Although he does not possess the voice or psychological insight of Lew Archer, John Weather does have the detective's singlemindedness and ingenuity; and although he lacks Archer's compassion and understanding, he is capable of feeling for those who are more vulnerable than he. Even though this novel owes much to Dashiell Hammett, John Weather is not Sam Spade; he is far less cynical. The characters in this novel tend to represent ideas in a two-dimensional way rather than presenting individual figures. The representations are well done and work within the novel to some effect. For instance, Kaufman who runs the junk shop also spouts various Marxist platitudes, some of which do not apply to the circumstances in Blue City, but primarily he suggests various worn-out European ideas seeking a home in the American present. Sanford, the elder Weather's former partner, also brings the class theme to the fore...