This is the third book written by Chandler in his Philip Marlowe series. I read the first two books, THE BIG SLEEP, and FAREWELL, MY LOVELY a few years ago and really enjoyed both of those classic noir novels. In this one, Marlowe is hired by a wealthy Pasadena widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Murdock, to try and recover a very valuable missing gold coin called the Brasher Doubloon which she thinks was stolen by her daughter-in-law who has apparently left her husband, Elizabeth's son. Mrs. Murdock is a very controlling woman and does not like her daughter-in-law who worked as a dancer in a nightclub. She also has a secretary who she is very condescending to and who seems to have something she is hiding. A coin dealer had contacted Mrs. Murdock about the gold coin which led her to find it was missing. Marlowe is on the case and heads to see the coin dealer. Along the way, he is followed by another young private detective who doesn't seem to know what he is doing. And then the case gets more complicated with a couple of murders. So who committed them and how do they relate to the stolen coin? Marlowe of course is able to put together the clues which include blackmail, murder, and possible rape to get to the bottom of the case. As usual, all was not as it seemed.
I enjoyed this one almost as much as the first two novels. It was full of Chandler's witty dialogue and descriptions of Los Angeles in the 1940s. The dialogue was typical of some of the noir movies made at that time. In fact, HIGH WINDOW was made into a movie in 1947 called The Brasher Doubloon starring George Montgomery as Marlowe. I'll be on the lookout for it!
I enjoyed this one almost as much as the first two novels. It was full of Chandler's witty dialogue and descriptions of Los Angeles in the 1940s. The dialogue was typical of some of the noir movies made at that time. In fact, HIGH WINDOW was made into a movie in 1947 called The Brasher Doubloon starring George Montgomery as Marlowe. I'll be on the lookout for it!
A fine example of Chandler's style. Some great similes in this one.
