Raymond Chandler
Description
The body count in this thriller, starring Chandler's quintessential Private Eye: Philip Marlowe, is comparatively higher compared than some of his oth
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er works. One could say the bodies fall one-two-three-four as Marlowe tracks down a missing gold doubloon. Who knew one piece of metal could lead to so much trouble? As always, Chandler's prose is on his own level, however unpleasant Marlowe's cases may become. What I find fascinating in Chandler's detective novels is the extraordinary contrast in terms of character development. Trophy wives and strong-armed husbands all undergo serious emotional upheaval, death, and unforgettable changes to their lives; while our companion Phillip Marlowe, ever the frank, gruff shamus, never has any of this himself. While he may have guns pointed at him, framed for murder, or beaten up and tossed in the slammer (The Long Goodbye), Marlowe always goes back to his home to play chess, drink gin and smoke a cigarette.
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