Travis McGee Series: Book 1/21 Travis McGee is a fictional character created by American mystery writer John D. MacDonald. McGee is a "salvage consultant" who lives on a houseboat in Fort Lauderdale and takes on dangerous assignments. He typically defends a beautiful woman against a large, corrupt organization. MacDonald used McGee to comment on social issues such as ecological insensitivity, political corruption, real estate scams, racism, and infidelity.