A Deadly Shade of Gold Audiobook By John D. MacDonald cover art

A Deadly Shade of Gold

A Travis McGee Novel, Book 5

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A Deadly Shade of Gold

By: John D. MacDonald
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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When McGee picks up the phone and hears a voice from the past, he can't help it. He has to meddle. Especially when he has the chance to reunite Sam Taggart, a reckless, restless man like himself, with the woman who's still waiting for him. But what begins as a simple matchmaking scheme soon becomes a bloody chase that takes McGee to Mexico, a beautiful country - and one from which he hopes to return alive.

©1965 John D. MacDonald Publishing, Inc. Renewal © 1993 Maynard MacDonald (P)2012 Audible, Inc. Crime Fiction Hard-Boiled Mystery Noir Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction Crime Heartfelt

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)
Rich Characterizations • Engaging Plot Twists • Flawless Voice Transitions • Compelling Hero • Philosophical Insights
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My favorite Travis McGee novel, I think because there’s less of a formulaic feel (not the word I want to use, because I love McDonald’s formula) and a clear theme - you never really know someone, even when you think you do. The reader was perfect, mixes his voice to match characters when they interact with Travis (The McGee novels are always 1st person), and he has a great feel and flow.

Travis McGee is inside my head

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I suppose it is only fair: some books are chick lit, and some appeal equally to all. This one, however, was overloaded with testosterone. Yet, I did become involved in the story.

Travis McGee is clearly the right agent for the right job...and the right job had nothing to do with money. For him it has more to do with loyalty and doing what is right. But sometimes what is right may not look that way to others.

Robert Petkoff did a good job on the narration

McGee grows on you

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I am continuously impressed by the narrator. He has marked skills of making all the separate characters more alive by giving them individual voices , And he does it very well. I look forward to reading more of the Travis McGee mysteries.

The author keeps coming up with such great plot twists

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Love the narrator and gobble up all the books in this series I can. Still relevant.

great book love t maghee

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I’m working my way through all the Travis McGee books. I liked this one but there were a lot of characters and you have to pay close attention.

Confusing but enjoyable

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Enjoyed the story-
Even though it was seven years old- well done & interesting . Would recommend

Surprisingly Good

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The narration was excellent. The story itself is a little weak with a lack of credibility for some parts. Still the book is an enjoyable diversion overall.

Busted Flush

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Good long prose from Mr MacDonald.
McGee fightin’, fxxin’, and philosophy of the con , nobody beats Travis McGee

Travis is Elvis

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Extremely entertaining. gritty and still a solid look into a time gone by, I am never disappointed by John D. MacDonald, as his insights in to the world and society are just a relevant today as they were almost 60 years ago.
This Travis McGee novel takes our hero into almost superhero status. He has developed from a some what undisciplined hero into ALMOST a kill 'em all let god sort 'em out vigilante. Lives and loves are lost but our hero swallows it all with a stiff drink and a grim determination to face the next day what ever it brings.
If anyone could come up with the proper voice and attitude of McGee it is definitely Robert Petkoff. He sounds and projects the exact voice and attitude I heard in my head when I first read these books back in the 70s.

Woo wee what a ride!!

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John D MacDonald presents a combination of James Dickey's prose with Ian Fleming's narrative flourish. With John D. MacDonald, however, you are also likely to find weird paragraphs sprinkled into the novel that deal with economics, politics, love, lust, the John Birch Society, and the ethics of hunting. Reading MacDonald is like having a surprisingly lucid conversation with a drunk economics professor who you recently discovered just killed a man with his golf club. You can't pull away from the conversation and aren't quite sure if the story is going to continue, or if he is going to explore a tangent more appropriate for an economics class or his therapist. HIs brain is amazing and his stories definitely titillate on several levels at once.

J Dickey's prose + I Fleming's narrative flourish

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