Introduction

Published in 1942, The High Window is Raymond Chandler's third novel featuring Los Angeles-based private detective Philip Marlowe. Chandler, one of the foremost contributors to hard-boiled detective fiction, is known for his gritty realism, sharp dialogue, and complex characters. The High Window showcases Marlowe's skill at navigating a tangled web of lies, theft, and murder as he works to recover a valuable coin, the Brasher Doubloon.

Summary

Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by the wealthy and domineering Elizabeth Murdock to find a rare gold coin, the Brasher Doubloon, which she believes was stolen by her estranged daughter-in-law, Linda Conquest. As Marlowe investigates, he learns about the troubled history of the Murdock family, including the suspicious death of Elizabeth's first husband, Horace Bright, who supposedly jumped from a window after the stock market crash of 1933.

Marlowe's search for the coin leads him to various characters, including Alex Morny, a nightclub owner tied to a large gambling debt owed by Elizabeth's son, Leslie. At Morny's mansion, Marlowe meets Morny's wife, Lois Magic, and her lover, Mr. Vannier, but uncovers little helpful information.

Marlowe is also tailed by George Anson Phillips, a private detective hired by Conquest to follow Leslie. When Marlowe later finds Phillips murdered, the case takes a darker turn. Marlowe discovers that the Brasher Doubloon has been returned to his office, and soon afterward, Elisha Morningstar, the rare coin dealer who first inquired about the missing coin, is found shot to death. The police pressure Marlowe to reveal what he knows, but he keeps much of the information to himself, protecting his client's interests.

As the investigation deepens, Marlowe learns that Vannier has been blackmailing Merle Davis, Mrs. Murdock's nervous housekeeper, who confesses that Horace Bright once assaulted her. She later admits to Marlowe that she killed Vannier, but Marlowe suspects her story is fabricated. His suspicions are confirmed when he finds photographs proving that Mrs. Murdock, not Bright, was responsible for her husband's death.

Marlowe confronts Mrs. Murdock, demanding that she set Merle free and provide her with a severance package. He then uncovers the truth: Leslie and Vannier had been involved in a counterfeit coin scheme, working with Lois Magic. They planned to pass off fake copies of the Brasher Doubloon, but when Phillips tried to back out, he mailed the real coin to Marlowe. To protect their plot, Vannier killed both Phillips and Morningstar, and Leslie ultimately killed Vannier to cover his tracks.

In the end, Leslie admits his role in the crimes but claims he killed Vannier accidentally. Disillusioned with the entire situation, Marlowe decides to leave the Murdock family to their fate, choosing to take Merle away from the toxic environment and help her return to her family.