A Purple Place for Dying

A Travis McGee Novel, Book 3

By: John D. MacDonald

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

A Purple Place for Dying finds Travis McGee witness to a murder he can't prove and a kidnapping nobody wants to believe. McGee becomes a pawn between a wealthy Southwestern patriarch, the law, and a mysterious gang bent on insurance fraud. Just the kind of thing McGee revels in!

©1964 John D. MacDonald Publishing, Inc. Renewal © 1992 Maynard MacDonald (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[T]he great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller." (Stephen King)

"[M]y favorite novelist of all time." (Dean Koontz)

"[W]hat a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again." (Ed McBain)

Good story-suspense right up the end

I’m listening to these in order and this is the best one yet. Great narration!

good listen

enjoyed it very much, the narration was easy to listen to. the story made it easy to listen to.

Good Stoey

Good story. great listen. exciting story line.
Can't wait to listen to the next story in this series.

They just keep getting better

So happy these are in audio. They still stand the test of time Great narrative

John D. is a thoroughly engaging storyteller.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would give this book to friends who enjoy a good story with action and philosophy in equal measure. The characters build with the tempo of the action.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Purple Place for Dying?

When Trav and Jasper Yeoman come to understand each other.

What aspect of Robert Petkoff’s performance would you have changed?

Improve his use of english.language skills.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Families can surprise you.

Tab is beginning to grow as a personality

Lisa the female lead seems to speak for MacDonald at the end of the story. Also far afield from Florida. Getting the series going.

Travis is THE MAN!

Always a mans man. It's very easy to get quickly absorbed into these stories. A great escape from reality.

Written in 1964 it's fun to remember how we used to communicate. Actually writing letters...Stopping at a pay phone to make a call...No political correctness. Ahhh the good ole days.

I was born in 1959 and it's fun to remember those simpler times. I read all of these years ago but love to listen to them now to pass the time on the beach or smoking a cigar.

You reader really matters!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I read all the Travis McGee books many many years ago when I was in college. I looked forward to hearing them, but I have to admit that these audio books are difficult for me to continue past a few "pages" because the reader, Robert Petkoff, has a delivery that just isn't "Travis." His voice is fairly monotonic, there's no feeling in his voice, and his voice doesn't change much to match different characters. He sounds extremely bored with what he's reading.

Would you be willing to try another one of Robert Petkoff’s performances?

I went ahead and purchased three of the John D. MacDonald books because I loved reading the Travis McGee series so much. But I'm not sure I'll listen to the second two because listening to the first one has not been pleasant.

Great story

Trav solves one far away from home with unlikely allies. An interesting who done it with plenty of twists

Can't go far wrong

between John D. MacDonald and Robert Petkoff ! I read all the Travis McGee books back in the eighties, and now am rereading, er listening to, them, one by one. No question but that popular attitudes (towards women, for example) have changed immensely since these were written back in the fifties and sixties, but some things never change, and it is these things that interested MacDonald. Now they're period pieces, but the crisp prose and keen insight bestow extra value and style. Recommended.