Book Review: Raymond Chandler's Trouble Is My Business

 

The hard-boiled world of Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler’s iconic private eye, comes to vivid life in this brilliant graphic novel adaptation of the classic noir tale.

In 1940s Los Angeles, a sour-faced millionaire hires Philip Marlowe, a hard-boiled, harder-drinking detective, to scare off a suspected gold digger who has got her claws into his even wealthier stepson. Marlowe takes the case but quickly discovers that Harriett Huntress isn’t just after she’s playing a long, cold game of revenge…  

Marlowe forms an alliance with George, the client's chauffeur-cum-bodyguard-cum-fixer. George is a black, Dartmouth educated veteran with a sniper’s skills and his own agenda, and the two uneasy allies find themselves on the wrong end of a brace of hired killers and an enigmatic casino boss. . . It rapidly becomes clear that Marlowe, sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, is just asking for trouble. But that’s the thing. Trouble is his business.

My Review

It has been years since I have read a gumshoe detective story. I grew up on them. I really enjoyed this graphic novel. To be honest, it is because of the format that this book was made into that I kept my focus on the story. The illustrations are really good. They popped and brought the story to life. The death of character is not very graphic with all the blood. 

The cast of characters are good. Marlow is an intelligent detective and the right man for the job. I like the addition of George. There was something about him that drew me in. Finally, there is Harriett. She is not just a sultry siren. She has smarts too. 

If you like graphic novels and detective stories, then you will want to pick up this one.