Lunchtime read: The Big Sleep

There just was no time yesterday to do any reading in my lunch break but I have managed to squeeze some in today while the boys watched Scooby Doo. The reason why Chandler is such a good choice for a quick read in between other activities is because you are very quickly into the action and you can block other distractions - like Shaggy and Scooby – without as much concentration as you might need for something like Life A User’s Manual.

Highlights between chapters X to XVI

* With the victims piling up, first the smutty bookseller Geiger and then Owen the Sherwood’s chauffeur, the number of suspects is also increasing and after the nude picture turns up with blackmail demand Marlowe starts to pursue that lead

* First of all he goes back to the bookstore and notices that the stock is being removed and follows it until he discovers that it has been taken to the home of a J. Brody, who was one of the original Sherwood blackmailers

* The girl in the nude photograph Carmen tells Marlowe that Brody killed Geiger and that then forces the detective to follow on with that lead but before he gets a chance he is caught with the girl at Geiger’s house by Mr Mars who owns the house and wants to know what is going on

* Marlowe manages to get away from him and his luger without giving too much away and then heads over to see Brody who is hiding out with the receptionist from the Geiger bookstore and acts tough with a gun to try and get Marlowe to hand over money for the picture

* But Brody denies murder and reveals that it was the chauffeur who shot Geiger and then they had a tussle when Brody tried to get the photo but they are interrupted by Carmen who comes armed looking for the photo herself and then after she has gone the doorbell rings again but this time it is death for Brody as he is shot by the boy from the bookstore who believes he is avenging Geiger’s murder

More tomorrow…