The Scarlet Ruse

Another impeccable edge-of-your-seat thriller from bestselling author John D MacDonald that has inspired a generation of crime writers. Well-paced, intelligently written and with a penchant for characterisation, this series is not one to miss. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, James Patterson and John Grisham.

'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' - LEE CHILD

'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - STEPHEN KING

'To diggers a thousand years from now, the works of John D. MacDonald would be a treasure on the order of the tomb of Tutankhamen. ' - KURT VONNEGUT

'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - DEAN KOONTZ

'A treasure of a book' -- ***** Reader review

'John D MacDonald has done it again: another page-turner' -- ***** Reader review

'Compelling' -- ***** Reader review

'Another Macdonald masterpiece' -- ***** Reader review

Travis McGee isn't your typical knight in shining armour. He only works when his cash runs out, and his rule is simple: He'll help you find whatever was taken from you, as long as he can keep half.

An expert stamp collector is left frantic when he misplaces the extremely valuable collection of an important and shady client. Hirsh doesn't know how he's going to get it back. But fortunately for him, he's got a friend in Travis McGee. It's not long till Travis is hot on the trail of the missing collection. But Travis is going to have to play this game carefully - Hirsh's client is liable to break some fingers if he doesn't get what he's owed . . .

First published in 1972, The Scarlet Ruse features an introduction by Lee Child

'The consummate pro, a master storyteller and witty observer . . . The Travis McGee novels are among the finest works of fiction ever penned by an American author and they retain a remarkable sense of freshness' - Jonathan Kellerman

'Travis McGee is my favourite fiction detective. He's great because he has a philosophical side - he will fight a bunch of mobsters in a car park and then have a muse about life, the universe and everything' - Tony Parsons

'A dominant influence on writers crafting the continuing series character . . . I envy the generation of readers just discovering Travis McGee' - Sue Grafton

'A master storyteller, a masterful suspense writer . . . John D. MacDonald is a shining example for all of us in the field' - Mary Higgins Clark

'What a joy that these timeless and treasured novels are available again' - Ed McBain

'There's only one thing as good as reading a John D. MacDonald novel: reading it again . . . He is the all-time master of the American mystery novel' - John Saul