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The Lady In The Lake

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The Lady in the Lake, Raymond Chandler

Derace Kingsley works for a cosmetics company and wants to locate his missing wife. Philip Marlowe is given the job. Crystal sent a telegram saying she was going for a Mexican divorce. But Chris Lavery doesn't know anything. Across the street Dr. Almore watches Marlowe. So Marlowe drives to Little Fawn Lake to inspect Crystal's last known location. He talks to the caretaker Bill Chess, and learns Chess' wife Muriel left him the same day. They walk around the lake and onto the little pier. There is something below the water, Chess' missing wife is found (Chapter 6)! Sheriff Patton questions Bill Chess (Chapter 8). Birdie Keppel, the part time newspaper reporter, talks to Marlowe. Six weeks earlier a man was looking for a woman whose photograph resembled Muriel (Chapter 9). Sheriff Patton knew his country and where to look. Muriel's car was hidden away in shed (Chapter 11). Marlowe searched the cabin again and found a clue (Chapter 12).

Marlowe returned to talk to Lavery, but he wasn't home. A woman came up the steps, talked to Marlowe, then ran out. Marlowe then found Lavery, but he didn't say anything (Chapter 16). We learn more about Dr. Almore's wife and local politics (Chapter 19). The police arrive at Lavery's house (Chapter 21). Marlowe gets another lead (Chapter 22). The parents of Dr. Almore's dead wife tell Marlowe about their suspicions (Chapter 23). He hears the name "Mildred" as Dr. Almore's missing nurse. We learn more facts about the case (Chapter 28). Marlowe brings money to Crystal and learns what happened (Chapter 31). Then he is knocked out (Chapter 32).Crystal won't talk now. The police arrive but Marlowe left before this. Marlowe tells Lt. Degarmo what he surmised about Mildred and what she did (Chapter 36). There is more about Crystal's fate (Chapter 38)! Marlowe surmises what happened when Crystal and Muriel both disappeared at the same time (Chapter 39). Marlowe guesses what happened when he was sapped and receives confirmation of his guess (Chapter 40). There is an end to the mystery (Chapter 41). It will be kept out of the newspapers.

Having read more than a few mystery novels I picked up on the clue where two women disappeared at the same time, and both looked similar. Mistaken identity was often used by Erle Stanley Gardner in his many novels. This story reminded me of "The Case of the Screaming Woman" as a story about life among the rich and powerful. It also reminded me of the novel "Farewell, My Lovely", and the short story "No Crime in the Mountains". A mistaken identification is part of Dashiell Hammett's "Golden Horseshoe" short story. Note how the villains are not the usual suspects of the poor and lower class of society.