American author of detective novels who was one of the founders of the hard-boiled school of detective novels. He only published seven complete novels, the first, The Big Sleep, in 1939. His character, Private Detective Philip Marlowe, has been portrayed onscreen by many stars, including Humphrey Bogart. Some of Chandler's novels are considered masterpieces of inventive and exuberant prose, in particular Adieu, mon amour (1940), The Little Sister (1949) and The Long Farewell (1953).