No. 9 - The Simple Art of Murder

by Raymond Chandler

Started: January 23
Finished: January 26

Notes: I gave this author a shot a couple of years ago, but his writing didn't blow me away, though it didn't suck either. Thought I'd give him another chance. This book is a collection of short stories from the 1930s and thereabouts, and also included is one essay on detective/mystery fiction.

Mini review: I didn't care much for the first story, and the last one was too longwinded though not a bad story. But the two stories in the middle were quite good. The essay was a bit difficult to understand, as was some of the dialogue in the stories, as Chandler has a tendency to use lots of 1930s street slang that went over my head (though not all of it ... I mean, heck, I know what a "gat" is, fer cryin' out loud). There was enough here to keep me interested in trying more from this writer.