‘Deep Blue Good-by’ (1964) a confident, rollicking hello to Travis McGee
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Already well-established with standalones, John D. MacDonald confidently segues to a series character.
Mystery
‘Deep Blue Good-by’ (1964) a confident, rollicking hello to Travis McGee
Action gets heated in Grafton’s ‘H is for Homicide’ (1991)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Kinsey finds herself undercover in gangland L.A. as the author wildly breaks from formula.
‘You’re Next’ (2011) puts Wingard, cheeky slashers on the map
Frightening Friday (Movie review): The director who would eventually take over the “Godzilla” films drops an impressive calling card of home-invasion horror.
‘G is for Gumshoe’ (1990) … and for good, but not great
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Strong concepts are underdeveloped as Kinsey enters her second year of filing reports as a P.I.
John’s top 10 TV shows of 2025
TV list: The way we consume TV is changing, but luckily quality isn’t dropping.
McGee series cleanses itself in ‘The Lonely Silver Rain’ (1985)
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): John D. MacDonald didn’t intend for this to be his last Travis McGee novel, but it has a fitting coda.
‘Terror Train’ (1980) keeps Curtis’ golden age on track
Frightening Friday (Movie review): This Canadian slasher might be shlock, but it’s atmospheric shlock that chugs along with all engines firing.
‘Cinnamon Skin’ (1982) blows up into a good quest novel
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): MacDonald crafts one of his most psychologically interesting villains in the penultimate McGee yarn.
Fantastic ‘F is for Fugitive’ (1989) is far from a failure
Sleuthing Sunday (Book review): Grafton takes Kinsey up the coast to deliver her best novel since “C is for Corpse.”
A century of suspense: All 52 Alfred Hitchcock films, ranked
Movie list: One hundred years after his first silent film, we rank the cinematic catalog of the Master of Suspense.