By his 20th novel of out 21, “Cinnamon Skin” (1982), Travis McGee knows who he is and is starting to accept it. John D. MacDonald’s book is also a character piece for his friend Meyer, who lost self-confidence in the elite “Free Fall in Crimson” and now has a chance to be proactive. Throw in a deliciously psychotic villain, and this is a great read.
“Cinnamon” answers questions aggressively, so the discoveries come at the same time as the queries. Any loss of mysterious vibe is replaced by fascination about the villain. McGee’s niece is the victim of a bombing the sinks Meyer’s boat, the John Maynard Keynes (I wish his new one would’ve been called the Milton Friedman) while Meyer is at an economics conference.
The vibe is engrossingly procedural as McGee and Meyer quickly see past the smokescreen that Meyer was a terrorist target and realize his niece was targeted by her lover, faking his own death. In a way, they solve the mystery immediately. It’s not a particularly gripping howcatchem, either, although we can feel the humidity dripping off the page as the friends follow leads through the varied personalities in south Texas, and even more so in the steamy Yucatan, where MacDonald earns a cold revenge plot.
“Cinnamon Skin” (1982)
Author: John D. MacDonald
Series: Travis McGee No. 20
Genre: Mystery
Setting: 1982; Florida, Texas, New York, Mexico
It’s more of a “who is this guy,” a book-length equivalent of the closing speech from “Psycho.” Armed with facts from the authorities about Evan Lawrence’s likely past killings, psychoanalysis from McGee’s ex Laura and their own theorizing, McGee and Meyer put the picture together.
Technically, MacDonald misses a chance at a twist, wherein our heroes had made wrong assumptions. But there’s something satisfying about watching two smart men craft theories based on the facts.
Love: The greatest mystery of all
As is often the case with skilled detectives, McGee isn’t so smart about his love life. A pure romance novel might’ve made “Cinnamon Skin” an epiphany about how he should value Annie, the hotelier on the other side of Florida from McGee’s Atlantic berth. Could he possibly move to Hawaii to be with her? Both Florida-loving McGee and I as a reader struggled with that question.
Annie, Laura and Barbara of the titular skin are written with such admiring but human detail that I wonder if they are based on MacDonald’s own relationships. Without a doubt the segment about Meyer’s driving through Houston traffic must be based on experience.
I love how the author describes the terrifying flow of the accordioning traffic. It’s unnecessary to the plot, but it connects me with the tension Meyer and McGee are feeling. For me, the anxiety is more about the flying and driving around North America than it is for them, but the logistical workload of this case would wear on anyone.
Or take Barbara’s explanation for why many Mayan pyramids were left undisturbed by the conquering Spaniards: “Because the Maya had no gold!” MacDonald’s tangential observations about our absurd yet predictable world push me from liking to loving the McGee series.
Sleuthing Sunday reviews the works of Agatha Christie, along with other new and old classics of the mystery genre.