Marlowe is hired to trail a girl who seems to be running from something in her past; she gets involved with blackmail and the mob. What is remarkable about this novel is that Marlowe gets involved with a female character, whereas in previous novels he always maintained a professional distance, even against his own desires. PLAYBACK marks an artistic and thematic departure for Chandler. The book relies on the characters` reflections on the past--their playbacks --as a narrative device.