The Life of Raymond Chandler

Frank MacShane. G. K. Hall & Company, $8.95 (306pp) ISBN 978-0-8398-2905-8

In this biography of the master of hard-boiled detective fiction, MacShane makes discriminating use of Chandler's letters and journals to portray his tangled personal life and rapid literary growth. ""MacShane's biography is as important as it is fascinating,'' PW commented. (May)

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