Pale Gray for Guilt cover art

Pale Gray for Guilt

A Travis McGee Novel, Book 9

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Pale Gray for Guilt

By: John D. MacDonald
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.99

Buy Now for £14.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

The men who killed Tush Bannon knew he was a nice guy with a nice wife and three nice kids - trying to run a small marina on the Florida coast. They also knew he was in the way of a big land development scheme. Once they killed him, they figured they were on easy street. But Tush Bannon was Travis McGee's friend, and McGee could be one tough adversary when protecting a widow and her kids.

©1968 John D. MacDonald Publishing, Inc. (P)2012 Audible, Inc. Modern Detectives Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Fiction

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Deep Blue Good-By cover art
A Flash of Green cover art
The Brass Cupcake: A Novel cover art
Slam the Big Door cover art
Cape Fear (aka The Executioners) cover art
Under the Lake cover art
Murder at the Bijou cover art
Tropical Depression cover art
I, The Jury cover art
Meet the Tiger cover art
Motion to Suppress cover art
Live Free or Tri cover art
Powder Burn cover art
Sanctum: A Jake Crowley Adventure cover art
Falling Glass cover art
Cool Blue Tomb cover art
All stars
Most relevant
John D MacDonald has influenced many writers and his style stands the test of time. Like almost all his Travis McGee books, this is tightly written and well narrated by Robert Petkoff.

A tight story well read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Would you listen to Pale Gray for Guilt again? Why?

Yes. Over and over again, for the thrill, skill and wit of the writing.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pale Gray for Guilt?

Mcgee's reading of the letter from Puss, the one love-of-his-life that got away before he did. The contrast of his joy from at last hearing from her with his despair at learning what she has to say.

Which character – as performed by Robert Petkoff – was your favourite?

McGee, the man himself - a one off, just as the voice suggests. Writer and Performer in perfect harmony: as individual the moment, as American as mayhem.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Con, the beaten-down, recently widowed wife of McGee's good friend - the pivot for the story - knowingly kills the killer of her husband. And by taking on the responsibility of revenge restores herself.

Any additional comments?

It attacks all the senses. Suspenseful, sexy, violent, sensitive - ingenious in its plotting and fresh as NOW in its telling. Truly a story and a half.

Bright Play for Me and McGee

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
One of the best in the series. Of it's time. Enjoy it for what it is.

Great escapist period piece.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

If this book wasn’t for you, who do you think might enjoy it more?

This is for completists

What was most disappointing about John D. MacDonald’s story?

. I wasn't expecting originality by book 9, just more of the same hard boiled pulp but it got a bit bogged down in certain elements of the plot, which unfortunately I didn't find that interesting. A good start gradually feels a bit directionless and treading water till the finale.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Ambivelence and disappointment

Any additional comments?

There have been stronger Travis McGee novels and by book 9, it's feeling a bit underwhelming

Not quite up to standards

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.