Confusion reigns supreme in this ambitious novel. Philip Marlowe's loyalty to Terry Lennox, a suave, alcoholic war veteran, lands him in the cooler when the cops suspect that Lennox has murdered his wife and received Marlowe's aid in fleeing the country. When Lennox is reported dead, Marlowe is freed.

Down-and-out drunk Terry Lennox has a problem: his millionaire wife is dead and he needs to get out of LA fast. So he turns to the only friend he can trust: private investigator Philip Marlowe. Marlowe is willing to help a man down on his luck, but later Lennox commits suicide in Mexico and things start to turn nasty.

The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler is a classic hard-boiled detective novel featuring private investigator Philip Marlowe. Set in 1950s Los Angeles, it delves into corruption, betrayal, and Marlowe's relentless pursuit of the truth.

The novel is notable for using hard-boiled detective fiction as a vehicle for social criticism and for including autobiographical elements from Chandler's life.