Fictional hero of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, a collection of 21 mystery novels written from the mid 1960s to the mid 1980s.

Travis McGee has a laidback lifestyle, living aboard his houseboat "The Busted Flush" and "taking his retirement in installments." He occasionally helps someone recover something they lost, keeping half the value.

Travis travels the country in his adventures, but calls Slip F-18, Bahia Mar, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida home.

The novels are excellent reading and are filled with MacDonald's critical look at modern progress.

The list of McGee novels:

• The Deep Blue Good-by (1964)
• Nightmare in Pink (1964)
• A Purple Place for Dying (1964)
• The Quick Red Fox (1964)
• A Deadly Shade of Gold (1965)
• Bright Orange for the Shroud (1965)
• Darker than Amber (1966)
• One Fearful Yellow Eye (1966)
• Pale Gray for Guilt (1968)
• The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper (1968)
• Dress Her in Indigo (1969)
• The Long Lavender Look (1970)
• A Tan and Sandy Silence (1971)
• The Scarlet Ruse (1973)
• The Turquoise Lament (1973)
• The Dreadful Lemon Sky (1974)
• The Empty Copper Sea (1978)
• The Green Ripper (1979)
• Free Fall in Crimson (1981)
• Cinnamon Skin (1982)
• The Lonely Silver Rain (1985)

You'll notice that each title contains a color.

McGee notes
• Darren McGavin reads some of the McGee books on tape. His voice is perfect for the part.
• McGee's constant companion is a large hairy bearlike economist, Meyer. His first name is never given.

apocrypha -- For years a rumor circulated that there was a 22nd McGee book, with Black in the title, and that in it McGee dies. Noone but Ol' JDMcD knows the truth, and, well, he ain't tellin'.