Smart-Aleck Kill

Four short stories from Raymond Chandler that pre-date his Philip Marlowe series of novels.
There is some prototyping for Marlowe going, and there are some interesting twists and turns in these.

The back of this slim paperback says:

‘When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand', wrote Raymond Chandler once. In these four stores of the wild modern west, doors open, guns speak, blood spurts, knees buckle. When the doors won't open, the hood push the muzzle of a chopper through the peep panel and rake the room from end to end. And men take a little time to die.

Smart Alec kill

Pick-up on Noon Street

Nevada Gas

Spanish Blood