| A big bruiser known as Moose Malloy has gotten out of prison after serving 8 years for a bank robbery. He's looking for his girl, a redheaded singer named Velma. LA private investigator Philip Marlowe is on the premises at a club that caters only to blacks when Moose busts in and shoots the manager. Soon after, Marlowe gets hired as a temporary bodyguard by poofy Lindsay Marriott, who is ransoming a fine jade necklace for a friend after it was stolen during a carjacking. But Marlowe gets knocked out on the job and Marriott ends up beaten to a pulp.
Marlowe follows Velma's trail to the home of Jessie Florian, widow of the singer's old club owner, who has been receiving mysterious monthly checks in the mail and who ends up beaten to a pulp as well. The trail continues to the palatial home of elderly millionaire Lewin Lockridge Grayle and the owner of the jade necklace, his wife, through the offices of the corrupt police of LA suburb Bay City; and to offshore gambling operations. Chandler considered this crackling 1940 sequel to The Big Sleep his best book. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - Dry-cynical How difficult to spot villain? - Challenging Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70% Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 10 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 20 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Male Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting United States Yes The US: - California City? Yes City: - Los Angeles - dangerous Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Unusual forms of death - blunt clubbing (like seals) Unusual form of death? Yes Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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