A Deadly Shade of Gold is the fifth book in the Travis McGee series. In this entry, McGee picks up the phone and hears a voice from the past, he can’t help it. He has to meddle. Especially when he has the chance to reunite Sam Taggart, a reckless, restless man like himself, with the woman who’s still waiting for him. But what begins as a simple matchmaking scheme soon becomes a bloody chase that takes McGee to Mexico, a beautiful country — and one from which he hopes to return alive. John D. MacDonald has really gotten the hang of writing for this character, and it shows. The dialogue is entertaining, and there are action-packed events throughout this Audible Original.

I enjoy the narrator for this series of books because he’s pleasing to listen to, without being overbearing. He doesn’t overact. Instead, you’ll find a calming and enjoyable narration that is befitting of the source material. As with many fiction series, you can start with this book without any problem, or you can begin at the beginning. Either way, Travis McGee is fun to spend time with — and I recommend picking up A Deadly Shade of Gold.