'MacDonald had a huge influence on me . . . Reacher is like a fully detached version of Travis McGee' LEE CHILD 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 ChildJOHN D. MACDONALD: A GRAND MASTER CRIME WRITER'The great entertainer of our age, and a mesmerizing storyteller' - Stephen King'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'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'. . . my favorite novelist of all time' - Dean Koontz'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