Would you buy a book about a man who once said: “A woman will lie about anything, just to stay in practice”? Well you might, once you realise that the man in question is Raymond Chandler’s fictional gumshoe, Philip Marlowe.
This hard-boiled private detective demonstrates an admirable immunity to the wiles of the dubious femmes fatales who seek his counsel, and his hard drinking, wisecracking exterior belies an unpredictable penchant for poetry and chess. To mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Marlowe's creator, publisher Hamish Hamilton has reissued a set of five of his most important novels with their original, early-edition hardback covers. The set includes The Big Sleep, Farewell My Lovely, The Little Sister, The Lady in the Lake and The Long Good-Byeand each is available from www.dubraybooks.ie for €16.75.