Trouble Is My Business (original 1939; edition 1988)

Collection of five of Chandler's early short stories and you can see his style developing. "Red Wind" is the highlight of the set for me with John Dalmas the closest of Chandler's early PIs to his Philip Marlowe. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I can see that, when these short stories were written, Chandler was still trying to get his Marlowe character down pat. Little details—like the kind of sidearm he wears—changes from story to story. But overall it’s a minor gripe. The stories are all quite good (4 in all). I enjoyed “Gold Fish” the most. I won’t try to do any regurgitation of plot, but all the stories involve murders, money, and gun-wielding dames that may or may not have a heart of gold. And of course, all of them are narrated by the quintessential private eye, Philip Marlowe.

I shouldn't have to tell you what I thought of this book (given my other Chandler reviews). Of course I thought I was the bomb-diggity. It's not his best work, nor should a Chandler newbie pick this one up right off the bat, but it's still a good read. ( )

This is a collection of four Chandler stories. Like most collections, it's a little uneven. I found the titular story, Trouble is My Business, to be rather slow. I wanted so very much to like it because it's a great catchphrase for Marlowe. Of the four, I liked Red Wind the best. ( )

A collection of longish stories, all structure with chapters. At a 3.42 average, a 3.75 type book. There are some Philip Marlowe tales in the latter part of the book. Plenty of private investigations.

Trouble Is My Business : Killer in the Rain - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : The Man Who Liked Dogs - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : The Curtain - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Try the Girl - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Mandarin's Jade - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Bay City Blues - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : The Lady in the Lake - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : No Crime in the Mountains - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Trouble is My Business - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Finger Man - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Goldfish - Raymond Chandler
Trouble Is My Business : Red Wind - Raymond Chandler

"I sighed. "Gunfire," I said. "A dead man on the floor. A naked, doped girl in a chair not knowing what had happened. A killer I couldn't have caught and you couldn't have caught--then. Behind all this a poor old roughneck that was breaking his heart trying to do the right thing in a miserable spot. Go ahead--stick it into me. I'm not sorry."

3.5 out of 5

Saints and Snares.

4 out of 5

Silver-Wig gone.

3 out of 5

Bruising finish.

3 out of 5

Psychic strong-arm man.

3 out of 5

Big Chin slipper her, Shorty.

3.5 out of 5

Sloppy plant.

3.5 out of 5

Shoe money half coyote not quite out of Japanese gunmen, but out of nazis.

3.5 out of 5

"How else would I make a nickel?"

4 out of 5

Casino killing group.

3 out of 5

Double pearler deception.

3.5 out of 5

Some missing pearls, a dame, a dodgy cop, and a really good night for drinking.

3.5 out of 5

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2009/01/trouble-is-my-business-raymond-chandler_25... ( )

Went back to Chandler for the 1st time since school. As I remembered the dry humour is unmatched and the drive relentless, with the dicks slugging out solutions more than detecting them, but at times the slang is now so obscure that the plot is difficult to follow. ( )