The Lady in the Lake
The Lady in the Lake is a Philip Marlowe detective novel by Raymond Chandler, first published by Alfred A. Knopf in New York in 1943. Marlowe leaves Los Angeles to hunt for a missing wife in a small mountain town. The 1947 film showed events through Marlowe's eyes.
- Editions tracked
- 3
- First edition
- Knopf, 1943
- First published
- Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1943
The first edition of The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler was published in New York by Knopf in 1943. We track 3 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Knopf1943 Hardback Sold £140 · May 2024 I own The Lady in the Lake, Knopf 1943 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- Hamish Hamilton1944 Hardback Sold £500 · Mar 2025 I own The Lady in the Lake, Hamish Hamilton 1944 Log in to want this
- Hamish Hamilton1949 Hardback I own The Lady in the Lake, Hamish Hamilton 1949 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Adaptations
- Lady in the Lake film, 1946
Setting and characters
- Set in
- Los Angeles
- Characters
- Philip Marlowe
- Genre
- noir fiction, detective fiction
Read next
- Comes after
- The High Window
- Followed by
- The Little Sister
In print
- Editions recorded
- 41 on Open Library, 26 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 12 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
Pictures of the book
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Freely licensed pictures of the work. They are not necessarily the edition you hold: check the points on each edition's page.
More by Raymond Chandler
Questions about The Lady in the Lake
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Know what you are looking at
How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
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Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Lady in the Lake?
The first edition of The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler was published in New York by Knopf in 1943.
How many editions of The Lady in the Lake are there?
We track 3 editions of The Lady in the Lake, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Has The Lady in the Lake been adapted?
Yes, including Lady in the Lake (film, 1946), according to Wikidata.
What should I read after The Lady in the Lake?
In order, it follows The High Window and it is followed by The Little Sister, according to Wikidata.
Where these facts come from
- The Lady in the Lake, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Lady in the Lake editions, Open Library (openlibrary.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 29 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.