Classic Trash discussion

This topic is for those who have finished the book. Please use spoiler tags!

I really enjoyed this! (3.5 stars) What a fun read! It was written in 1959, but even so, it seems like it might have been a bit of a cliche at the time. BUT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. Tropes are tropes for a reason.

I thought this operated really well within the conventions of the genre and it was enjoyable following the story beats. It's not as good as something like a Ross Macdonald book, but even his books were pretty close to what readers expected.

The key word for me to describe this book is FUN. I can forgive alot about a book if I had a fun time reading it. I have read some literary fiction that won prestigious awards for the writing in it, but was bored with the story. Give me fun and entertainment every time! And it’s always a bonus if it’s well-written, too.

I liked it a lot better than I thought I would. All praise Leslie Nielsen for finally making the character come to life. That being said, I only liked it. So when three means like and four means love it, this one got a 3.25. Of course I've never really been all that fond of the genre. Most of the detectives are really rather misogynistic. Even Humphrey Bogart. I think what I liked best about this one was Matie. She recognized the men who were being stupid and used them. And Shayne was right about one thing - she was smart. I really wish he hadn't been so mean to his secretary, though. So, not my favorite, but I'm not unhappy that I read it.