"A first-rate noir. . . . [Benjamin Black] does an uncannily good job of filling Marlowe’s legendary gumshoes. . . . It’s remarkable how fresh this book feels while still hewing close to the material on which it’s based. . . . Mr. Black has . . . hit a bull’s-eye."—Janet Maslin, The New York Times
"Terrific fun. . . The Black-Eyed Blonde could be passed off as a newly discovered Chandler manuscript found in some dusty La Jolla closet. . . . Any fan of Chandler’s work is going to enjoy it."—The New York Times Book Review
"Somewhere Raymond Chandler is smiling, because this is a beautifully rendered hardboiled novel that echoes Chandler's melancholy at perfect pitch. The story is great, but what amazed me is how John Banville caught the cumulative effect Chandler's prose had on readers. It's hard to quantify, but it's also what separated the Marlowe novels from the general run of noir (which included some damn fine novelists, like David Goodis and Jim Thompson). The sadness runs deep. I loved this book. It was like having an old friend, one you assumed was dead, walk into the room. Kind of like Terry Lennox, hiding behind those drapes."—Stephen King
"Banville channeling Chandler is irresistible—a double whammy of a mystery. Hard to think anyone could add to Chandler with profitable results. But Banville most definitely gets it done."—Richard Ford
"I was impressed by the plotting of The Black-Eye Blonde, its perfect pacing and use of misdirection... Banville nails the spoiled L.A. atmosphere that is Chandler’s forte."—Salon.com
"[Black] offers a stylish homage to Raymond Chandler in this tightly written caper….The focus…is on style and mood, and the Irishman, perhaps surprisingly, nails both. The homage game is a tricky game to play, but Black makes all the right moves. Great fun for Chandlerians."—Booklist
"Black skillfully references Chandler characters… [and] remarkably, he seems to channel Chandler’s cadence with pithy dialogue, beautifully drawn characters, and a satisfyingly convoluted plot."—Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine
"[Banville] brings Raymond Chandler’s Philip Marlowe back to full-blooded life—complete with inner turmoil and honest, hard-boiled dialogue. This is not a pastiche, but the real deal, kicked up a notch with clever traces of irony. It’s tightly plotted, has its share of blunt violence and wise-cracks, as well as descriptions of L.A. that puncture the city's elaborate façade. Banville has been compared to Joyce, and this novel confirms the comparison. You'll find memorable passages that demand to be read aloud. [Banville’s prose] captures perfectly the melancholy soul of Philip Marlowe."—Zoom Street Magazine
"Despite Robert B. Parker’s lengthy experience in the PI genre, his sequel to The Big Sleep, Perchance to Dream, pales in comparison with Black’s pitch-perfect recreation of the character and his time and place. As for the language, Black nails Chandler’s creative and memorable similes and metaphors....While the mystery is well-plotted, Black elevates it beyond mere thoughtful homage with a plausible injection of emotion in his wounded lead."—Publishers Weekly (boxed and starred review)
"Black offers stylish homage to Raymond Chandler in this tightly written caper that picks up Marlowe’s life from the point the series ended….The homage game is a tricky one to play, but Black makes all the right moves. Great fun for Chandlerians."—Booklist
"Black… deliver[s] a more complex and satisfying mystery than other authors have done in the past. This latest incarnation of Chandler’s sleuth with appeal to fans of Chandler and Marlowe, but newcomers to one of the first great PIs in crime fiction will find much to enjoy here as well."—Library Journal
"A treat for fans."—Kirkus Reviews