The Black-Eyed Blonde is a crime fiction novel written by Benjamin Black, the pen name of acclaimed author John Banville. The novel features Philip Marlowe, a private detective who has been featured in previous works of fiction by Raymond Chandler. The Black-Eyed Blonde is set in the 1950s and follows Marlowe as he becomes entangled in a complex case involving a beautiful woman, missing persons, and a trail of dead bodies.
The book begins when Marlowe is hired by a wealthy businessman named Derace Kingsley to locate his missing wife, Crystal. Kingsley believes that Crystal has run off with another man and wants Marlowe to bring her back. Marlowe begins his investigation by visiting the last place that Crystal was seen, a seedy motel on the outskirts of town. There, he meets a beautiful woman with black eyes named Clare Cavendish, who claims to be a friend of Crystal's.
As Marlowe delves deeper into the case, he discovers that things are not what they seem. He discovers that things aren't what they seem with several characters, including Clare Cavendish, Derace Kingsley, and a dangerous gangster named Tommy Ray. Along the way, Marlowe is confronted with several obstacles, including a violent attack that leaves him badly injured.
Despite the dangers he faces, Marlowe continues to pursue the truth behind Crystal Kingsley's disappearance. He follows leads that take him from the seedy motels of Los Angeles to the high society of Hollywood. Eventually, Marlowe uncovers the shocking truth about what happened to Crystal Kingsley and is forced to confront the dangerous individuals responsible for her fate. Crystal Kingsley is not actually missing. She is dead. She was murdered by her husband, Derace Kingsley, and his lover, Clare Cavendish, in order to inherit her fortune. Marlowe confronts the two and tries to bring them to justice, but they both end up dead: Marlowe shoots Kingsley during a struggle, while Clare is killed by her own brother, who is also a hired hitman.
