Number three in the Marlowe series - one of the less highly regarded ones. The plot is relatively simple - it's chasing after the Brasher Doubloon, a valuable old coin. The characters aren't as memorable in the first two books - there's no Moose Malloy, for instance. And some bits feel like rehashes - instead of being hired by an old general, for instance, he's hired by an old lady. And there's no really vivid scenes, such as being locked up in a sanitarium, or raiding a gambling boat.
It's well written, of course, and well paced. There's some very spooky moments, like discovering corpses and getting mysterious phone calls.
I did get confused with so many characters being named with words starting with "M" - there's Marlowe, Merle, Murdock, Magic, Morny. I did like the slightly crazy secretary and wish she had gone crazier. The ending was a jolt with Marlowe uncovering murder and not turning them in. Maybe this prompts Marlowe to do all that self righteous drinking he does - including one where he checks himself into a hotel room to do it.
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