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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The ocean as a metaphor for life, October 2, 1997
By A Customer
Travis & Meyer are midnight fishing aspart of a recreational cruise on the Busted Flush. They witness an attempted murder, and effect a rescue. The title refers to the rescuee, a girl whose eyes, as McGee notes, are "darker than amber"; McDonald leaves the reader to discover that her soul is considerably darker than amber, too. After her recovery, she decides to reclaim money earned with her former associates; her greed allows her old cohorts to silence her permanently. MCGee & Meyer had learned the girl was part of an elaborate lonely heart sting, baiting well-to-do men, reeling in their money, and throwing their bodiesinto the sea. McGee metes out justicein the name of selfdefense & in memory of the numerous men murdered aspart of this scam. Until the vividly recorded rescue, the story moves quickly, almost likethe tide coming in. After the rescue,the McDonald philosophy on the dark side of life is woven into the slowly unraveling plot. The writing is full of local color, witty dialogue, McGee/Meyer pranks, and numerous observations on the human condition, machinations, and motiviations. Thebad guys get what is coming to them, and there is financial recompense for the murdered victims families, and forMcGee & Meyer. As a reader, I felt McDonald had kicked me hard in the stomach, and while I was doubled over,rubbed my face innto the evil that men can do. Like cGee, I can return to mylife, but a part of this story clings to my memory months after I have read it, like a fictional metaphor to remind me of the darker than amber colors in the real world.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stronger and stronger..., October 8, 2004
Travis McGee is at it again in John D. MacDonald's 7th book in the McGee series, Darker Than Amber. McGee and his sidekick, Meyer, are minding their own business when a case is pretty much dropped in their laps. As the two men are fishing while tied up to a bridge, a woman is thrown off the bridge and sinks right in front of them like a stone. McGee dives overboard and is able to rescue the woman-despite the fact that her feet are wired to a cement block. The woman, Vangie, turns out to be a high-priced prostitute who was involved in a scam gone bad. It takes sometime, but McGee and Meyer are finally able to get the gist of Vangie's story, and they of course decide to help. MacDonald does his usual job of providing a great tale of mystery, murder and intrigue. But one of the things I most enjoyed about Darker than Amber is that after having several cameo appearances in earlier books, we finally get to meet a fleshed-out Meyer. McGee and Meyer perform a good Dr. Watson/Sherlock Holmes routine, and their camaraderie rivals many of the other detective-sidekick combinations including Spenser and Hawk, and Poirot and Captain Hastings. I am now 1/3 of the way through this 21 book series, and I have not been disappointed in a one. In fact, MacDonald just gets stronger and stronger with each subsequent book. It won't be long until I finish the entire series.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Darker... but not TOO dark, June 5, 2000
The late John D. MacDonald continues to impress new generations of mystery/thriller readers with his Travis McGee "color-title" series, more than three decades after he began it. DARKER THAN AMBER isn't the first McGee adventure (that's The Deep Blue Good-Bye, and that's where serious new readers should begin), but it is one of the best and a long cut above most of MacDonald's competitors. Perhaps a bit "darker" than many of the 20 other McGee novels, AMBER isn't for faint hearts; but it also isn't merely excessive violence-for-violence-sake, either. McGee, the "thinking person's private eye", is a self-styled "salvage expert" whose frequent salvage is a friend's soul... What a guy: tough, tender, fearless and intelligent all at the same time! (With a unique and lovable sidekick, Meyer, supporting casts of fascinating characters, and very well realized South Florida and Mexican locales thrown in for good measure: a real "find".) As to the possibilities of an upcoming McGee film series (AMBER already was filmed once, starring Rod Taylor), I'd love to hear more: an exciting possibility!
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