It is gratifying to see Vintage Press publishing Ross MacDonald's Lew Archer novels in a series of uniform, higher quality editions. MacDonald utilized Archer as a vehicle for observation and documentation of the postwar sociological condition of southern California in the mid-20th century. A less lofty, but equally important function of these novels, however, is that, taken together, they serve as a beacon and an instruction to future generations of writers and readers of American detective fiction as to how the job is done.

SLEEPING BEAUTY was written in the twilight of MacDonald's brilliant career, at a point where he was running out of road but not out of gas by any means. It opens with Archer flying home from a Mexican vacation and seeing an oil spill off one of his favorite places on the Pacific Coast. After landing, he decides to go down to the beach to observe the cleanup operation. While there he encounters Laurel Russo, a woman with a fragile, haunted air who is working at wildlife reclamation in the aftermath of the spill.

Laurel, as it turns out, is the daughter of Jack Lennox, whose oil company is responsible for the spill. She is also estranged from her husband and apparently has nowhere to go. Archer, ever the knight errant, brings her back to his apartment to sort out her situation. She abruptly leaves, but not before stealing some sleeping pills from Archer's medicine cabinet.

Archer, concerned over the theft and Laurel's apparent emotional instability, contacts her husband and family. When Laurel goes missing, and her family receives a ransom note, Archer's involvement becomes all-consuming. And he begins uncovering the dark secrets of the Lennox and Russo families which have simmered and boiled for over a quarter-century.

SLEEPING BEAUTY demonstrates MacDonald's absolute mastery of his chosen craft. For example, he introduces Laurel Russo, intrigues his readers with her over the course of a few pages and then makes her disappear. She does not reappear again until almost the end of the book; yet her presence haunts almost every line. The oil slick, meanwhile, is a background metaphor for what is taking place in the forefront of the tale: a singular event which stains and permeates faraway events.

SLEEPING BEAUTY, as with MacDonald's other Archer novels, is a classic to be savored slowly and reread regularly. Highest possible recommendation.