Approaches to the novel might begin with a discussion of the hard-boiled private detective tradition, as it was actually practiced by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and other competent writers (John D. MacDonald, Ross MacDonald). If readers chiefly know the tradition through parodies and spoofs in films (such as Steve Martin's Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid or Dana Carvey's Clean Slate) then they may not be familiar with the central themes of the genre or the values espoused by Raymond Chandler and others. Another approach to the novel might be to explore readers' understanding of organized crime, including the rackets that provide money for crime syndicates, and the things that may happen when there is a struggle for power between mobs.

If neither of these approaches is appealing to a reading group, then an analysis of feminist issues in the novel might be useful. Not only is...