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)

Fun who done its!

My first of this series but definitely not my last. Great who done its, with a fantastic lead man. None of them are very long and will be nice brain cleansers in between some heavier longer listens. The narrator does an outstanding job with all the characters voices and is a definite asset to bringing the story to life. Good reviews from Stephen king and Dean Koontz. 

Travis McGee Novels

Would you listen to A Purple Place for Dying again? Why?

I've been a fan of John D. MacDonald for years. Happy to hear them from Audible.

Love Travis McGee!

This series has been a long time coming. They are like southern comfort food. You never get tired of hearing them....over and over and over.

Outstanding performance

Where does A Purple Place for Dying rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is in my top 5

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Excellent plot development if you are a Travis McGee fan

Which scene was your favorite?

Would rather not give anything away.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Great ending

Well written and narrated detective series

What a series this is turning out to be. I am enjoying every aspect of the Travis McGee books. Beautifully written -- no mere narration here -- but phrases replete with layers of meaning and images.
Thoughtful life philosophies are thrown into the mix and offer depth to McGee's motives. The characters are fully engaging -- ok, questionable stereotyping at time, but hey, these books were written between 1964 and 1986 and reflect the times. And what times: private investigators in all sorts of trouble and without mobile phones, the internet -- and roaming throughout society unimpeded by privacy policies and call centres.
Furthermore, Life is interpreted by Travis Mcgee with practical philosophies based on really living.
The plots are intriguing and plausibler. The author gently concludes each novel -- lets the main theme ebb away, and the characters have time to themselves to assimilate the invariably tempestuous events into their lives.

And finally to the narrator. Well, he has had mixed reviews on Audible, but and I think he is excellent. Firstly he manages the voices very well. Secondly he has an easy, relaxed pace that reflects the text. And most importantly, he sounds as if he understands and respects the writer and what he is setting out to shares.

GREAT book, the narrator is growing on me.

If you could sum up A Purple Place for Dying in three words, what would they be?

philosophical, entertaining, fun

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

the range of the narrator was impressive

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

as Travis tossed a stack of cash towards the fire

Great Listen

The Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald inspired numerous thriller and mystery writers, so I thought it would be a great idea to check out these books for myself. The audiobooks for the Travis McGee series are exclusive to Audible, and I recently completed the third book: A Purple Place For Dying. Each book includes a color in the title, making for unique and interesting names. As with the previous two entries, this novel was highly enjoyable.

The Travis McGee novels span 20 years, with the first coming out in 1964 and the last in 1984. It's impressive to think that the first four came out in 1964. What I enjoy about them is how they are reflective of their era, including thoughts, concepts, and references that are dated but in a charming way. For example, in A Purple Place For Dying Travis talks about sunscreen as a new scientific development, which made me laugh out loud while listening to it.

Unlike the books this series inspired, so far, the Travis McGee novels are straightforward and easy to follow. Modern thrillers and mysteries often contain so many subplots and twists that you need to take notes just to connect the dots. It's refreshing to read a series of books that aren't convoluted. Instead, they focus on a compelling character and toss him into interesting situations. It's clear to me how Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Stuart Woods' Stone Barrington were influenced by Travis McGee.

A Purple Place For Dying was a great listen as it has a solid story and a terrific narrator. I highly recommend it to those that enjoy thrillers and mysteries, and I look forward to the next installment in this fabled series. 

Love McGee!!

Great yarn. Gotta love the early sixties mentality. I read a lot of Travis as a teen. He brings intelligence to the thriller genre.

Travis McGee is growing on me

This story finally had Travis acting like he has been claiming he is like in the first two books.

The story is much stronger than the first two and the narrator makes this story quick, enjoyable and drawing the reader in.

Trav would be old now...

The self deploring old knight errant tilting at windmills of American dreams would be an old man now.

I will forever see him charging in Miss Agnes or on the deck of the flush.

Just like Jeremiah Johnson:

"some folks say he's up there still"

Legends dont have to die like we do