princemyshkin97's review against another edition
5.0
Another masterpiece of noir fiction from Raymond Chandler! The plot is a little messy at times and the ending not as satisfying as his other novels, but it’s still so chock full of witty one-liners and memorable descriptions of seedy L.A in the 1940s that it makes it hard to put down. 4.5 stars
iam_griff's review against another edition
4.0
The second book isn’t the Philip Marlowe series. This book had a lot more going on than the previous novel. Chandler’s writing is easy to get lost in with the characters he created. For hard-boiled crime fiction this series is worth picking up.
chagyansjdracla's review against another edition
4.0
A bit disorganized in the beginning but otherwise great!
chemical_starsigns's review against another edition
horrible racism. couldn’t get over it. stupid book, and all the slurs are SO not needed to create the ‘hardboiled detective’ vibe chandler tries to achieve. blegh
Graphic: Racism
elite_reading_wizard_3000's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mike_brough's review against another edition
4.0
A complex plot delivered in cryptic conversations. I was often confused but I was never bored.
Great atmospheric writing.
Great atmospheric writing.
fvgb40's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
sav_22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Alcoholism, Blood, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Classism, Gore, Drug use, and Misogyny