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cshadows2887's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
aberdeenwaters's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fun enough PI novel in the vein of Hammet and Chandler. It's the first one I've read and the first in the series. Really leaned hard into the more genre-based and formal elements, which is fine! It just didn't grip me as much as other gumshoes do. That being said, there's some style and emotion here, which makes me want to check out a few other Lew Archer novels.
amykay_kenny's review against another edition
3.0
Ehhh not totally sold on this series yet. I do love a good detective though, so I’m giving Lew Archer a few books to get better.
dwhite1174's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
kjco_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
2.75
cck13's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
sandin954's review against another edition
3.0
Very enjoyable first book from a classic hard-boiled PI series. The plot moved along at a brisk pace and even though it was written back in 1949 it did not seem dated at all. Listened to the audio which was performed with just the right amount of grit by Tom Parker.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
Millionaire Ralph Sampson has been kidnapped and it's up to Lew Archer to find him. But what does the kidnapping have to do with an aging astrologer-actress, a piano player, and a holy man Sampson once gave a mountain to?
The Moving Target was a fast-paced noir thriller. Archer kept getting deeper and deeper into trouble. The love triangle between Miranda Sampson, Albert Graves, and Allen Taggart seemed to be needless at first but proved to be a very important plot element. One thing I really liked was that Archer wasn't a super-hero. He got his ass handed to him but kept on coming. Most of the killing was done by other people.
Things I didn't like? Archer gets knocked out way too many times. You'd think he'd be more careful after the first time. He's also kind of a stereotype noir detective. From what I hear, he breaks away from the Phillip Marlowe role in later books but I kept thinking of Marlowe while I was reading this.
The Moving Target is a good noir read. Just don't expect it to bring anything new to the table.
The Moving Target was a fast-paced noir thriller. Archer kept getting deeper and deeper into trouble. The love triangle between Miranda Sampson, Albert Graves, and Allen Taggart seemed to be needless at first but proved to be a very important plot element. One thing I really liked was that Archer wasn't a super-hero. He got his ass handed to him but kept on coming. Most of the killing was done by other people.
Things I didn't like? Archer gets knocked out way too many times. You'd think he'd be more careful after the first time. He's also kind of a stereotype noir detective. From what I hear, he breaks away from the Phillip Marlowe role in later books but I kept thinking of Marlowe while I was reading this.
The Moving Target is a good noir read. Just don't expect it to bring anything new to the table.