The High Window

In this gripping third installment of the Philip Marlowe series, the legendary private detective is hired by the imperious Mrs. Elizabeth Bright Murdock to recover a rare Doubloon—a priceless gold coin that once belonged to her late husband. What begins as a simple case of theft soon spirals into something far more sinister. As Marlowe digs deeper into the Murdock household, he uncovers layers of blackmail, long-buried family secrets, and murder that reach back years. Set against the sun-drenched yet morally murky landscape of 1940s Pasadena and Los Angeles, Chandler delivers his signature blend of razor-sharp dialogue, atmospheric prose, and unforgettable characters. The High Window showcases Marlowe at his cynical best—a knight errant navigating a world where the wealthy hide their sins behind high walls and the truth is the most dangerous commodity of all. A masterpiece of American noir fiction that cements Chandler's place as the undisputed master of the hardboiled detective genre.