened. What McGee finds is that Timber Bay is a toug h town to get a break in when you're a stranger asking questions. But what he also finds is that, dead or alive, Hub Lawless is worth a lot of money. Some are eager to get a piece of that action--and some are willing to take more than a piece out of anyone who gets in the way....

No writer captured the urban blight that befell postwar America in all its grime and commotion as well as noir legend John D. MacDonald. The Neon Jungle depicts a world in which the bright lights belie the turbulent lives of a lost generation. Introduction by Dean KoontzThe smell of warm gin hovers over a whole section of town. The threat of violence hangs in the air. And the neighborhood kids know all about drugs, knives, and back-alley beatings long before they're pushed into high school by weary truant officers.This is simply reality for the family that runs Varaki Quality Market. Its patriarch, Gus Varaki, is doing all he can to keep his business afloat after his beloved middle child, Henry, is killed in action. But his oldest son is at a crossroads, his teenage daughter has been seduced by a rough crowd, and one of his employees is running a racket of his own. Only Henry's despondent widow, Bonny, sees the awful truth - and the deadly plot hanging over all of their heads.Praise for John D. MacDonald"John D. MacDonald was the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time . . . No price could be placed on the enormous pleasure that his books have given me." - Dean Koontz "John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest*." - Mary Higgins Clark*

The Crossroads, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Along a major commercial strip, one family has built its fortune on blood, sweat, and tears . . . and that makes them a target. More than half a century ago, Papa Drovek opened his small grocery store at the junction of two country roads. As he bought more and more land, the roads became highways, and now the Droveks own a complex of hotels, restaurants, a truck stop, a shopping center, and two gas stations. Papa's eldest son, Charles, is president of the Crossroads Corporation, son Leo enjoys his token job, and daughter Joan manages the commercial tenants' leases. But when younger son Pete's wife gets restless and lonely, she becomes an easy pawn in a sleazy scheme of robbery and murder. The target? Old Papa Drovek himself.Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

This is the first of two volumes of the author's vigorous apprentice work, rescued from the pulps by a team of four editors. During the years covered here, 1947-1952, the author "would make a list of the magazines which might be interested and then send [the story] out again and again until it was sold or the list was exhausted. There were lots of magazines then. There was an open market for short fiction. There were lots of readers. Bless them!" [Author's Foreword] The pulps included Detective Tales, New Detective, Doc Savage, and Dime Detective, among others.

From a beloved master of crime fiction, The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat.   He had done a big favor for her husband, then for the lady herself. Now she’s dead, and Travis McGee finds that Helena Pearson Trescott had one last request of him: to find out why her beautiful daughter Maureen keeps trying to kill herself. But what can a devil-may-care beach bum do for a young troubled mind?   “The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author.”—Jonathan Kellerman   McGee makes his way to the prosperous town of Fort Courtney, Florida, where he realizes pretty quickly that something’s just not right. Not only has Maureen’s doctor killed herself, but a string of murders and suicides are piling up—and no one seems to have any answers.   Just when it seems that things can’t get any stranger, McGee becomes the lead suspect in the murder of a local nurse. As if Maureen didn’t have enough problems, the man on a mission to save her will have to save himself first—before time runs out.   Features a new Introduction by Lee Child

First published in 1957, A Man of Affairs is one of John D. MacDonald's rare forays into writing a pure 'business' thriller. One of JDM's strengths is to render financial and corporate problems down to their human essences - explaining shares and dividends in terms of small towns, family homes and personal relationships. In A Man of Affairs, the focus is solely on the lattermost point. From the set-up, JDM makes it clear that the stakes of the book aren't about life and death, or even wealth and discomfort. The conflict is about pride and ambition. How far will some men go for power, and where are the limits of self-respect? The protagonist is Sam Glidden, an executive (not a shareholder) in a small-town manufacturing company. He owes a debt of honor to the company's founder - a debt which he maintains by sticking about at the business (despite being a 'bright young thing'). Unfortunately, the second generation of the company's ownership is not as worthy of Sam's loyalty (or are they?). The book begins with the advent of an ambitious corporate shark, Mike Dean. Glidden and the company's current lackadaisical ownership are flown to a secluded island, so that he can seduce them into a buy-out (to be followed by a barely-legal stock inflation and unloading). The island is filled with debauchery - 1957-style. The drinking begins at dawn, followed by sun-tanning, barracuda-fishing and prolific adultery. When the sun goes down, there's a brief and sodden discussion of business, followed by more drinking, a bit of singing and shameless bed-swapping. Against this background, Glidden is tempted (repeatedly) by the nubile flesh of those around him (including one of the [married] bosses) and by the generous, Faustian offers of Mike Dean. Although the conflict of the book is set up nicely - Sam vs. Mike, Sam vs. the Old Guard, Sam vs. himself - everything is resolved far too neatly. After positioning everything so nicely, John D. MacDonald effectively punts for the final third of the book. Sam makes tough, terrible decisions, but never needs to fret about them, as the rest of the world invariably maneuvers to prove him right (posthumously). Awkward interjections of physical violence make the conclusion all the sillier - despite Glidden's moral and intellectual challenges, his 'success' eventually hinges on his upper arm strength. The one tiny, golden highlight of the book's conclusion is the final page. The denouement of the story is surprisingly romantic, and even a bit poignant. It does not, however, redeem the lackluster fumbling of the previous pages. This book is excellently set up, but poorly resolved - John D. MacDonald comes down with ill-timed cold feet and sabotages his own work.

The Price of Murder, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.On the surface, they seem like three very different men: Danny Bronson, a cunning ex-con struggling to go straight; his brother, Lee, a former gridiron star turned college professor; and Johnny Keefler, a crooked parole officer who lives for revenge. But they all grew up in the same corner of town, a grim little slum known as "The Sink," where life is cheap and might makes right. And a story that's just as dark unfolds when their paths cross as men - at the intersection of brutal violence, illicit liaisons, a "foolproof" scam . . . and the intoxicating allure of cold, hard cash. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

In this swift and striking novel, John D. MacDonald examines the ferment a big-time convention -- the plots, the savage maneuverings, the dreadful ease with which a man or a dream can be destroyed.

"McGee has become part of our national fabric."SEATTLE POST INTELLIGENCERThis time out, McGee came close to losing his status as a living legend when he agreed to track down the killers who brutally murdered an ailing millionaire. For starters, he renewed an unfinished adventure with a famous--and oversexed--Hollywood actress, who led him into a very nasty nest of murderers involving a motorcycle gang, pornographic movies, and mad balloonists. And Mcgee relearned the old lesson--that only when he came close to the edge of death was he completely alive.

From a beloved master of crime fiction, "The Dreadful Lemon Sky" is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat. Around four in the morning, Travis McGee is jarred awake by a breathless ghost from his past: an old flame who needs a place to stash a package full of cash. What's in it for McGee? Ten grand and no questions asked. Two weeks later, she's dead. "The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author."--Jonathan Kellerman Carolyn Milligan was only aboard McGee's boat for one night. She came to drop off a hundred grand for safekeeping. What Carrie really needed was someone to keep her safe. She said she'd be back in a month. Instead Carrie is killed in a dubious roadside accident. Now McGee is left with a fortune--and a nagging conscience. So McGee takes a trip to the seedy little town of Bayside, Florida, to look into Carrie's life before she showed up on his boat. What McGee finds only pushes him further into the corrupt world of drugs and blood that Carrie was trying to escape. McGee is used to high stakes, but when the bodies start piling up, even he may be in over his head. Features a new Introduction by Lee Child

"One of the most enduring and unusual heroes in detective fiction."THE BALTIMORE SUNNow that Linda "Pidge" Lewellen is grown up, she tells Travis McGee, once her girlhood idol, that either she's going crazy or Howie, her affable ex-jock of a husband is trying to kill her. McGee checks things out, and gives Pidge the all clear. But when Pidge and Howie sail away to kiss and make up, McGee has second thoughts. If only he can get to Pidge before he has time for any more thinking....

From a beloved master of crime fiction, The Deep Blue Good-by is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat.   Travis McGee is a self-described beach bum who won his houseboat in a card game. He’s also a knight-errant who’s wary of credit cards, retirement benefits, political parties, mortgages, and television. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He’ll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.   “John D. MacDonald was the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.”—Stephen King   McGee isn’t particularly strapped for cash, but how can anyone say no to Cathy, a sweet backwoods girl who’s been tortured repeatedly by her manipulative ex-boyfriend Junior Allen? What Travis isn’t anticipating is just how many women Junior has torn apart and left in his wake. Enter Junior’s latest victim, Lois Atkinson.  Frail and broken, Lois can barely get out of bed when Travis finds her, let alone keep herself alive. But Travis turns into Mother McGee, giving Lois new life as he looks for the ruthless man who steals women’s spirits and livelihoods. But he can’t guess how violent his quest is soon to become. He’ll learn the hard way that there must be casualties in this game of cat and mouse.  Features a new Introduction by Lee Child

Ballroom of the Skies is a classic science fiction novel from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, now available as an eBook. Have you ever stopped to wonder why the world is eternally torn by war? Why men of goodwill, seeking only peace, are driven relentlessly to further disaster? In a future society, where India rules the globe and everyone chases the mighty rupee, the First Atomic War has just ended. Already the Second is clearly building. People shrug. War is man's nature, they think. And that's what newspaper reporter Dake Lorin thinks, too . . . until he becomes aware of the aliens living among us and discovers their sinister purpose--as well as the strange and monstrous explanation for humankind's seemingly limitless capacity for violence and destruction.Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald "The great...

When I first arrived at Ballantine, where I am the mass market managing editor, we were just undergoing a daunting task: repackaging all of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee novels. We were giving him a brand-new, beautiful look; ingeniously, we used a deep blue color for THE DEEP BLUE GOOD-BY, a gold color for A DEADLY SHADE OF GOLD, a lavender hue for THE LONG LAVENDER LOOK, etc. But as I worked on the actual stories themselves, I realized that as colorful as these books now are on the outside, they're even more colorful on the inside. In order to prepare these books, we had to have them retyped from scratch; some of these books are so old that the plates had died, so we had nothing to print from. So all the books had to be proofread as if they were new books, and what a joy it was working on them. I unexpectedly rediscovered an author and character I knew very little about. Travis McGee is one of the great characters in crime fiction, and John D. MacDonald a fascinating storyteller. You never know what either is going to do next, or say next; what is going on in their minds is as important, if not more so, then what is going on outside Travis's boat. All of which add up to a heckuva fun series. Mark Rifkin, Managing Editorial

A Man of Affairs, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Beneath the Bahamas sun rages a titanic power struggle. A mastermind of the dog-eat-dog world of corporate corruption, Mike Dean uses every asset at his disposal - women, liquor, his own personal magnetism - to take businessmen's minds off their troubles, soften their consciences, muddy their good sense, and bend them to his will. But one of his house guests refuses to see things Mike's way. One of them won't be bought. One of them has a mind, and a heart, of his own. And he's determined to beat Mike at his own game. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

Please Write for Details, one of many classic novels from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.American bachelor Miles Drummond, living in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and running out of money, halfheartedly places an ad in a few U.S. newspapers announcing a summer art workshop. Much to his surprise, thirteen students write for details . . . and arrive in Cuernavaca a few weeks later. The hotel Miles has rented is crumbling. The VW bus he borrowed is a disaster. The two instructors he hired hate each other on sight. But the students - young and old, single and married, rich and poor - aren't simply looking for an education. Some are fleeing private anguish. Others are seeking romance. All will find more adventure than they ever dreamed possible. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

On the Run is one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, now available as an eBook. Sid Shanley doesn't stay in one place very long. He has to keep moving, changing towns, jobs, and women at a moment's notice. He thinks he's worked out the perfect setup--no attachments, no trails, no explanations. But now a girl has caught up with him. Her name is Paula, and if he accepts her strange proposition, there's a million-dollar payoff. But first Sid needs answers. Who the hell does this Paula think she is? And why should Sid give up his life, forget his past, and believe her when she promises the impossible?Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald "The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller."--Stephen King "My favorite novelist of all time."--Dean Koontz ...

The Only Girl in the Game, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Her employers are the high priests of the great gambling mecca in the desert - and she is their handmaiden. Her job is to lead the lambs to the sacrifice, to keep them happy at the tables, where her partners slaughter the suckers. She longs to be free of the entertainers rubbing elbows with thugs at the craps tables, the divorcées hocking their jewels next to all-night marriage chapels, and the little white balls bouncing along the roulette wheels twenty-four hours a day in this world without end. But no matter how hard she tries to escape her past, she's fated to be caught forever backstage in the sick glitter of the infamous Las Vegas strip with nothing but sand and neon and money, money, everywhere. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

Her veneer was big city ... but one look and you knew that Toni Rassell's instincts were straight out of the river shack she came from. I watched her as she toyed with the man, laughing, her tumbled hair like raw blue-black silk, her brown shoulders bare. Eyes deep-set, a girl with a gypsy look. So this was the girl I had risked my life to find. This was the girl who was going to lead me to a buried fortune in stolen loot.

James Wing, a reporter, tries to help out a friend's widow and accidently uncovers political treachery in the Florida town of Palm City.

The End of the Night, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.They're known as the notorious "Wolf Pack": three men and a beautiful girl on a cross-country terror spree, a coast-to-coast rampage of theft, destruction, and murder. But who are they? Where have they come from? And what motivates their terrifying capacity for mayhem? Somewhere in the grotesque inner world of four drug-crazed young sadists, a violent lust lies hidden between mischief and madness . . . waiting unseen for some innocent and helpless stranger. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

Death Trap, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.As a teenage wild child, Jane Ann Paulson had earned her wicked reputation, but no one deserves the shocking death she receives. When the police find a suspect, everyone relaxes . . . everyone except for Hugh MacReedy. A construction engineer by trade, Hugh has no business investigating a murder. But he happens to owe a big debt to the innocent man they're sending to the electric chair. And so Hugh begins to look into Jane Ann's death, not knowing that her quiet little town is sitting on some ugly secrets, that he's about to blow the lid off each and every one of them, and that he's just put a very tempting target on his back. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

Clemmie, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Married, straitlaced, and struggling to rise out of middle management, Craig Fitz is stuck in a life of boredom and routine - until he meets the irresistible Clemmie Bennet. A rich girl who plays by her own rules, Clemmie is the shot in the arm Craig has been looking for. She gives him his first taste of what it's like to live on the edge - and it's intoxicating. But beneath her fun-loving, thrill-seeking facade, this intoxicating sex kitten is an unpredictable terror. And the deeper he falls into Clemmie's nightmarish games, the closer Craig comes to losing everything: his family, his career, even his life. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

Dead Low Tide is an iconic early thriller from John D. MacDonald, the mastermind behind Cape Fear and the Travis McGee novels. On the coast of Florida, a working stiff is wrongfully accused of murdering his boss - and must outwit one of MacDonald's signature villains to save his life. Introduction by Dean Koontz A college graduate and amateur fisherman, Andy McClintock is stuck toiling in the office of a construction company. But when Andy tries to quit, his boss offers him a promotion and a raise - and then promptly kills himself with a harpoon gun. At least, that's what it looks like, until the police rule it homicide - with the murder weapon belonging to Andy. The harpoon gun had been stolen out of Andy's garage, and the boss's wife makes the outrageous claim that she and Andy were having an affair. He's been set up. To clear his name, he'll have to find the real killer. But Andy soon discovers that he's up against more than a two-bit thief - he's been targeted by absolute evil, a monster with no compassion for his fellow man. Praise for John D. MacDonald and *Dead Low Tide* "John D. MacDonald was the great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King "The writing is marked by sharp observation, vivid dialogue, and a sense of sweet warm horror." - The New York Times "To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut

Murder at sea. No survivors, no evidence, no loose ends. Only a boatload of cash left for the taking. In this explosive novel from the author of the Travis McGee series, nothing is certain - not with enough money at stake to change a dozen lives . . . or end them. Introduction by Dean KoontzCrissy Harkinson knows all about the cash that left the Gold Coast of Florida, headed for the Bahamas on board a pleasure boat. It came from Texas, unrecorded, intended as a bribe. Now it is Crissy's last chance for the big score she's been working toward for years, using her brains and her body.Then other people get involved, including a Texas lawyer too cool to commit himself to anything or anybody, a beautiful Cuban maid who might not be as silly as she seems, and a pitifully broken girl, adrift and unconscious in a tiny boat on the giant blue river of the Gulf Stream. Turns out these are shark-infested waters. And none of them are going down without a fight.Praise for John D. MacDonald and *The Last One Left"As a young writer, all I ever wanted was to touch readers as powerfully as John D. MacDonald touched me." - Dean Koontz"A stunning adventure." - Chicago Tribune* "John D. MacDonald created a staggering quantity of wonderful books, each rich with characterization, suspense, and an almost intoxicating sense of place." - Jonathan Kellerman

Contrary Pleasure, one of many classic novels from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Sin casts a long shadow . . . and touches the innocent along with the guilty in this powerful, probing novel. For generations the Delevan family has reflected only the best of everything: wealth, position, influence, the kind of good looks that only money can buy. No one would dare suspect that their glittering facade and cherished privacy mask forbidden lusts, furtive pleasures, and twisted dreams. But it's only a matter of time before the dark secrets the Delevans have been hiding from the world - and from each other - erupt with a fury. And when they do, the aftermath could destroy them all. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

How far would you go to save your family? In John D. MacDonald's iconic masterwork of suspense, the inspiration for not one but two Hollywood hits, a mild-mannered family is tormented by an obsessed criminal--and with the authorities powerless to protect them, they must take the law into their own hands. Introduction by Dean Koontz Sam Bowden has it all: a successful law career, a devoted wife, and three children. But a terrifying figure from Bowden's past looms in the shadows, waiting to shatter his pristine existence. Fourteen years ago, Bowden's testimony put Max Cady behind bars. Ever since, the convicted rapist has been nursing a grudge into an unrelenting passion for revenge. Cady has been counting the days until he is set free, desperate to destroy the man he blames for all his troubles. Now that time has come. Praise for Cape Fear "The best of [John D. MacDonald's stand-alone] novels . . . an acute...

When Mike Rodenska, a former journalist and recent widower, visits his old friend Troy Jamison in Florida, he's shocked at what he finds. For despite the parties, the shapely women, the devil-may-care air that surrounds Troy and his friends, Mike can see a life slowly coming apart. The only question is: why?Putting together the pieces of his friend's life - and downfall - turns an ordinary visit into a mystery that Mike Rodenska is compelled to solve . . . .

Wine of the Dreamers, a classic science fiction novel from John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.They are the Watchers: pale laboratory creatures living in a remote, sealed-off world. Their game, their religion, their release is to dream, and their dreams carry across the galaxy to lodge in the minds of the inhabitants of another world: the planet Earth. But as the human race approaches a dream of their own—traveling beyond their own planet to other worlds—the Watchers step in. For escape from Earth is an impossible dream, one that the Watchers will go to any length to destroy. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald“The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller.”—Stephen King“My favorite novelist of all time.”—Dean Koontz“To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen.”—Kurt Vonnegut“A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about the best.”—Mary Higgins Clark

From a beloved master of crime fiction, A Tan and Sandy Silence is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat.   Travis McGee is unnerved when he receives an unexpected guest—real estate developer Harry Broll, who is convinced that McGee is hiding his missing wife. Angry and jealous, Harry gets off a shot before McGee can wrestle his gun away. The thing is, McGee hasn’t seen or heard from Mary Broll in three years, and it isn’t like her to keep troubles to herself—if she’s alive to tell them.   “As a young writer, all I ever wanted was to touch readers as powerfully as John D. MacDonald touched me.”—Dean Koontz   McGee is a heartbeat away from crisis. He’s getting older, Lady Jillian Brent-Archer is trying to make him settle down, and he’s just been shot without fair warning. Nervous that he’s losing his touch, McGee decides to get Harry off his case and prove he’s still in top form all in one fell swoop.   McGee’s search for Mary takes him to Grenada, where he’s soon tangling with con artists and terrifying French killers, not to mention a slew of mixed motives. No longer wallowing in self-pity, McGee has more pressing concerns—like saving his own skin.    Features a new Introduction by Lee Child

"Travis McGee is back in action and he is in fine, fine form....What a treat. It is John D. MacDonald's 21st Travies McGee book and, without reservaton, his best."THE SAN DIEGO TRIBUNESearching for a wealthy friend's yacht, Travis McGee puts himself square in the center of the international cocaine trade, and finds himself the target of some of the most ruthless villains he's ever met. Contemplating his own mortality for the first time, Travis McGee discovers amid all the danger the astonishing surprise behind the cat-shaped pipe cleaners someone is leaving at his door. This is vintage McGee in a novel that confirms John D. MacDonald's reputation as one of the greatest storytellers of all time.

Compelling novel of 15 years' married love and a moment of infidelity. Set in 1953.

Murder for the Bride, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Down in Mexico on a business trip, Dillon Bryant is obsessed with thoughts of his wife, Laura, a striking blonde he's known for a matter of just weeks. After a blissful three-day honeymoon, being away from her is like torture - especially once word reaches him that she's in deep trouble. But Dillon returns home to New Orleans too late: Laura is dead . . . and the police are of little help in finding her killer. Craving revenge of the most violent sort, Dillon begins his own investigation into Laura's last days - and her dubious past. He soon finds that the truth behind this web of lies is more fantastic than he ever could have imagined - and more sinister than he could have feared. Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

The Drowner, one of many classic novels from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.Lucille Hanson left her rich husband, a man who lived casually and loved carelessly. She found a new man, one who appeared to treat her right. Lucille was putting together the pieces of her life, determined not to make the old mistakes, the foolish ones that had almost wrecked her the first time around . . . until all of her hopes came to rest at the bottom of the lake where her body is found. It must have been an accident, most people say. It might have been suicide, others think. But among her mourners, just one person refuses to believe it was anything other than murder.Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

From a beloved master of crime fiction, "Dress Her in Indigo" is one of many classic novels featuring Travis McGee, the hard-boiled detective who lives on a houseboat. Travis McGee could never deny his old friend anything. So before Meyer even says please, McGee agrees to accompany him to Mexico to reconstruct the last mysterious months of a young woman's life--on a fat expense account provided by the father who has lost touch with her. They think she's fallen in with the usual post-teenage misfits and rebels. What they find is stranger, kinkier, and far more deadly. "To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen."--Kurt Vonnegut All Meyer's friend wants to know is whether his daughter was happy before she died in a car accident south of the border. But when McGee and Meyer step foot in the hippie enclave in Oaxaca that had become Bix Bowie's last refuge, they get more than they bargained for. Not only had Bix made a whole group of dangerous, loathsome friends, but she was also mixed up in trafficking heroin into the United States. By the time she died, she was a shell of her former self. And the more McGee looks into things, the less accidental Bix's death starts to seem. Features a new Introduction by Lee Child

End of the Tiger and Other Stories, a classic collection of short fiction from crime writer John D. MacDonald, the beloved author of Cape Fear and the Travis McGee series, is now available as an eBook.As prolific a novelist as John D. MacDonald was in his time, his output as a short-story writer is simply astonishing. All told, just a fraction of the five hundred pieces he produced as a working writer were anthologized, and End of the Tiger and Other Stories is the first of just a few such collections. Although renowned primarily as a noir author, these fifteen handpicked gems showcase MacDonald's tremendous range. Written between 1947 and 1966, during the golden age of short fiction in America, and appearing in such national magazines as Cosmopolitan, The Saturday Evening Post,Collier's, and Ladies' Home Journal,* these stories are a timeless testament to a writer at the top of his craft.This collection includes "Hangover," "The Big Blue," "The Trouble with Erica," "Long Shot," "Looie Follows Me," "Blurred View," "The Loveliest Girl in the World," "Triangle," "The Bear Trap," "A Romantic Courtesy," "The Fast Loose Money," "The Straw Witch," "End of the Tiger," "The Trap of Solid Gold," and "Afternoon of the Hero." Features a new Introduction by Dean KoontzPraise for John D. MacDonald"The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." - Stephen King"My favorite novelist of all time." - Dean Koontz"To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen." - Kurt Vonnegut"A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field. Talk about *thebest." - Mary Higgins Clark

She moved up along the couch, put her hands on my shoulder and forced me back. She looked intently down into my face. A long strand of the dark hair swung below her cheek. 'Suppose it were a year, Kyle. A full year. Just for us. Would that be worth it?' 'Where would we hide for a year?' 'Would it be worth it? Answer me!' I traced the line of her swollen mouth with my fingertips. 'If it were thirty days, it would be worth it. You know that.' When Kyle Cameron meets temptation - in the memorable shape of Emily, the new girl at the bank - his life changes. He thought he would be trapped behind bronze bars, chained to a suburban bungalow, but now he had won out: a strange, lovely woman, a fortune, and the strength to murder to keep what he had won. But, gripped by sexual obsession, he enters a world where he will never feel safe again. He puts himself in the hands and the plans of a woman who craves the contents of a very special suitcase from which even the prospect of death won't free her. And when a brutal fate pulls them into its shadows, they have known the extremes of love and hate - and neither of them is welcome any more. In this powerful novel John D MacDonald explores how our passions can provoke a chain of events to trap us. It is a story that challenges us to recognise the narrow line that draws our illusion of self-control.