Raymond Chandler
Raymond Chandler (1888-1959) was a British-American author, best known for writing a series of hard-boiled detective novels featuring a private investigator called Philip Marlowe.
Books by Raymond Chandler
“It always seemed to me to be the most unheralded of Chandler’s books. It’s brilliant. It does all the things that Chandler’s known for, but it’s much shorter than these other books; it’s a far more condensed mystery. And every other page there’s a twist. It might be the best plotting of all his mysteries.” Read more...
Stuart Turton, Novelist
“Really, what makes it is Chandler’s prose—it’s the original use of language, the descriptions, and the interior monologue of Marlowe. Telling it in the first person was a great way to bring out Marlowe’s characters, his cynicism, his despair, but also his incredible wit. I love stories where you get so fully immersed into the head of the main protagonist you see everything through his point of view. It creates this bond between the character and the reader where you just want to follow this guy wherever he goes.” Read more...
David Baldacci, Novelist
“It’s a great read filled with crackerjack characters. Chandler captures the racism, class stratification and general Los Angeles phony baloney” Read more...
Dennis McDougal, Journalist
“Raymond Chandler is a master of the crime novel and his short stories are a terrific read that I return to very often.” Read more...
Lynda La Plante recommends the best Crime Novels
Lynda La Plante, Thriller and Crime Writer
Interviews where books by Raymond Chandler were recommended
Lynda La Plante recommends the best Crime Novels
The writer of the hugely successful Prime Suspect television series, Lynda La Plante, selects her own favourite crime novels. We haven’t completed the interview with her yet, but her brief email comments appear beside her choices.
The best books on Los Angeles, recommended by Dennis McDougal
The writer dubbed “LA’s number one muckraker” peels away the phoney baloney to tell us about power, pollution and pulp fiction in the City of Angels.
The Best Mystery Books, recommended by David Baldacci
The best mystery books are completely unputdownable and addictive, the entertainment they provide more portable than watching TV and so much more satisfying than looking at your phone. Bestselling author David Baldacci, one of the masters of the genre and a passionate advocate for literacy and reading, talks us through some of the best mystery books ever written—as well as the contemporary authors he most admires.
The Best Whodunnits, recommended by Simon Brett
When it comes to whodunnits, the latest ones aren’t always the best. Veteran crime writer Simon Brett talks us through some of his all-time favourites, of which he most recent was published nearly four decades ago.
The Best Murder Mystery Books, recommended by Stuart Turton
The best murder mysteries set up their stories like a game between the reader and the writer, says Stuart Turton, bestselling author and lifelong mystery fan. Here he highlights five of his favourites, in which detectives make miraculous deductions, or doggedly chase clues until they meet with satisfying solutions.
