Pale Gray for Guilt

A Travis McGee Novel, Book 9

By: John D. MacDonald

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's Summary

The men who killed Tush Bannon knew he was a nice guy with a nice wife and three nice kids - trying to run a small marina on the Florida coast. They also knew he was in the way of a big land development scheme. Once they killed him, they figured they were on easy street. But Tush Bannon was Travis McGee's friend, and McGee could be one tough adversary when protecting a widow and her kids.

©1968 John D. MacDonald Publishing, Inc. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

My Favorite Book In My Favorite Series

What did you love best about Pale Gray for Guilt?

McGee is a conflicted but essentially moral man and his rage at what happened to his friend is very nearly palpable. It infuses the book with a tension it wouldn't have if the protagonist had been a disaffected third party investigator.
Another thing is the realness of the plot. As someone quite familiar with criminal activity, I am always struck that the action in this book follows the law of unintended consequences that we often see in street crimes. Other authors (Elmore Leonard and John Sandford come immediately to mind) use the technique in contemporary fiction but MacDonald did it first and does it best.

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

When a reader cares about the characters, he cares about what happens to them. MacDonald creates characters so real that each one of them could walk off the page and sit down on the next bar stool. We care, of course, about McGee's knight on a spavined steed but we also care about his friends, particularly Tush Bannon. How could you read the early description of the man and not see a decent guy? What happens to him is tragic...and thus the essence of the plot. We want to see justice.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene where McGee cons a description of what happened to his friend Tush out of an unwitting phone repairman.
I have also always been moved by McGee's simplified visualization of life and death. I don't want to spoil it for the uninitiated but, suffice to say, I read it the first time when I was about 12 and it's stuck with me for nearly fifty years.

It Still Works

Another excellent McGee mystery that still works even though it was written in 1968. Once again there is a old friend in trouble. To quote Travis "Tush Bannon was the best friend I ever had." This despite the fact that that he is never so much as mentioned in the first eight books in the series. Bannon; his wife and three children are living on the water in their motel attached to his marina. It's a nice little business but it's unfortunately in the way of a large piece of property that both local and statewide big shots want to get their hands on. So using the power of local government they drive him into bankruptcy; then he is killed. Though they attempt to make it look like a suicide McGee has the body sent to a lab where he has another friend who hasn't appeared in any of the other McGee novels. It's not a suicide; it's murder.
So McGee and Meyer swing into action to con every penny possible out of the local big shot (Preston LaFrance) and the state, even national big shot (Gary Santo.) They are aided if only slightly by McGee's love interest in this book Puss Killian. (An obvious ode to Pussy Galore from the Bond film Goldfinger) She is a more serious girlfriend than most of the McGee paramours and is thus marked for death. Her explanation for leaving is convoluted and delivered in a letter in the conclusion of the book and strains credulity.
Despite a few far fetched scenarios the book is written well enough to make up for some lack of realism in the characters.

Hooray! Travis McGee is back!

Would you listen to Pale Gray for Guilt again? Why?

It's a joy to find John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series available on Audible. I first read Pale Gray for Guilt in the 60s when the book turned up in my Peace Corps book locker. Immediately, I was hooked on Trav, his philosophy and adventures. I collected and read all the novels more than once. Dog-eared paperbacks still have a place in my library. Later when the stories emerged on tape read by Darren McGavin, I collected those, too, and wore them out. Pale Gray for Guilt still remains a favorite for the intricacies of the plot, the fun of taking down the con men, and the fact that Travis' friend Meyer has a nice role. Always loved Meyer. The story stands up surprisingly well after all the years.

What other book might you compare Pale Gray for Guilt to and why?

If you've enjoyed the stories of Carl Hiaasen, you'll probably enjoy Travis McGee's adventures. Hiaasen has stated that John D. MacDonald's series influenced his writing.

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Robert Petkoff does a fine job of narrating the stories as if he were McGee telling the tales as opposed to reading a book written in the first person. He's a fine successor to the late Darren McGavin.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It's easy to listen to this book all at once. Audiobooks accompany me while I do chores, yard work or exercise and the plot and characters of this one will keep you motivated. The story is interesting; there's plenty of action and strong writing. Best of all are the characters. You like them and care what happens to them.

Any additional comments?

In an age where we are urged to work longer hours and for more years, Travis' philosophy of taking his retirement a bit at a time instead of grasping for more and more money may seem strange or out of step. His way of thinking caused me to think seriously about what I wanted and how much money I needed to achieve it. I've applied it to my own life without regrets. Enjoy.

Classic Travis McGee

Travis loses a friend, wreaks havoc on the bad guys, and collects new scars, all the while treating us to his sardonic view of 1960s America. Nothing is safe from his acid wit, from the Detroit automakers and high-rolling "investors" to hippies and macho-men, Travis tells it like it is - in his opinion.

Travis

I am so addicted to this man. What will I read after the last book?
Love Meyer and Trav!!!

Always Brilliant

Where does Pale Gray for Guilt rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best books in my all-time favorite series of mysteries.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Meyer is always a favorite of mine.

What does Robert Petkoff bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Petkoff brings great skill as a reader but also an actor's insight into individual character. He does a superb job of bringing this cast of characters to life.

Any additional comments?

Thanks to audible for presenting the entire Travis McGee series in excellent audio productions --and for getting the whole series done and made available so quickly! Bravo!

Strangers make the Best Clients

"In all emotional conflicts, dear girl, the thing you find the hardest to do is the thing you should do."
-- John D. MacDonald, Pale Gray for Guilt

A good solid Travis McGee romp. MacDonald's novels, like his titles, don't stray from his themes very far. But like a seafood restaurant you know well, and go to for its quality and execution, the Travis McGee novels are well-executed variations on the same themes: revenge, woman-in-peril, etc.

This one is focused on revenge. Travis along with his trusty economist Sancho Panza seeks to get even with a conspiracy of men who have done a bad deed to an old friend. McGee is challenged in this novel because he is doing his job, but for a friend. As he says, "Strangers make the best clients. Then I can play the odds and stay cold. Here I'm too emotionally hung up. I'm too angry, too sick at heart."

This isn't his best. I'd recommend it to those who love MacDonald and are looking for a bit of escape. If you aren't a hardcore John MacDonald fan, I'd skip this one.

Robert Petkoff IS Travis McGee

I am a devoted fan of the Travis McGee series, and have read all 21 more than once and listened to many of them in audio book form. Robert Petkoff is, for my money, the voice of Travis McGee. Actually, he's the voice of every character and he gives each a little something that helps the listener visualize every character is his or her uniqueness. It's an act of ventriloquism, and it makes these books feel like fully cast radio plays instead of simple narration.

This is a great story, too. When Tush Bannon dies suspiciously, leaving a young family in dire straits, McGee swings into action to generate some capital for the widow and, almost as important, to deliver some payback to the perpetrators.

I love John D. MacDonald, and Mr. Petkoff has done his work an incredible service. What a treat this one was.

Weakest entry in the series

I have listened to a large part of the Travis McGee series and Pale Gray for Guilt is probably the one I have enjoyed least. Plot was difficult to follow, the characters were paper thin and the writing seemed to be off from the normal way MacDonald wrote. It just seemed to be a book written to fulfill an publishing obligation. The premise of the book centers on the murder of his best friend in the world, to the best of my recollection this best friend in the world was not mentioned in any of the previous books. I have thoroughly enjoyed the series but wouldn't recommend this one.

great book

love this series! well narrated and great for road trips. John MacDonald is a mater story teller.

A tight story well read

John D MacDonald has influenced many writers and his style stands the test of time. Like almost all his Travis McGee books, this is tightly written and well narrated by Robert Petkoff.

Not quite up to standards

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

This is for completists

What was most disappointing about John D. MacDonald’s story?

. I wasn't expecting originality by book 9, just more of the same hard boiled pulp but it got a bit bogged down in certain elements of the plot, which unfortunately I didn't find that interesting. A good start gradually feels a bit directionless and treading water till the finale.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Ambivelence and disappointment

Any additional comments?

There have been stronger Travis McGee novels and by book 9, it's feeling a bit underwhelming

Bright Play for Me and McGee

Would you listen to Pale Gray for Guilt again? Why?

Yes. Over and over again, for the thrill, skill and wit of the writing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pale Gray for Guilt?

Mcgee's reading of the letter from Puss, the one love-of-his-life that got away before he did. The contrast of his joy from at last hearing from her with his despair at learning what she has to say.

Which character – as performed by Robert Petkoff – was your favourite?

McGee, the man himself - a one off, just as the voice suggests. Writer and Performer in perfect harmony: as individual the moment, as American as mayhem.

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

When Con, the beaten-down, recently widowed wife of McGee's good friend - the pivot for the story - knowingly kills the killer of her husband. And by taking on the responsibility of revenge restores herself.

Any additional comments?

It attacks all the senses. Suspenseful, sexy, violent, sensitive - ingenious in its plotting and fresh as NOW in its telling. Truly a story and a half.