The Black Eyed Blonde, Black - C

                                               The author is a successful writer of a mystery series set in Dublin. Here, he attempts to emulate Raymond Chandler and write a Phillip Marlowe mystery.  The homage is well deserved, as apparently some of Chandler's stuff is very noteworthy.  A NYT reviewer, the writer Olen Steinhauer, acknowledged that he did a pretty good job.   However, Steinhauer though it lacked pizzaz, and I guess I've concluded that any book that contains the line: "It wasn't the first time in my life I'd been slipped a Mickey Finn, and it probably won't be the last" can't be taken too seriously.  You can see Bogey spit out the words "Mickey Finn" as he tosses a ciggie on the ground.  But, it is 2014 and I don't think it plays well anymore.  The plot involves a gorgeous blonde coming to Marlowe's office and asking him to find her missing lover, Nico.  Nico is believed dead but the lady, Clare, thinks she recently saw him.  Off Marlowe goes and before we know it, Nico's sister is dispatched, Marlowe is beaten up, the dispatchers of Nico's sister are themselves dispatched, Marlowe is slipped a Mickey Finn, Marlowe's contacts on the police department blame him for all the goings on, and, in the end, Nico wasn't Clare lover after all.  A form of justice is served, although  Marlowe never gets paid.