Short Story Look In — The Finger Man by Raymond Chandler

Photo by Javier Grixo on Unsplash

Hi there. I’m a creative writer focusing on my first collection of short stories. As part of that mission, I’m digesting as many short stories as I can lay my time on.

I’ll craft a brief article about a short story I enjoy each week, looking specifically at three elements.

The Finger Man (1934) — Raymond Chandler

Synopsis: Detective Philip Marlowe is in the frame for murder after giving evidence in a high court corruption case; he must solve the mystery of the death to keep himself out of jail.

Story Home: Raymond Chandler collections

The Writer

Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)

Chandler is a valuable case study for writers. He started at 44 after being fired from an oil company for drunk and disorderly behaviour. Following this, he completely transformed his life and became a writer. The change involved killing the drinking, returning to his wife and moving out of town to live like a hermit and learn his trade.

It was a precarious career move for someone in his mid-forties who had never written any fiction before, but Chandler was optimistic.” Tom Hiney biography.

Chandler was no stranger to starting his career afresh. He threw himself into learning…