Along with John D. MacDonald whose novels are set primarily in South Florida, Ross Macdonald came to feature in his books an ongoing concern for the environment. Like the other MacDonald, Ross watched as a virtual paradise along the southern California coastline became increasingly despoiled by over-development driven by over-population and money which transformed the natural beauty of the state into a sprawling, urban nightmare. Like the "sleeping beauty" of the title of this early seventies Lew Archer tale, the environment perhaps only awaited a passing prince to awaken it to its former grandeur. John D. MacDonald had been railing against a similar destruction in South Florida by similar forces of development and greed. As environmental awareness became more prominent following the various political activities of the 1960s, both Ross and John D. increased their attention to environmental questions.

For Ross Macdonald treating the environment naturally...