Ah, the first Philip Marlowe novel. Many consider this a candidate for the Great American Novel, and for good reason. Marlowe is handsome, intelligent, streetwise, and willing to bend or break the rules but only to do the right thing. He’s principled in the way Americans like to imagine themselves, overlooking the mild bigotry and misogyny prevalent in their language and actions. The crime is even feels uniquely American, blackmail over pornography. But Chandler doesn’t rely on the crime to propel his plot forward, rather the twisted motivations of all the people involved. It’s not a whodunnit, it’s a what’s-their-angle? In the middle of it all is Marlowe whose only loyalty is to his client (a rich, old white man. America). I could continue to draw the connections but that would require spoilers, so it’s worth mentioning that even with all of that substance it wouldn’t hold the same esteem if it wasn’t for the wonderful writing, especially with the 30s noir dialogue. Any fan of crime fiction should have it on their shelf and even those that haven’t ventured into the genre should read it to see the genre at its best.