** spoiler alert ** 
 I loved it - it was a very entertaining read. A lot of crime novels sort of blend together after a while, but this written with such a distinct style and has that "noir" feel to it. It was wonderful. 
 The characters are crisp and some are a bit odd, but they are definitely interesting! The descriptions were so vivid that it was easy to picture the setting and the atmosphere and the characters. Philip Marlowe is, of course, a wonderful, hard-drinking tough-guy private detective, who always has a smart remark on his tongue. He works for $25 a day + expenses and is a step ahead of the police and others in figuring out this bizarre and tangled plot. The story is known to be tough to follow and, even in the end, a reader may not be completely convinced of having it all straight. 
 Written and set in the 1930s, it looks at class differences from the seedier side of life. The rich, dying businessman with two wild daughters - or really one wild and one mentally ill - pitted against or colluding with the local mob/criminal element and both sides using the police. So fascinating and really showing that grittiness. With Marlowe as a hero/anti-hero character who has to stay focused on his job while balancing everyone's game and trying to figure out who is telling him the truth. 
 I saw this film years ago, but from page 1, I heard Humphrey Bogart's voice! Indelible, I guess. I actually give this one a 4.5/5 stars. I didn't want it to end, though it loses a half star for being almost a little too clever and convoluted for its own good!