Playback is the last Philip Marlowe novel completed by Raymond Chandler. Marlowe is hired to tail a woman who arrives on a train from the East. He follows her to a small town near San Diego, where she falls under the influence of a black­mail­er—and Marlowe starts to fall for her.

Not Chandler’s best work—one is left feeling that both Chandler and Marlowe are old and tired and going through the mo­tion­s—but enjoyable none the less.