The Long Goodbye

The Long Goodbye
The Long Goodbye is Raymond Chandler’s most emotional and introspective Philip Marlowe novel, exploring loyalty, corruption, and moral exhaustion in postwar Los Angeles. Marlowe befriends Terry Lennox, a troubled, alcoholic war veteran with a mysterious past. When Lennox suddenly flees to Mexico after his wealthy wife is found brutally murdered, Marlowe refuses to betray him to the police, invoking his own code of loyalty. Soon Lennox is reported dead in Mexico, and the case is closed—but Marlowe senses a cover-up. His pursuit of the truth entangles him with crooked cops, powerful elites, a tormented novelist, and a world where money silences conscience. As Marlowe uncovers layers of betrayal, he confronts the painful limits of friendship and integrity. More than a detective story, The Long Goodbye is a melancholic portrait of a man standing alone in a corrupt society. Chandler’s prose is lyrical, world-weary, and unforgettable.