The American "Private Eye" noir thrillers featuring Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe and Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade are well known.
There have been a few examples of a writer copying the Philip Marlowe style of writing. John Banville writing as Benjamin Black comes to mind. This is the author's effort and is very well executed.
Marlowe is retained by the wealthy Montgomery family to find Christine the daughter who has disappeared. They want her returned. The Montgomery is old money reputed to still have Moses teeth marks on it!
Their estate is high in Beverley Hills overlooking Los Angeles. Marlowe meets with Chadwick Montgomery the elderly wheel chair bound patriarch and his employee Anneliese Lyle. Chrissie his daughter is a widow with a young son, she is engaged to a wealthy suitor.
Marlowe finds Chrissie using the name Joan Baudelaire and renting a room in a guest house. he is reluctant to return her home as she has her own reasons to be free.
Full of well written characters - Taxi Driver Manny Perez, Peggy and Pegsy Zimmerman who employ Joan. Pavel Viscom Austrian artist and Nazi who may or may not be dead!? Lieutenant Moochie Ruud well connected but wary of Marlowe. Anne Riordan turned down by Marlowe, she now runs a successful P.I. operation. Marlowe is trying not to show he is keen on her.
Well written as usual. Highly recommended.

Not read any Raymond Chandler books so can't compare to originals. Denise Mina is an excellent writer who I have read before and this book was very enjoyable. Her writing combining humour with murder is always a treat

📗📗BOOK REVIEW 📗📗
The Second Murderer: A Philip Marlow Novel by Denise Mina

Taking over the mantle of Raymond Chandler’s PI Philip Marlowe series was brave but the author has pulled it off. I’m of an age where I can vividly recall watching Humphrey Bogart playing the title character on screen in The Big Sleep so I was looking forward to this. It didn’t disappoint. Set in 1930’s Los Angeles and told from duel POV’s it opens with Marlowe contemplating the murder of Pasco Pete, something didn’t sit right with him, but that gets swept to one side when he is asked to find a missing heiress. The author has a great knack of making you feel like you are there in steamy Los Angeles and part of the investigation.

Briefly, Marlowe is asked by the Oil Magnate Chadwick Montgomery to investigate the disappearance of his daughter and heir Chrissie. Her dying father wants to find her and quickly so makes Marlowe aware that he is in competition against his fellow PI the lovely Anne Riordan. Marlowe is good at his job and within 24 hours has traced the girl to a seedy hotel but there is a problem. With her is a dead man. Who is he and what is actually going on? The two investigators work together to try and solve the crime but can they before more people die.

The author has done a great job of writing Marlowe’s high levels of sarcasm and wit and the dialogue throughout is excellent. A wonderfully compelling journey back in time in this great murder mystery; but who is the real victim and who is the killer?  A very entertaining read, Chandler would be pleased, and I’m hoping there will be more. I’ll be at the front of the queue.

Superb read, when I started the book the style struck me as old school but by pg 50 I was so hooked, brilliant writing by a very skilled author. Excellent dialogue, very detailed descriptions of scenes and action sequences, just extremely vivid story telling, I’m going to explore Ms Mina’s other books as I enjoyed this one so muck, mainly because it’s different from the great majority of murder mystery books out there, you must give it a try, as I mentioned it takes a bit to accustom yourself to this style bur quite rewarding once you get into the story.

Denise Mina obviously had great fun stepping into the shoes of Raymond Chandler and that shines through every page of this Philip Marlow masterpiece. You can feel the heat and smell the sweat and perfume of 1930s L.A. as Marlow does what he does best and tracks down a twisty murderer. While I still prefer Mina’s Tartan Noir books, The Second Murderer proves that she is truly a great writer.

Denise Mina steps into Raymond Chandlers shoes by continuing the tales of Philip Marlowe in The Second Murderer. From the wonderful descriptions of midsummer LA and dual POV's. I loved the feel and style of the book making this a great summer crime read.

Denise Mina is the latest writer to resurrect Raymond Chandler's iconic Philip Marlowe PI, and she certainly does a terrific job in getting under the skin of Marlowe in a sweltering Los Angeles in California in this twisty story that takes him into the exclusive rarefied air of the super wealthy to the other end of the scale to the dangerously edgy, impoverished areas of Skid Row. It begins with Marlowe going over the murder of Pasco Pete, and the public arrest of Black Jack Beau by the over promoted, incompetent Lieutenant Moochie Ruud. Something about it has him feeling uneasy, something is not right, but then he gets an odd phone call, asking for his presence, but giving him no details whatsoever. He finally agrees to the meeting when he learns that it is at the home of the super rich Montgomery family, a place hardly anyone gets to see.

It doesn't take long for Marlowe to become aware of the toxic atmosphere at the house, where he learns from Anneliese Lyle and the dying Chadwick that his 22 year old daughter and heiress, Chrissie, has gone missing. Having lived a sheltered life, there is the worry that she is vulnerable, with her wealth making her an obvious target for the unscrupulous. Marlowe has concerns about taking on the case, ending up taking cash for expenses only, in addition, another PI, Anne Riordan, has been hired as well. Thanks to Jimmy Donoghue and a certain Manny Perez, the meanest of drunks, Marlowe locates Chrissie, where she is living, working under another name, following her to the Brody Hotel, where she ends up in a room where a man gets shot dead.

This is not to be the only death in a case where little and no-one is as they first appear, in this story of art, class divisions, the problems of growing up in excessively wealthy families, power, abuse, and nefarious agendas. This is a brilliant outing for Marlowe from Mina, intelligent, she creates and develops some great female characters, good and bad, and a moral, compassionate Marlowe, a man of integrity coming face to face with the darker underbelly of the city, where justice can be a mere pipe dream. This is a gripping, well plotted and entertaining read, and I hope there are other outings for Marlowe coming from Mina. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I've never read a Raymond Chandler book, so can't say how this Philip Marlowe story compares to the originals, but I'm a big fan of Denise Mina, so was keen to give it a go. It was a very immersive read and you really felt the sweltering oppressiveness of 1930s Los Angeles. There were a few times that I had to remind myself who the characters were, but it was an easy summer read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review of the book.

I wasn’t sure why Denise decided to use Chandler’s character in a new story but she does a decent job. Not quite up to the master’s level in terms of style and dialogue but frankly that’s impossible. It was daring to try.
A pretty good plot about a missing heiress and a mysterious artist and several really interesting characters. She brilliantly describes the various settings and creates a vivid sense of period LA during a heatwave.
Thanks to the publisher Harvill Secker and Netgalley for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage for an advance copy of The Second Murderer, featuring Raymond Chandler’s PI Philip Marlowe, set in 1930s Los Angeles.

Marlowe is hired to find missing heiress Chrissie Montgomery, as is his rival Anne Riorden. Who will find her first, Marlow, Riorden or the men her father thinks are seeking to do her harm? The hunt takes them to the less salubrious districts of Los Angeles and that’s before they find a body.

I asked to read The Second Murderer because I like the author’s writing and have been reading her work for years and knowing that I am not a big fan of Chandler’s hard boiled style. I think that the author has captured his style well, both in the writing and the plotting and that left me ambiguous about the novel. On the one hand I can appreciate the homage, but on the other it didn’t really hold my attention.

The novel revolves around Marlow and Chrissie Montgomery. He is a proud man with a strong moral compass, apt to cut off his nose to spite his face on principle. I can honestly say that I have no understanding of Chrissie. She makes inexplicable choices and is extremely naïve, probably due to the fact that her great wealth has sheltered her from real life.

The plot is interesting. What is actually going on is well concealed until the latter stages and there are plenty of twists and turns on the way to these reveals. It is quite convoluted in terms of working out who did what and perhaps, more importantly, who wants what. It’s all worth it for Marlowe’s final act - I loved it.

I was impressed by the way the author recreates Chandler’s world and style. It seems effortless and natural, although it probably wasn’t. I think that Chandler fans will be happy to add it to their reading list.

Genuinely easy to become absorbed in and has an interesting plot with a number of unpredictable twists. Vividly portrayed some of the squalor and impact of alcoholism and poverty in 1930s America.

I must congratulate Denise Mina for bravely stepping into the shoes of Raymond Chandler and continuing the tales of the much loved Philip Marlowe. I hope that committed fans are equally brave and pick up this book because I think the author has done a great job capturing the essence of Marlowe such as his dueling dialogue with other characters or his descriptions of the heat soaked LA landscape in midsummer. The Chandler sarcastic humour is also present....one line I cant seem to find but from memory was something like..." this place was so sleazy even the rats had to wipe their feet on the way out". Brilliant! I encourage all fans of the genre to read this book. It is very well written and much like Chandlers books, the descriptions are so vivid you feel you are in each scene.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for providing access to this book.

Haze Of A Heatwave..
In the haze of an LA heatwave Philip Marlowe investigates a missing heiress from a vast Beverly Hills estate. A tremendous achievement here by this accomplished author. Not only is the atmosphere- from the dingy dives to the sultry and luxurious - spot on but so is the character of Marlowe himself and the whole tone of the tale. Packed with a deftly drawn cast, a non stop fluid narrative laced with humour and bite, a plot peppered with twists and a fantastically done denouement. Bravo!

I couldn't wait to get started on this novel, I love Philip Marlowe and was hoping that Denise Mina was up to the standard of Raymond Chandler....she absolutely is. Philip Marlowe receives a phone call from the powerful and rich Mr Chadwick Montgomery whose 22 year old daughter is missing. Set in the 1930's its perfectly observed, with humour along the way. Denise Mina recreates the original Philip Marlowe with a few surprises, it is a fantastic read.

Denise Mina is an accomplished crime writer herself but to step into the shoes of Raymond Chandler is a tall order to follow.  Having just finished "The Second Murderer",  I think she has done a pretty good job in capturing the boozy, noir, hot, laid back LA Marlowesque atmosphere throughout the novel.  

There are of course damsels in distress, a shady family history, corrupt policemen,  a second female PI who has also been hired alongside Marlowe to find  the wealthy heiress, Chrissie Montgomery, who has gone missing . The novel contains all the standard Chandler ingredients. 

It is light reading, perhaps thats why I lost my focus and  had to remind myself occasionally who was who in the plot  as I was not able to read the book in one go. A fun summer read but still ...  Chandler it is not.

4.5 rounded up

Philip Marlowe is mulling over the Pascoe Pete case and feels disquiet, it’s just too neat and tidy. A phone call takes him out of his reverie, his presence is requested at Montgomery Mansions set high in Beverly Hills. The Montgomerys are old money, a special kind of powerful mega rich that mere mortals rarely gaze upon. Mr Chadwick Montgomery Esquire is a dying man and he demands confidentiality in the case. He wants Marlowe to investigate and find his missing 22-year-old daughter Chrissie not seen for the last two weeks. Reluctantly, he agrees to do so. He has competition though, as his “nemesis“ Ann Riordan has also been hired . Will Marlowe find Chrissie first or will his competitor or maybe those with greedy eyes on her fortune??

This is a cracking read from start to finish and what a phenomenal job the hugely talented Denise Mina has done with this and absolute kudos to her! I’m all in with this novel from that phone call which makes me smile, the first of many. There’s wit and humour throughout making it a doubly entertaining read. It feels like you are reading an original Philip Marlowe so perfectly is his character, the tone and the times captured. It’s extremely well written, some of the phrases and descriptions are so original, apt and lively. The dialogue is excellent too making it a never a dull moment experience. The plot is good as is the characterisation and some of those names are just terrific again so in keeping with the context of the ‘30’s! More smiles raised! The locations selected perfectly match the action, sometimes luxurious and often seedy. At times, we take a deep dive into the strange and offbeat, there’s plenty of danger and some set ups with of course, some good twists and turns. The ending is good – hallelujah!

I have no hesitation in recommending this fun and highly entertaining novel.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Vintage for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I adored this book. I have been a fan of Marlowe my entire life and this was written in such a sumptuous nostalgic way that I just fell in in love. A must read.