Before I talk about JDM's first novel, I want to say that
Richard Moore's post on an uncollected JDM story reminds me
that there are a lot of those, especially in the SF field.
JDM wrote for many of the pulps and digests in the late 1940s
and early 1950s, and most of the stories I've read in them
have been excellent. I'm convinced JDM could have been the
equal of Heinlein if he hadn't decided to go another
route.
Possibly one reason he chose the field of crime fiction was
the success of books like THE BRASS CUPCAKE, his first novel,
published by Gold Medal in 1950. Re-reading this one last
night, I was reminded of how much it's like a Travis McGee
book. The first person narrator, Cliff Bartells, is a
recovery specialist for an insurance company. Same job as T.
McGee, except that McGee is a freelancer. The narrative voice
is very much like McGee's, with the same social commentary
about Florida, same opinions about women, etc. There are two
women, including the Wounded Bird, who of course is healed by
a little sexual therapy. The other woman has what guys in the
'50s would have called "the nesting instinct," and you know
by page five that old Cliff isn't about to make a nest with
her. The only thing missing from the story is the type of
villain that MacDonald did so well in the McGee books, but I
think the prototype is there, peeking around the corners. The
story itself is as fast-paced and entertaining as you'd
expect from JDM. I hadn't read the book in years, and it was
fun to revisit it.
I think JDM must have had it in the back of his mind
when he created Travis McGee.
Bill Crider
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