โ Scribed by Raymond Chandler; Robert B. Parker
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
When Chandler ( The Big Sleep ) died in 1959, he left only the first four chapters of L.A. private eye Philip Marlowe's seventh caper. Parker earns high marks for picking up the story from the slim opener and writing a thriller to rival his bestsellers on Spenser, Boston PI. Here Marlowe is newly wed to wealthy Linda and at home in her luxurious house in Poodle Springs (pseudonym for Palm Springs), but refuses to be a kept man. Hired by a local gambler to trace Les Valentine, a photographer who has welshed on a $100,000 bet, the detective questions the missing man's bibulous wife Muffy, daughter of a multi-millionaire. Muffy's vague answers give nothing away, so Marlowe drives back to L.A.'s grubby streets, looking for information. Acting on a tip, he visits the office of "Larry Victor," and finds it vacant except for the body of a blonde model. Marlowe knows Larry is Les and suspects he was framed for murder, probably by the gambler's mob bosses, so the investigator stays on the case in the city at the risk of his life and marriage. Sustaining tensions, writing in tune with the period and delivering a knockout finale, Parker does nobly by the great Chandler. 200,000 first printing; $150,000 ad/promo; Mystery Guild main selection; Literary Guild, Doubleday Book Club alternate; author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Chandler died in 1959, leaving behind the opening chapters of this Philip Marlowe private investigator novel set in the 1950s, which Parker has completed. Here, Marlowe has a rich wife (shades of Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles) and has moved from Los Angeles to the big-buck community of Poodle Springs, where he is hired by the area crime boss to track down a missing local who has run out on a gambling debt. The plot evolves with murder, blackmail, and a little bigamy for good measure. Though there's more talk than action, and Marlowe's usual hard edges are rounded off a bit, there is still deep intrigue and lots of snappy dialogue. Completing a story started by another is difficult, especially when it involves an estalished character, but Parker has done an impressive job in adapting to Chandler's style and sense of humor. All one can say when reading this is, "Marlowe, it's good to have you back." Literary Guild alternate; Doubleday Book Club featured alternate; Mystery Guild main selection.
- Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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