R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on 6/8/2021 + 1438 more book reviews

There are several things I like about this book. First, I enjoy short stories, and second, I love Raymond Chandler whose tales are well constructed and well told with outstanding plots. His work is always a joy to read, more so than many contemporary mystery writers. Opening with an essay called The Simple Art of Murder about writing mysteries, the edition I read has four stories: âSpanish Bloodâ, âI'll Be Waitingâ, âThe King in Yellowâ and âPearls Are a Nuisanceâ. Written in 1944 about detective fiction, some readers found the essay quite interesting. Me, not so much.

I loved the key character in âSpanish Blood.â He is decisive and intelligent, while responding quickly to the actions of others. It's so well done. "Pearls are a Nuisance" gives the reader a double edged tale with humor . âI'll Be Waitingâ is darker and sad. âThe King in Yellowâ features a hotel detective who is intrigued with a situation marked by strangeness while which intrigues him more with every move. Bright, tough and a real smart aleck, he is determined to find out why. The most despicable character is a musician called the King who does whatever he wants, wherever he chooses and has little respect for women or others. Indeed, he believes that any woman will be his if he just flicks a finger.

The four tales are a good introduction to the author's work. Since I love vintage mysteries I look for Chandler's work among others. They are crisp, clean and the prose flows from paragraph to paragraph and spills from page to page with a quickness that is delightful.

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