雷蒙德·钱德勒写作最大的特色,即是他文中相当具有独创性的比喻用法,诸如“那型手枪的枪口看起来就像第二街隧道的进出口”(The muzzle of the Luger looked like the mouth of the Second Street tunnel)以及“那几分钟踮着脚地走过,手指放在唇上”(The minutes went by on tiptoe, with their fingers to their lips)等等,给“钱德勒式”风格下了定义,同时也是无数戏仿的主题和对象。