It has been a real pleasure to reunite with Marlowe in this book that I had not yet read. Reading this kind of stories makes me read "in black and white" and within an atmosphere with the smell of cigarette smoke and that cheekiness of the "bloodhound" in the typical American detective novels.

Certainly, by reading these books, one understands the reason why Chandler is considered the father of this genre and why Lorenzo Silva has always had him as a reference.

In this particular novel, we will see some more familiar and ordinary characters than those usually seen in books with Marlowe as the protagonist... in Los Angeles, there are not only millionaires and glamour.

With quite direct language and allusions to sex, drugs, and political and law enforcement corruption, we navigate through a very entertaining plot that will delight the lovers of classic noir.

The movie is not bad, but it does not have the Chandlerian essence that the previous ones had and although Robert Montgomery is not one of the actors who has embodied the detective that I like the most, I承认 that he is at least the most "refined". To my taste, the real Marlowe was Bogart, of whom Chandler said: "Bogart knows how to be tough without a gun. Besides, he has that sense of humor that contains a subtle shade of contempt. Bogart is the real deal."... Years later, Robert Mitchum, an actor like the top of a pine tree, was not able to be exploited in two other movies with the character.

Well, I have already recommended the book, the character, and the movies to you.

The convoluted and deliciously quixotic plots of Chandler always seem to slip right out of my memory the moment I finish reading them. In most cases, I would be hesitant to consider this as a strength. However, with Chandler, it takes on the quality of waking from a dream. They are so vivid when experienced moment by moment. But afterwards, only a few scattered impressions and details remain. This only makes one treasure what has been grasped onto even more. I'm not sure if there is another novelist who is so consistently pleasurable to return to and reread.

That being said, I do prefer following Marlowe as he negotiates the urban jungle of Los Angeles rather than meandering through rural landscapes and small neighboring towns. But truly, when it comes down to it, I will always happily follow Marlowe wherever Chandler decides he needs to go.

"However hard I try to be nice I always end up with my nose in the dirt and my thumb feeling for somebody’s eye."

This well may be Chandler at his very best!

He not only does everything he usually does so incredibly well. There's the hard hitting, gritty and wisecracking Marlowe, who is brought to life in the most vivid way. The wonderfully sharp and evocative prose just flows, painting a picture that sucks you right in. And the pacing is superb, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

But what really sets this one apart is the plot. It's a missing person case that quickly turns into a murder mystery, and it's perhaps the most sophisticated and suspenseful of all the Marlowe tales. Full of twists and turns, it keeps you guessing until the very end. And the cast of characters! They are the largest and best developed I've seen from Chandler. Conniving, shifty and treacherous, they add so much depth and intrigue to the story. Outstanding. This is like *the* gold standard for detective fiction!

I am indeed able to understand the viewpoint of those others who regard this as masterful. However, it simply is not my cup of tea.

I did read it, though. And I was not in the least bit surprised in any way. This is because there were plentiful clues provided early on.

It seems quite clear that the author intended for these clues to lead the reader to a certain conclusion.

Perhaps for some, this style of writing is engaging and exciting. But for me, it lacked the element of surprise that I typically look for in a story.

Enough said on this matter. I will simply move on to other works that better suit my tastes.

What seems to be a straightforward case of locating a missing wife quickly evolves into something far more complex, which is characteristic of Chandler. Once the initial mystery is presented, he has a knack for making things a great deal more convoluted. Marlowe is called upon and hired by Derace Kingsley to track down his wife, Crystal Kingsley. It appears that Crystal has left town with another man, and Kingsley, fearing a public scandal, offers a reward for finding her. Marlowe travels to Little Fawn Lake, a small resort outside the city, as it is the last known place where she was seen. Just like in many of Marlowe's novels, the main mystery gives rise to several other puzzles. Shortly after arriving and conversing with one of the more peculiar characters, the heavy drinker Bill Chess, Marlowe finds himself smack in the middle of a rather intricate case. In this case, people are not who they seem, and even if they are, they can't be trusted. After a mysterious death occurs, the game is truly on for Marlowe. He must attempt to understand the motives of a murderer while simultaneously dealing with some shady individuals and even corrupt cops.

I read The Big Sleep some time ago and was completely won over by Chandler. The Lady in the Lake is another excellent addition to the Marlowe series. It is the fourth book in the series and takes Marlowe out of his familiar Los Angeles environment and into the backwater of Bay City and Little Fawn Lake. There is something about Chandler's prose and style that is perfectly suited to the setting and pace of The Lady in the Lake. With Marlowe as the lead, the novel can seamlessly transition from cynical humor to intense, gripping tension and suspense within moments. Marlowe's imperfect approach to investigation is what truly makes this novel engaging. He carries the narrative forward, able to read seedy characters and dangerous situations. When he makes a misstep, he has to rely on his instincts, which he has developed over the years, to extricate himself.
The Lady in the Lake is a prime example of a noir classic, and Chandler demonstrates why he is regarded as one of the finest writers in this genre.

The Lady in the Lake is my least favorite among the Raymond Chandler works I've read (trailing behind The Long Goodbye, Farewell, my Lovely, and The Big Sleep). But that's akin to saying, "This is the fourth largest lump of gold I've discovered in the river."

It's still gold, and it's still something you unearthed from a river. Not precisely a wedding band, but not a dirt pie either.

Despite what some other reviewers here might imply (too many literature classes in college, I suspect), Raymond Chandler wasn't penning social commentary. Sure, it occurs incidentally, but that's not his purpose. He's no Charles Dickens. He wasn't writing the kind of sophisticated literary flair that you showcase prominently on your bookshelves to impress houseguests who discuss the relationship between your wine and their nose, use pretentious French phrases like "je ne sais quoi", and randomly reference British authors. Chandler was crafting entertaining detective fiction. Not quite noir pulp, but that's the origin from which his writing evolved. It bought a train ticket out of there and vowed never to return, but, as we all know, you can never truly escape your childhood. Not really. Not in your own heart, and at the end of the day, when everything else has succumbed to slumber and darkness, that's the only place that truly matters.

And yet, the pleasure of reading Raymond Chandler is much like the pleasure of reading literary fiction - that is, the magnificent prose serves to infuse even the ordinary details of our lives with a deeper sense of significance. Through Philip Marlowe's voice, Raymond Chandler endows everything, from people's faces to Venetian blinds, with the atmosphere of a dark, smoky romance. It's an atmosphere in which cold-hearted murder, adultery, and police cover-ups aren't quite as sordid as they should be. They have a bit of a shine, a glimmer to them, which, in my opinion, makes them all the more grotesque.

Let me suggest what a rare and wonderful gift this romantic transmutation is. One of my responsibilities as a teacher is to guide and assist students applying for college. My greatest sorrow in this role is how few of these students - in their college essays - are able to fathom the drama, romance, or importance of anything they've done in their lives. How depressing that must be! To have lived for 18 years without ever learning that magic, mystery, and meaning are all largely subjective concepts. That your life will possess these qualities only to the extent that you perceive it to have them.

So, yes, The Lady in the Lake has a plot. It's a who-dunnit with twists and turns, becoming increasingly complex as the murder count rises. It features corrupt police and dangerous women - all the staples you'd expect from a Raymond Chandler. But who cares? Because it also has that glimmer I mentioned, and it's the glamour that I sought and that I found.

In my opinion, it is much better than the Matlese Falcon.

Philip comes across as a lot more grounded and down to Earth compared to Spade. When the book is told from his perspective, it reads as a more genuine detective story.

Moreover, his motivation being limited to being invested in solving the mystery makes me root for Marlowe more than Spade. This is because Spade's main goal seems to be monetary gain.

Overall, I would rate it a 4, teetering towards maybe a 3.5. For the time being, it shall remain a 4. However, upon further reflection and analysis, I might change my rating. There are certain aspects of the story that could be improved upon, such as the pacing in some parts and the development of certain secondary characters. But despite these minor flaws, the book still manages to engage the reader and keep them hooked until the very end.

The book, although not overly spectacular, is well-written and adheres to the pattern of Chandler's novels.

Marlowe, a tough and resilient character, gets embroiled in trouble while working for a client. The story unfolds with the revelation that the line between good and bad is blurred, and the ending offers some unexpected twists.

However, I do have at least two questions. Firstly, how could Degarmo manage to escape without killing Marlowe, and why didn't he choose to do so? It seems rather strange considering the circumstances.

Secondly, how did Degarmo come to know the history of the scarf, especially when he was aware that Kingsley was not present at the crime scene? This aspect of the plot remains somewhat mysterious and requires further exploration.

Overall, despite these questions, the book still manages to engage the reader and keep them on the edge of their seat until the very end.

I came across this little treasure when I was browsing through the local public library.

This book is my introduction to PI Philip Marlowe, who worked in and throughout the Los Angeles area. The book was originally published in 1943, and I must say I was just astounded by Chandler's writing style.

He uses a lot of arcane terminology such as the word "perambulator" to describe people who are basically window shopping or sight seeing at Puma Lake where he ended up because he was hired by a business owner to find his missing wife.

She had been missing for over two months and her husband received a short note stating she was going to obtain a Mexico divorce and marry her gigolo boyfriend. She had last been seen in the Puma Lake area in the mountains east of San Bernardino.

Marlowe is ambivalent about the case, but the man offered him enough money to take the case and he had nothing else he was working on at the time.

He goes to the Puma Lake area and contacts Bill Chess, the caretaker of the resort, who is married to Muriel, who has also disappeared. Bill is an alcoholic who is deeply in love with his wife, but also very possessive.

He tells Marlowe that he vaguely remembers seeing someone like the missing business owner's wife, so Marlowe has copies of photos of her distributed.

When Chess and Marlowe are at the boat dock talking about the situation, deep down in the clear water, they see what they think is what is a human arm. Bill himself dives into the water, and slowly brings the body up.

He is weeping because he recognizes his wife, Muriel. The other missing woman, Crystal Kingsley, had had basically a marriage of convenience with her husband Derace.

Several people in the area thought they had seen her, but her clothes and hair color varied from witness to witness. She had been hanging out with her gigolo boyfriend, Chris Lavery.

Strangely enough, when Marlowe goes down to Los Angeles to interview Lavery the second time, he finds his body in the shower. He had been shot five times; the first three missed him, the last two were shot close to his chest in the wall of the shower, and of course he is dead.

Why? Well that is what Marlowe is determined to find out, and he does. This is a story of a selfish and ruthless woman, who will go to any length to get what she wants.

I thought the story was well written and I think the thing that surprised me the most about it is that there is not one word of profanity in the whole book, although the author has the skills to convey the rawness and ugliness of the story to the reader.

One just does not see that enough these days with several words of profanity on just about every page. Part of this has to do with the evolution of the crime noir genre in writing (modern authors, rightly or wrongly, seem to think that a lot of profanity is needed to tell a dark and ugly story).

I enjoyed the book very much and will try to read other books Chandler has written. I have read a lot of the Agatha Christie novels, but somehow I missed the ones that were written by men. I intend to fill in the holes of the unread books I somehow missed.

The detailed descriptions of the settings, from the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles to the peaceful yet mysterious Puma Lake, add a layer of authenticity to the story. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motives and flaws. Marlowe, in particular, is a complex and engaging protagonist, with his sharp wit and moral compass.

The plot is full of twists and turns, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end. Chandler's ability to create a sense of tension and mystery is truly remarkable.

Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and those who appreciate well-written literature. It is a classic example of the crime noir genre and a testament to Chandler's talent as a writer.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling and engaging read.

Something Is In The Water


Raymond Chandler is truly a colossal figure in the mystery genre. However, it's easy to overlook the fact that his output was rather limited. In his lifetime, he only wrote seven full novels, with a manuscript completed by another writer decades later, along with a collection of short stories. Of course, much of his work centers around his iconic private eye, Philip Marlowe. "Lady in the Lake" is the fourth novel in the Marlowe series.


Marlowe often finds himself hired by wealthy individuals with their own set of problems. Perhaps, as someone once said about banks, that's where the money is. Kingsley hasn't seen his wife in over a month and is concerned that she may have run off and potentially married a new Lothario. Something feels amiss, and Kingsley wants the situation resolved without attracting any press or notoriety. With little to go on, Marlowe ventures up to the mountains, where Crystal was last seen, and begins to investigate. What he discovers beneath the sunken pier is far from making his life any easier with the local law enforcement.


The plot does become somewhat convoluted as bodies start to appear here and there. But hold your breath, because Marlowe will untangle it all in the end, captivating his audience. Marlowe sets the precedent for many future private eyes, delving deeper than what might be expected for the money he's paid. He is determined to get to the truth, even when things don't seem to make sense at first. While he keeps his cards close to his chest, he isn't usually as adversarial with the law as some other private eyes. In fact, he often works in tandem with the police, although he doesn't have a specific homicide detective or lieutenant that he's particularly chummy with. In this novel, Marlowe finds himself at odds with the Bay City Police more than in the earlier novels, for reasons that aren't initially clear.


The writing is concise and engaging. The descriptions provide the reader with a vivid understanding of the characters Marlowe encounters. There is often a simplicity to the prose that complements the atmosphere, which always feels a bit dark and claustrophobic. After publishing "Lady in the Lake" in 1943, Chandler took six years before releasing the next novel in the series, "The Little Sister".

Given the title, one can expect a dead body - that of a lady - in the lake.

Sure enough, we don't have to wait too long for her to be found. Ugh! She's been there a month. In contemporary hands, that body might have been graphically described, but Chandler leaves us to our own imagination and thank you.

The wife of the caretaker left him about a month ago and he is arrested for her murder. Marlowe is on the scene when the body is discovered, having been hired to find a wife that has been missing for a month. It looks as if the woman Marlowe has been hired to find is the perpetrator, for we can assume, since it is the beginning of the novel, that the caretaker is not.

It doesn't seem right to call Raymond Chandler a comfort zone. For me, that's exactly what he is. I can relax and know he's going to bring me the best noir on the planet. I have to admit this may not be his best work, though of course it's pretty good. I remember his writing style as being a bit more hard hitting, for example. There were still some of his dry observations. ... a pale-haired man was fighting to get the war news on a small radio that was as full of static as the mashed potatoes were full of water.

There is nothing extra in this, but it's a good 4-stars worth. I'll be sorry when I've read all of Philip Marlowe. Then again, who says you can read them only one time? Chandler's works always have a certain charm that keeps readers coming back for more. His vivid characters and intricate plots draw us in and make us reluctant to put the book down. Although this particular story may not be his absolute masterpiece, it still showcases his talent and skill as a writer. I look forward to exploring more of his works and seeing what other noir gems he has in store for us.

Chandler never fails to satisfy me. In the midst of an American heat wave, this seemed like the perfect read. I'm already 4/6 through the series, and I rarely engage with series. What I truly appreciate about Chandler is his meticulous attention to detail regarding the world he inhabited. This was penned in its own era, the 1940s in southern California, a world that differed in many aspects, yet shared similarities in others. Chandler is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, a form of historical fiction where the past always appears more tame in hindsight. The author masterfully captures the décor, the gardening preferences, and the feel and smell of this particular time in the unique Californian experience. I had to look up several details, and now I know what Vat69 is.

The honest private investigator, our protagonist, is astonishingly forthright as he fulfills his duty as a hired detective (the terminology and language here are truly delightful). Like a scientist, Marlowe observes and contemplates when things seem amiss. One of his neighbors (the mysterious doctor Almore) whom he interviews keeps pulling on the curtains and calls the cops during his otherwise ordinary visit. As anticipated, there's much more to the story, and soon we have a murder instead of a missing person (the lady in the lake), and shortly the bodies start to pile up.

I found his description of Lavery, the ladies' man, curiously revealing, humorous, and descriptive (p. 21): “He had a terrific torso and magnificent thighs. His eyes were chestnut brown and the whites of them slightly gray-white. His hair was rather long and curled a little over his temples. His brown skin showed no signs of dissipation. He was a nice piece of beef, but to me that was all he was.”

There are also cute little gems like this (p. 94): “I separated another dollar from my exhibit and it was into his pocket with a sound like caterpillars fighting.”

Chandler's characters are so vividly described that they seem to come alive (p. 157): “Grayson was a long stooped yellow-faced man with high shoulders, bristly eyebrows, and almost no chin. The upper part of his face meant business. The lower part was just saying goodbye. He wore bifocals and he had been gnawing fretfully at the evening paper.”

How about this for surly help (p. 199): “A wizened waiter with evil eyes and a face like a gnawed bone put a napkin with a printed peacock on it down on the table in front of me and gave me a Bacardi cocktail.”

Chandler captures the physical world so adeptly, and his wordplay is rich, dense, and complex (p. 239): “We reached the long slope south of San Dimas that goes up to a ridge and drops down into the Pomona. This is the ultimate end of the fog belt, and the beginning of that semi-desert region where the sun is as light and dry as old sherry in the morning, as hot as a blast furnace at noon, and drops like an angry brick at nightfall.”