A 1930s LA Detective Story: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

Book Review
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
First Published in 1939
This Edition Published in 1992 by Vintage Crime/Black Lizard (Random House, Inc.)


Phillip Marlowe, a private detective, is hired by a dying millionaire to investigate a blackmail attempt in 1930s Los Angeles. As we soon find out, Marlowe is a young, intelligent, brash, and tough ex-"copper". His style is definitely undiplomatic, yet still smooth and effective in the style of Dirty Harry. The deeeper Marlowe digs, the more complex the riddle becomes as the characters he encounters get more and more unsavory amidst a prosperous yet corrupt city.

Raymond Chandler's plot, dialogues, and character development are pitch-perfect. Additionally his description of people and places are detailed and intelligent. Not only will the reader be satisfied with the outcome of the riddle but will also feel as if he had traveled back in time to the more crooked yet perhaps more exciting times of 1930s Los Angeles.