Book Series Guide

Author guide

John D. MacDonald Books in Order

John Dann MacDonald (1916–1986) was an American novelist and short-story writer. After World War II he became a prolific contributor to pulp magazines, then published more than forty standalone novels, three science-fiction novels, nonfiction, and numerous story collections. His best-known work is the 21-volume Travis McGee series, and his novel The Executioners was adapted as Cape Fear.

crime fictionsuspensemysteryscience fictionnonfiction

John D. MacDonald's Newest Book

Dear Dordo: The World War II Letters of Dorothy and John D. MacDonald

nonfiction · First published 2022

Search on Amazon ↗

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Deep Blue Good-by

The Deep Blue Good-by

The first Travis McGee novel and the natural entry point to MacDonald’s best-known series.

Cover of The Brass Cupcake

The Brass Cupcake

MacDonald’s first published novel and a representative standalone crime novel.

Read in order

Books by series

novel series · complete

Travis McGee

A 21-novel series featuring Travis McGee, a Florida-based salvage consultant.

Series guide →
  1. 1 Cover of The Deep Blue Good-by
    The Deep Blue Good-by

    Book 1 · novel · 1964

    Amazon ↗
  2. 2 Cover of Nightmare in Pink
    Nightmare in Pink

    Book 2 · novel · 1964

    Amazon ↗
  3. 3 Cover of A Purple Place for Dying
    A Purple Place for Dying

    Book 3 · novel · 1964

    Amazon ↗
  4. 4 Cover of The Quick Red Fox
    The Quick Red Fox

    Book 4 · novel · 1964

    Amazon ↗
  5. 5 Cover of A Deadly Shade of Gold
    A Deadly Shade of Gold

    Book 5 · novel · 1965

    Amazon ↗
  6. 6 Cover of Bright Orange for the Shroud
    Bright Orange for the Shroud

    Book 6 · novel · 1965

    Amazon ↗
  7. 7 Cover of Darker than Amber
    Darker than Amber

    Book 7 · novel · 1966

    Amazon ↗
  8. 8
    One Fearful Yellow Eye

    Book 8 · novel · 1966

    Amazon ↗
  9. 9 Cover of Pale Gray for Guilt
    Pale Gray for Guilt

    Book 9 · novel · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  10. 10 Cover of The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper
    The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper

    Book 10 · novel · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  11. 11 Cover of Dress Her in Indigo
    Dress Her in Indigo

    Book 11 · novel · 1969

    Amazon ↗
  12. 12 Cover of The Long Lavender Look
    The Long Lavender Look

    Book 12 · novel · 1970

    Amazon ↗
  13. 13 Cover of A Tan and Sandy Silence
    A Tan and Sandy Silence

    Book 13 · novel · 1971

    Amazon ↗
  14. 14 Cover of The Scarlet Ruse
    The Scarlet Ruse

    Book 14 · novel · 1973

    Amazon ↗
  15. 15 Cover of The Turquoise Lament
    The Turquoise Lament

    Book 15 · novel · 1973

    Amazon ↗
  16. 16 Cover of The Dreadful Lemon Sky
    The Dreadful Lemon Sky

    Book 16 · novel · 1975

    Amazon ↗
  17. 17 Cover of The Empty Copper Sea
    The Empty Copper Sea

    Book 17 · novel · 1978

    Amazon ↗
  18. 18 Cover of The Green Ripper
    The Green Ripper

    Book 18 · novel · 1979

    Amazon ↗
  19. 19 Cover of Free Fall in Crimson
    Free Fall in Crimson

    Book 19 · novel · 1981

    Amazon ↗
  20. 20 Cover of Cinnamon Skin
    Cinnamon Skin

    Book 20 · novel · 1982

    Amazon ↗
  21. 21
    The Lonely Silver Rain

    Book 21 · novel · 1985

    Amazon ↗

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (50)
  1. Cover of The Brass Cupcake
    The Brass Cupcake

    novel · 1950

    Amazon ↗
  2. Murder for the Bride

    novel · 1951

    Amazon ↗
  3. Judge Me Not

    novel · 1951

    Amazon ↗
  4. Weep for Me

    novel · 1951

    Amazon ↗
  5. Cover of Wine of the Dreamers
    Wine of the Dreamers

    novel · 1951

    Amazon ↗
  6. Cover of The Damned
    The Damned

    novel · 1952

    Amazon ↗
  7. Ballroom of the Skies

    novel · 1952

    Amazon ↗
  8. Cover of Dead Low Tide
    Dead Low Tide

    novel · 1953

    Amazon ↗
  9. Cover of The Neon Jungle
    The Neon Jungle

    novel · 1953

    Amazon ↗
  10. Cancel All Our Vows

    novel · 1953

    Amazon ↗
  11. Cover of All These Condemned
    All These Condemned

    novel · 1954

    Amazon ↗
  12. Area of Suspicion

    novel · 1954

    Amazon ↗
  13. Cover of Contrary Pleasure
    Contrary Pleasure

    novel · 1954

    Amazon ↗
  14. Cover of A Bullet for Cinderella
    A Bullet for Cinderella

    novel · 1955

    Amazon ↗
  15. Cover of Cry Hard, Cry Fast
    Cry Hard, Cry Fast

    novel · 1955

    Amazon ↗
  16. Cover of April Evil
    April Evil

    novel · 1956

    Amazon ↗
  17. Cover of Murder in the Wind
    Murder in the Wind

    novel · 1956

    Amazon ↗
  18. Cover of You Live Once
    You Live Once

    novel · 1956

    Amazon ↗
  19. Death Trap

    novel · 1957

    Amazon ↗
  20. Cover of The Price of Murder
    The Price of Murder

    novel · 1957

    Amazon ↗
  21. The Empty Trap

    novel · 1957

    Amazon ↗
  22. Cover of A Man of Affairs
    A Man of Affairs

    novel · 1957

    Amazon ↗
  23. Cover of The Executioners
    The Executioners

    novel · 1958

    Amazon ↗
  24. Cover of The Deceivers
    The Deceivers

    novel · 1958

    Amazon ↗
  25. Clemmie

    novel · 1958

    Amazon ↗
  26. Cover of Soft Touch
    Soft Touch

    novel · 1958

    Amazon ↗
  27. Cover of Deadly Welcome
    Deadly Welcome

    novel · 1959

    Amazon ↗
  28. Cover of The Beach Girls
    The Beach Girls

    novel · 1959

    Amazon ↗
  29. Cover of The Crossroads
    The Crossroads

    novel · 1959

    Amazon ↗
  30. Please Write for Details

    novel · 1959

    Amazon ↗
  31. Cover of Slam the Big Door
    Slam the Big Door

    novel · 1960

    Amazon ↗
  32. The Only Girl in the Game

    novel · 1960

    Amazon ↗
  33. Cover of The End of the Night
    The End of the Night

    novel · 1960

    Amazon ↗
  34. Where Is Janice Gantry?

    novel · 1961

    Amazon ↗
  35. Cover of One Monday We Killed Them All
    One Monday We Killed Them All

    novel · 1961

    Amazon ↗
  36. Cover of A Key to the Suite
    A Key to the Suite

    novel · 1962

    Amazon ↗
  37. Cover of The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything
    The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything

    novel · 1962

    Amazon ↗
  38. Cover of A Flash of Green
    A Flash of Green

    novel · 1962

    Amazon ↗
  39. I Could Go on Singing

    novel · 1963

    Amazon ↗
  40. Cover of On the Run
    On the Run

    novel · 1963

    Amazon ↗
  41. Cover of The Drowner
    The Drowner

    novel · 1963

    Amazon ↗
  42. The House Guests

    nonfiction · 1965

    Amazon ↗
  43. Cover of The Last One Left
    The Last One Left

    novel · 1966

    Amazon ↗
  44. No Deadly Drug

    nonfiction · 1968

    Amazon ↗
  45. Cover of Condominium
    Condominium

    novel · 1977

    Amazon ↗
  46. Nothing Can Go Wrong

    nonfiction · 1981

    Amazon ↗
  47. Cover of One More Sunday
    One More Sunday

    novel · 1984

    Amazon ↗
  48. A Friendship: The Letters of Dan Rowan and John D. MacDonald, 1967–1974

    nonfiction · 1986

    Amazon ↗
  49. Cover of Barrier Island
    Barrier Island

    novel · 1986

    Amazon ↗
  50. Dear Dordo: The World War II Letters of Dorothy and John D. MacDonald

    nonfiction · 2022

    Amazon ↗
Essays and speeches (1)
  1. Reading for Survival

    pamphlet · 1987

    Amazon ↗
Other (8)
  1. S*E*V*E*N

    collection · 1971

    Amazon ↗
  2. Other Times, Other Worlds

    collection · 1978

    Amazon ↗
  3. Time and Tomorrow

    collection · 1980

    Amazon ↗
  4. Cover of The Good Old Stuff
    The Good Old Stuff

    collection · 1982

    Amazon ↗
  5. Two

    collection · 1983

    Amazon ↗
  6. Cover of More Good Old Stuff
    More Good Old Stuff

    collection · 1984

    Amazon ↗