I have just finished both The Long Wait and  by Spillane. I guess neither of them would be published in this day and age, what with dames pouring themselves into slinky outfits and swaying voluptuously around bars, intent on picking up hard guys who drive a load and smoke butts. But they paint interesting pictures of the times; there's plenty of action; and the plots are Chandleresque. They're good fun.
   Steer clear if you are upset by a time when not everything was equal, but if you enjoy a (literally) old-fashioned detective-cum-thriller yarn, you could do worse than either of these books.