19 January, 2004
The High Window, Raymond Chandler (265 pp, TPB, 1942)
I'm taking a break from catching up on the comics (I promise I am almost done with that) so I can write up this Chandler novel, so I can return it to the library.
The plot: Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy widow to locate and retrieve a valuable coin which has been stolen from her collection. The woman, Mrs. Murdock, has a ne'er-do-well son, an un-beloved daughter-in-law, and a nervous secretary. The search for the coin leads to a murder investigation when some of the individuals involved turn up dead, and eventually there's some blackmail, too.
Of all the Chandler I've read thus far (novels and story collections), this one is the least good. That's not to say it sucks, mind you, but it reads as if Chandler's just going through the motions. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I just didn't get the same sense of atmosphere I've come to associate with Chandler's writing. Not recommended as a starting point for Chandler newbies--go with one of the others.