THE DREADFUL LEMON SKY by John D. MacDonald

Finished Sa 6/23/12

The adventures of Travis McGee are always a delightful treat, and John D. MacDonald is a master at creating and delivering a convoluted, yet compelling story-line with very believable, three dimensional characters. This novel was released in 1975, and is the sixteenth in the Travis McGee Series.

An old friend of Travis's turns up on his houseboat, The Busted Flush, late one night with a suitcase full of money. She won't tell him exactly how she acquired the cash, but, in the event of her death, she wants him to deliver it to her sister. In two weeks she's dead in a traffic accident, but too many questions remain unanswered, and Travis stays around to determine if it might have been murder. Soon Travis learns that his friend was involved in a drug trafficking operation, and her murder, and several others are linked to this drug network. Someone is trying to wipe out their involvement by murdering all the co-conspirators, but who is behind this deadly cover-up?

Every novel in the Travis McGee Series is well worth reading, and they are all examples of  the very best of Crime Fiction.

Carrie Mulligan- Friend of Travis. She gives him the suitcase full of loot. She resided in Bayside, Florida.

Cal and Cindy Birdsong- They own the motel/marina where Travis and Meyer dock The Busted Flush. Travis takes Cindy as a lover, and Cal is an alcoholic, and murdered by a thin wire inserted into his heart.

Harry Hascomb- Owner of Superior Building Supplies. The front for the smuggling operation, and Carrie, and Jack Omaha.

Jack Omaha- Part owner of Superior Building Supplies, and is killed by a falling bale of grass from a helicopter. This accident makes the murderous cover-ups necessary.

Fred Van Harn- Crooked lawyer and part of the dope ring. He kills several to cover up his involvement.

Susan Dobrovsky- Carrie's sister

Walter J. Demos- He is the manager of the apartment complex- 1500 Seaway Boulevard, and is a drug dealer to the renters. It's like a 'Swinging Singles' place. He's an older man, and not really evil, but just wants to be 'part of the scene'.

Harry Max Scorf- He is a policeman that is working the case. He is shot in the head by Harry Hascomb when confronted that they have his fingerprints on the bomb that killed Joanna Freeler. And, Hascomb also killed Carrie, and shoved her in front of a speeding vehicle to make it look like a hit and run.  Joanna lived in the complex and worked with Carrie.

Jason and Ollie- They help out at the Birdson's marina, and Jason killed Cal with the wire through the heart. He didn't like Cal's treatment of Cindy. Jason is murdered by lawyer Fred Van Harn and put in Van Harn's horse's grave. He also makes an attempt on Travis's life when Travis confronts him while he is burying the horse.