The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler - Marlowe in the mountains...

A couple of missing wives—one a rich mans and one a poor mans—become the objects of Marlowes investigation. One of them may have gotten a Mexican divorce and married a gigolo and the other may be dead. Marlowes not sure he cares about either one, but hes not paid to care.

Marlowe in the mountains...
One of the fun things about Chandler can be familiarity with the LA area in which his tales take place. This time, Philip Marlowe goes sleuthing in the San Bernadino Mountains in a town that, in the real world, is named Big Bear Lake. Such surroundings allow the entrance of a different sort of character - the rustic lawman. It's a nice counterpoint to the city savvy Marlowe and distinguishes this novel from Chandler's others.

Reading Chandler's Marlowe novels in quick succession may not the optimum way to enjoy them. While they remain suspenseful and entertaining, the genre requires a set formula that cannot vary overmuch from murder, blackmail and mistaken indentity. The only variance being who, where, and for what purpose. I suspect the intervals between original publication were the pause Chandler's contemporary readership needed.

Nevertheless, The Lady in the Lake remains highly readable. At the climactic moment when Marlowe unravels the mystery, I found I couldn't put the book down despite needing to be somewhere else. Thus, Chandler's skill as a wordsmith compensates for any formulaic repetition. I found The Lady in the Lake second only to Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely in compelling, 40's-era detective fiction. It is another 5-star reading experience.

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