Philip Marlowe is a private investigator who once worked for the District Attorney's office. Fired for insubordination, Marlowe goes into business for himself. His list of clients is rather short at this point and Marlowe is looking for something to get into, even if it just helps him stay busy. When the novel opens, Philip Marlowe is working on a minor case involving a missing barber named Dimitrios Aleidis. The barber's wife asks Marlowe to locate her husband and says she is willing to cover his expenses. However, he is not having much luck locating the elusive Mr. Aleidis. In Chapter 1, Philip Marlowe meets Moose Malloy, a recently released convict. The two men end up standing outside of Florian's, an after-hours club, looking at the neon sign. Malloy is shocked and angry that during hi... (read more)