Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Only To Sleep is the first book I’ve read by Lawrence Osborne and my first introduction to Philip Marlowe. I soon found myself immersed in his story. He is a fascinating character.
PI Philip Marlowe is in his seventies and retired, but can’t resist one last fling, as it were. He accepts a job with an insurance company, investigating the apparent death of a wealthy man who has left behind a very rich, much younger wife. It’s an intriguing case and I thoroughly enjoyed following Marlowe as he investigates.
I really enjoyed Lawrence Osborne’s style of writing. He uses some beautifully descriptive language which drew me in easily and transported me to the very locations featured throughout this book. I almost felt as though I was tailing Marlowe on his travels, and I couldn’t help but admire him, particularly considering his age. He comes across some interesting characters along the way. A few unsavoury ones too. This investigation isn’t without its risks. Marlowe obviously has a wealth of experience though and it shows.
Brilliant writing. Excellent storyline. Colourful characters. I loved it.
Lawrence Osbourne’s other books have now been added to my TBR list as well as Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep. I look forward to reading them all.
**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley. I am working my way through my list slowly but surely**

Unfortunately I just could not get into this book. It may be one for other readers, but I was unable to finish it.

Raymond Chandler is an author who died over half a century ago and his background was in the high stakes world of the early twentieth century oil executive. Lawrence Osborne is a well travelled, good quality author, who writes high quality stories.
In Only to Sleep Osborne makes a good stab at inhabiting the mindset of Chandler and recreating a seventy-two year old Philip Marlowe, however he doesn't manage it. Would a seventy-two year old Marlowe be tarnished and afraid? Maybe, who knows what the years of fast drinks, faster women, and tension from the cases would have done to him, but they didn't feel authentic.
If you forget about the larger than life figure that was Marlowe, and then stop picturing Bogart saying the lines, and just take the book as a detective mystery set in the late 80's, and featuring a Mexican background... then it is OK, not the best Osborne but OK.

Osborne captures both the style and character of Phillip Marlowe in this continuation novel involving Chandler's much loved private investigator. Now retired, aged 72, Marlowe is living quietly in Baja, California when he is approached by insurance agents and asked if he could do one last job. Of course, Marlowe can't resist the challenge and sets off to Mexico to see if a Mr Zinn, the recipient of a large death policy pay-out, is indeed dead. The story's pace is gentle and Marlowe's methods, as always, are unconventional. He takes unnecessary risks and puts himself in pretty dangerous situations as a result. But his charm and lifelong experience somehow see him through so he ultimately comes up with the answer. It's unusual these days to find a novel as relaxing and enjoyable, as this to read.. So, good to have you back Phillip .

Wow. I'm not a Chandler fanatic, but I do enjoy the Marlowe books, which maybe put me in exactly the right place for this read. After a slightly clunky and confusing first chapter, this book took off and didn't land until I finished, in two or three sessions of reading. Osborne has absolutely captured the essence of the originals, with Philip Marlowe absolutely convincing as a retired PI in his seventies. The language, the characters, the plot: all completely convincing. The setting, especially with it being in the Eighties, chimed in with Kinsey Millhone, who was poking around at the same time and in the same Salton Sea location back in G is for Gumshoe, and it's not impossible to imagine their paths crossing. A really satisfying, and quite moving, coda to the Chandler books. Not so much a homage as an inhabitation.

"Only to Sleep" marks the third authorised Philip Marlowe book to be written since the death of Raymond Chandler, and reads as a final hurrah for Marlowe as he ponders his past. This is worth a read for the fans of the hard-boiled crime novel.

This was a take on a Phillip Marlowe story as this author sees him not Raymond Chandler. I don't really see the point of doing this and it wasn't better than the original.

There is always work for an ageing sleuth.

In 1989, Philip Marlow is 77 years old, living a semi-retired life, when he is asked to investigate the disappearance of Donald Zinn, supposedly drowned off the coast of Mexico.

The story goes from California to Mexico as Philip investigates a far more complex case than a non-suspicious death.

Zinn’s much younger wife is hiding something, and Philip becomes a little obsessed with her, but his pursuance pays off when he discovers Zinn is alive and living off the spoils of his fraudulent capers.

A psychological tale with many twists and turns and a hint of the younger Marlow, coming to terms with modern life and ageing bones.

Not ever having read the original Marlow books, I will not comment on whether Lawrence does Mr Chandlers’ hero justice, but as a stand-alone book I thoroughly enjoyed it, just enough film noir to give Marlow the old gumshoe character. The story flows beautifully, the action is strategically placed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

The characters are full-bodied and believable, and poor Mr Marlow is also a sad ghost of his former self, warring against modern criminals and cruel, vicious gangs.

A thoroughly good book and well worth a read on a cold winter’s afternoon.

Ellezig

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

Living in Mexico, Marlowe's days are mundane apart from when he puts his hand on a machine and gets electrocuted for fun. The former PI comes out of retirement for an insurance company investigated the death of Mr Zinn and a two million payment they don't want to make. Suspenseful in parts, descriptive, but needs pruning.

Just the name Philip Marlowe straight away conjured images of Humphrey Bogart with a beautiful woman by his side for me, of course I had to age him in my mind as in this story he was in his 70's and eager to take on just one more case. So with Marlowe magic written all over the blurb and the story reading in my mind in the voice of Bogart, I was in for a one sitting session with a clear don't disturb warning written on my expression.
Marlowe was invited by two men representing an insurance company, to investigate a substantial claim made by a young widow, after her aging husband had drown and been subsequently cremated very quickly. Was the husband really dead or was it a scam? Now this is a very slow burn read where I must admit to having to back track a little to make sure that I hadn't missed anything. I hadn't. But as the story went on I did get more into the style of the author's writing. I began relax and enjoy the ride, the journey of getting there rather than just arriving.
There are quite a lot of characters that sort of wonder in and back out of the story so it was a matter of which ones to retain that were of any relevance. I did love the descriptions of the places that Marlowe went to as the author really brought them to life. I had to smile as Marlowe had been quite a ladies man in his time and he could still appreciate a pretty woman in this story but these days, it was by thought, growing old eventually gets to the Casanovas too. His mind though is still as sharp as ever. Marlowe has class, that he will never lose.
Chandler is a pretty hard act to follow. I felt that the essence of Marlowe was there but was also pleased that Osborne has put his own stamp on this him too.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

I approached this as an enthusiastic reader of Lawrence Osborne, rather than Chandler, intrigued about why he'd chosen to write a Marlowe novel and whether he could pull it off. He does pull it off, but probably more for an Osborne fan than a Chandler one. The decision to set it in the late 1980s with Marlowe coming out of retirement is an inspired one, as it means Osborne can echo, rather than imitate, Chandler's style. The dialogue is generally excellent, with Marlowe's improvisations often very funny, for example when he claims an interest in Japanese flower arranging (ikebana - Osborne is typically precise). As in his previous novels, Osborne is very good on place - the Mexican locations are beautifully evoked - but seems less interested in plot and action, which may be a shortcoming if you want a thriller, rather than a more hybrid portrait of ageing and loss. I'm still not entirely sure why Osborne wrote the book, but I'm glad he did. Marlowe explains his decision to take on the case with the words, ''I just wanted one last outing. Every man does. One last play at the tables'. I for one would welcome Osborne taking him for another outing or two.

The story is a good one if not a story that has been heard before. A older, richer man dies unexpectedly by drowning off the seas in Mexico. He was a good swimmer, there were no sudden changes in the tides and his body was identified by his young widow and the remains cremated immediately. She also received a very big insurance payout.

Phillip Marlowe is a retired Investigator. He was the best in the business and when he was approached by the Insurance Agents to poke around this death, he feels that this will be his last chance of working and accepts the challenge.

The dynamics of the story take off from there and include pursuit of several clues over a wide area of Mexico, picking up pieces from here and there and forming a cohesive whole of what actually happened.

I found the pace rather slow mid way and it took me away from the story because by then you knew where it was going. I felt it would have been better to accelerate it at that point rather than be long drawn but I am not the author here!

I have not read any other Marlowe books so I don't know if it is true to the original style. I have read other Lawrence Osborne books and have found him to be an entertaining author. Something must have happened with Osborne and Marlowe meeting as I found the writing overly flowery, lacking in action - which is odd for a thriller, and meandering to the point of boredom.

The basic plot of tracking down an insurance fraudster and his young wife was interesting, however Marlowe gets distracted by so many irrelevant details that I found it difficult to establish which facts were important to the story and which were the ramblings of an old man.

It did deliver on the title promise as I did indeed sleep frequently whilst reading the book.

The year is 1989., the Reagan presidency had just come to an end, and Detective Philip Marlowe is on the case again.

Philip Marlowe has retired and is living in Baja. He thinks about the way things have changed (not for the better). He has a bad leg but when he is approached from a couple of insurance investigators, he decides to take on one last case.

Donald Zinn had drowned in Mexico, leaving his widow Dolores Araya a wealthy woman. Thinking that the details of Donald Zinn's deathhad been falsified, Marlowe may not have been the best person for this case.

This is the first book I have read by this author. In this book, Marlowe, is 72 and a bit more cynical. He's not in his usual L. A. ! he's retired to Baja. He has taken on his swan song case. The descriptions in this book make you feel that you are taking part in this story. The pace is steady, it's well written and it's quite an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and the author Lawrence Osborne for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sad to say, I struggled with this book. The slow pace of it fitted really well with the aged Marlowe but I just wasn’t engaged by it.

This is an easy and enjoyable read. Everything is really well described and beautifully written. This is a relaxing read with not a lot of action.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Only to Sleep is the resurrection of an older Philip Marlowe who though now retired at 72 and living in California is asked to investigate the death of Donald Zinn in Mexico by the Insurance company .Set in 1988 the descriptions of Mexico are vibrant and atmospheric .I didn't understand the Spanish which was interspersed in the text and found it a bit annoying to be honest .The story is quite slow as is Philip Marlow e now having to use a stick to get around .It was an interesting book .but not having read any Philip Marlowe books I have nothing to compare the character with .Many thanks to the Publishers ,the Author and NetGalley for my preview copy in return for an honest review .

“I just wanted one last outing. Every man does. One last play at the tables - it’s a common wish.”

I approached this, Lawrence Osborne’s, Chandler Estate-authorised, Philip Marlowe novel, with some trepidation and a little scepticism. Raymond Chandler is my favourite writer and ‘The Little Sister’ the first ‘crime’ novel I remember reading. But Osborne’s decision to write about a 72-year old Marlowe was intriguing and, to some extent, prevents the novel from becoming pastiche, keeps it from being just an inferior continuation of what Chandler did so well. In fact, it adds another dimension to the character.

It is 1988. Philip Marlowe is retired, living physically in Mexico and mentally in the past, detesting old age. So, when an insurance company approaches him about a suspected fraud, he is quick to accept the challenge despite the reservations of others.

‘“You have a good life, Philip. You’re too old to knock people out. Stay down there and go fishing. They can’t be offering you that much. Or maybe you’re just bored.”
“There’s that. I never thought retirement would be so sad.”’

A young widow has been awarded a huge benefit on the death of her much older husband whose rapid cremation following his drowning off the Mexican coast has raised the insurers’ suspicions. As Marlowe begins to investigate we sense that his aim is not really to find answers but to recapture the thrill of past cases. Osborne’s take on Marlowe is not Chandler - it really couldn’t be - but he does echo Chandler’s language without trying to compete and delivers a thoroughly enjoyable, if very sad, novel. Sad because Marlowe cannot recapture the life he had thirty, forty years ago. He finds himself falling for the widow but knows it will not be reciprocated. He drinks and suffers for it where before he would shrug it off. He continues to try to live the life of a tough guy despite knowing that it might kill him.

‘Years of this kind of life wears you down and makes you porous. You die off bit by bit. the stale grit of the road gets into your unconscious, a small voice arises and says to you, “This is the last time, there won’t be any more awakenings and thank god for that, eh?”’

I really liked this book despite my initial misgivings. Osborne makes great use of the Mexican locations he obviously knows well. He finds the dreamlike, slightly unreal quality that Chandler was so good at. But the knight errant is jaded, filled with regret, and chivalry is not so easy to maintain. If this is the end of Philip Marlowe, and it probably should be, it is a fitting end.

‘My dreams were of ships in gales, decks swept by relentless waves, and the threat of being lost at sea. Waters rushed past me and the ship heaved and sank; the bottom of the ocean clamoured with falling coins, glasses and sextants, and cocktail shakers. And there I drifted down among them until I came to rest upon a vast bed of silver and sand and fell asleep like a capsized bosun filled with water and salt.’

I am not familiar with the character Philip Marlowe, so wasn't too sure whether i could read this as a standalone. There is no mistaking that this book was very well written, but i do love a lot of action which there isn't in this book. If you enjoy a historical backdrop with wonderful descriptions set in Mexico and bars, then i do recommend this book.

I do thank the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, which has been freely given.