A Tan and Sandy Silence (Travis McGee Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

by John D. MacDonald (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Private eye Travis McGee outwaits and outwits a deranged killer as he searches for a missing wife on a remote Caribbean island, where he also tangles with a baby-faced businessman with a taste for murder. Book available. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher
6 1.5-hour cassettes --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (March 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449224767
• ISBN-13: 978-0449224762
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,174 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 12 in The Travis McGee Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun in the sun, March 14, 2002

By	V. J. ELIA "Veejer" (Cape May, NJ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Over the years I've read hundreds of novels in a variety of genres, but for pure fun and enjoyment it's hard to beat Travis McGee. Some of the books are better than others, but they're nearly all worth a couple of lazy summer days. They are the ultimate summer time, quick-read beach books. At their core, they're good mysteries. But Travis McGee is such a great character, with such a wry outlook on life, that often the mystery seems secondary to McGee's views on whatever topic author John D. McDonald has selected for his soap box. Most of them take place in Florida, (a Florida no one will ever see again given they were written mostly in the 60s and 70s) and all have a color in the title. Don't take them too seriously, just have fun in the sun.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Bland and Silent Story, May 5, 2001

By	Paul Skinner (Manassas, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

If this was your first Travis McGee book, don't worry. Most of them are much, much better. This book suffers from an overload of the author's rambling commentary on society. After the introduction to jealous husband, you have to slug through 100 pages before you begin to get into typical Travis McGee action. The action is often illogical, and too often Travis - err - Gavin stumbles into old friends at the most unlikely places, bailing him out of trouble. Sorry, this one just didn't click for me. In many ways, it reminded me of the Pale Gray for Guilt story, but there was much less action in this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Love it or hate it, you will not forget it., June 11, 2008

By	Michael G. "mikefromrochester" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews

A Tan and Sandy Silence is certainly not the best book John D. MacDonald ever authored. In fact, some may find it way too dark and unsettingly disturbing. Others may object to it for a host of very legitimate reasons. But I daresay that even those readers who find themselves hating this Travis McGee novel still will have to admit it is a substantive, unforgettable read.
The unevenly paced narrative revolves around McGee's efforts to locate Mary Broll, a former lover whom no one seems to have seen in over three months. His search takes him to the tropical island of Grenada where the case takes on an entirely different trajectory. As others have already accurately pointed out, the novel starts off slow, climaxes with some very macabre events and has somewhat of a rushed ending. Along the way, the reader is treated to large helpings of Travis McGee's introspection on a wide range of topics having to do with modern life. After a while, this inner monologue, though at times clever, becomes tiresome and gives the impression of too much self-indulgence on author MacDonald's part.
Other objectionable aspects of this book include its incorporation of an excessive amount of amateur psychology into the plot and the fact that McGee never, ever fails to completely captivate members of the opposite sex.
The positive attributes of this book would have to include MacDonald's very evocative and original brand of prose and the presence of a number of characters who come off as quite believable.
John D. MacDonald was unquestionably a great writer, but A Tan and Sandy Silence is one of his lesser works. He was capable of much better.