"Poodle Springs" by Raymond Chandler and Robert Parker

Yes, yes, I know I said I won't be reading any more abridged Marlowe novels, but since this was the last (eighth) novel and Chandler wrote only the first four chapters, I thought I won't lose much by reading the abridged version. I was right, as after the beginning, which is Chandler's work, the rest is too mushy and presents Marlowe as too much of a softie, which he is, but never shows it in such obvious ways in Chandler's original novels. Parker brings a more modern feel to the novels but also a modern sensitivity and emphasis that should appeal to contemporary readers. This, however, is not a continuation of Chandler's style, and rings unauthentic.

Marlowe is married to Linda and they move to Poodle Springs, which is Chandler's sarcastic moniker for Palm Springs. Marlowe is backed by 200 million dollars from father-in-law and at least 10 million (of 1954 dollars) in his wife's personal wealth, but he insists on working and paying for his office only with his own money. He gets on a case for the local casino runner Lippshultz, who has an IOU from a guy for $100,000. On the way to finding the guy, Marlowe discovers two murders and gets in trouble with the police (again), for helping the guy, Les Valentine aka Larry Victor escape, because he has a soft spot for the young married couple. Another inauthentic detail here is when the tough riverside cop almost breaks Marlowe's knee with a blackjack in front of Bernie Ohls, Marlowe's old friend from D.A.'s office in LA. Although Ohls intervenes, it is doubtful that he would ever let the other cop come close to Marlowe in Chandlers original novels, as they are quite close.

At the end Marlowe's marriage falls apart, but in the last scene Linda comes to his new rented apartment in LA and proposes that they be lovers ... forever. Cheesy, if you ask me, coming in line with the sensibilities of the modern time which Parker aimed to satisfy, but I don't think Chandler would have approved. This book is a good reading, but definitely not on par with Chandler's best Marlowe work.