Farewell, My Lovely characters

Appears from the start

A Los Angeles private detective whose routine work is interrupted when he witnesses a violent ex-convict searching for a woman from his past. Marlowe is persistent, skeptical of wealth and official authority, and inclined to continue an inquiry after any practical reason for doing so has disappeared.

Appears from the start

An enormous, conspicuously dressed man recently released after eight years in prison. Moose returns to the neighborhood of his old nightclub looking for his former girlfriend Velma and responds to obstruction with startling, often lethal force.

Appears from the start

A singer who once worked at Florian's and was Moose Malloy's girlfriend before his imprisonment. By the time Moose returns, the club has changed hands and no one readily admits knowing where she went.

First appears in chapter 2

The detective initially assigned to the killing at Florian's. Nulty shows little enthusiasm for a case involving a victim and witnesses from a marginalized neighborhood, leaving Marlowe to pursue Moose's history largely on his own.

First appears in chapter 5

The alcoholic widow of Florian's former owner. Jessie claims to know little about Velma, but the remains of her husband's business and a photograph in her home make her an important link to the vanished singer.

First appears in chapter 7

A polished but nervous man who hires Marlowe as protection for a nighttime ransom exchange. Marriott says a valuable jade necklace was taken during a robbery and that he has been asked to deliver payment for its return.

First appears in chapter 10

The daughter of a former police chief, with investigative instincts and an independent interest in crime. Anne finds Marlowe after the failed ransom meeting and helps him identify the owner of the stolen necklace.

First appears in chapter 12

A capable Los Angeles police detective investigating Marriott's death. Randall shares information selectively, doubts some of Marlowe's theories, and wants him to stop disrupting an official murder inquiry.

Also known as Mrs Grayle

First appears in chapter 14

The much younger wife of wealthy Lewin Lockridge Grayle and the owner of the missing jade necklace. Beautiful, poised, and direct about her interest in Marlowe, she appears to be the protected client behind Marriott's attempted payment.

First appears in chapter 14

An elderly and very wealthy businessman married to the necklace's owner. Mr Grayle gives his wife considerable freedom and treats the loss of the jade as a manageable expense rather than a crisis.

First appears in chapter 21

A fashionable psychic adviser whose clients include wealthy and vulnerable people. Amthor presents himself as a spiritual specialist, but Marlowe suspects that the private information obtained through his consultations has less innocent uses.

First appears in chapter 25

A doctor operating an isolated private facility where Marlowe is confined and drugged. Sonderborg's evasive medical authority protects people who want troublesome questions silenced.

First appears in chapter 29

An honest Bay City police officer working in a department known for corruption. Red helps Marlowe after his escape and provides a rare source of practical aid without demanding that he abandon the case.

First appears in chapter 35

The well-connected operator of a gambling ship beyond the ordinary reach of local law enforcement. Brunette has enough influence and underworld knowledge to serve as a possible route to Moose Malloy.