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A review by topdragon
Darker Than Amber by John D. MacDonald
5.0
The 7th novel in John D. MacDonald’s Travis McGee series finds our rough-around-the edges “salvage collector” and his best friend Meyer fishing for snook late at night beneath a bridge in the Florida Keys. Suddenly from above them comes a squeal of tires followed shortly by the body of a woman plunging past them into the water, her feet bound and wired to a cement block. After Travis manages to rescue the unconscious woman from certain drowning, they return with her to the Busted Flush and get her story. Turns out she is a hooker, (with the titular "darker than amber eyes") working as part of a gang of homicidal grifters who targeted minor marks by luring them onto Caribbean cruises and set them up in a scam before dumping their bodies overboard.
I won’t go further so as not to spoil the plot but suffice it to say, Travis and Meyer find themselves not only chasing the money but also attempting to run their own con to put an end to the grifter gang. This novel marks a new phase of the Travis McGee series in that it elevates the character of Meyer from an occasional contributor to a full on side-kick. And a welcome change it is too. Meyer is the perfect foil for Travis, managing to round out McGee’s rough edges a little bit, keep him aimed correctly, and perhaps be a sort of Jiminy Cricket conscience for him. At the same time, he’s also smart, observant, and is utterly hilarious. Quite simply, he elevates Travis’ game and he will remain an important co-character for the remaining 14 books in the series.
I won’t go further so as not to spoil the plot but suffice it to say, Travis and Meyer find themselves not only chasing the money but also attempting to run their own con to put an end to the grifter gang. This novel marks a new phase of the Travis McGee series in that it elevates the character of Meyer from an occasional contributor to a full on side-kick. And a welcome change it is too. Meyer is the perfect foil for Travis, managing to round out McGee’s rough edges a little bit, keep him aimed correctly, and perhaps be a sort of Jiminy Cricket conscience for him. At the same time, he’s also smart, observant, and is utterly hilarious. Quite simply, he elevates Travis’ game and he will remain an important co-character for the remaining 14 books in the series.