8/31/17 I just reread (actually, listened) to The Deep Blue Good-By[e]. It holds its force, its quirkiness, its appeal. Plus, I hadn't remembered MacDonald's / McGee's extensive commentary on women. 
 Original review: 
 I read the McGee series many, many years ago. I don't remember which one I started with, nor in what order I read them. While not all were 5-star worthy even then - and I perhaps would not like them as much today - this page-turning, tension point filled series is about a boat-living man (McGee) and his side-kick, Meyer. They are put in situations where he has to help someone(s) in distress, not all female. It was prime reading for me for many a summer night as a teenager. 
 I went to the real marina where the fictional McGee kept his boat. My father also lived on a (very modest sized) boat in Ft. Lauderdale. 
 As above, the stars are for the whole series, not any one book.