The Black-Eyed Blonde

BENJAMIN BLACK, aka John Banville, had begun writing his latest crime novel when his agent, who is also the agent for Raymond Chandler’s estate, sent him a copied typescript page from Chandler’s files, which included a list of possible titles for future books or stories. The Black-Eyed Blonde was among the list of about 20.

Banville did some tinkering. “I had to change the colour of the eyes and hair of Clare Cavendish,” he says, and continued on his way with a commission to write a new Philip Marlowe story, entitled The Black-Eyed Blonde.