The high window

Philip Marlowe is a private investigator who talks fast and goes looking for trouble. Unlike most detectives of his time, he keeps his principles in a world where almost nobody else does. The story is set in 1940s and 1950s California, a place that looks lovely on the surface but is rotten underneath, and Marlowe must protect his integrity while corruption surrounds him.

A widow hires Marlowe to recover a rare gold coin, a Brasher Doubloon, that has vanished from her late husband's collection. The assignment seems simple enough, but everyone who handles the coin seems to meet a bad end. Marlowe realizes he has to solve the case quickly, or he may land in jail or worse.

Toby Stephens stars in this audio dramatization, adapted by Robin Brooks, which keeps the sharp wit of Chandler's twisting suspense. The original novel, published in 1942, is the third book featuring Marlowe.