Complete Novels: Red Harvest. The Dain Curse. The Maltese Falcon. The Glass Key. The Thin Man

More about the book

In a few years of remarkable creativity, Dashiell Hammett revolutionized the American crime novel. Raymond Chandler noted that Hammett returned murder to those who commit it for reasons, portraying them authentically and in their own language. Starting as a prolific writer for 1920s pulp magazines, he established a gritty, realistic crime fiction that became integral to American literature. The five novels published between 1929 and 1934, now collected in a single volume, created archetypal characters and set the tone for hardboiled writing. Drawing from his experiences as a Pinkerton detective, Hammett infused his works with a harsh realism and a spirit of adventure. His concise prose garnered admiration from contemporaries like Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner. Each novel presents a unique mood and structure. "Red Harvest" captures the violence and chaos of political corruption in a mining town, featuring the Continental Op who manipulates rival factions. "The Dain Curse" involves a more melodramatic plot of jewel theft and a mysterious cult. "The Maltese Falcon" showcases the iconic Sam Spade in a tightly woven quest story filled with eccentric characters and a sense of disillusionment. "The Glass Key" delves into the treacherous world of city politics, while "The Thin Man" offers a comedic take on the mystery genre, introducing the beloved characters Nick and Nora Charles, who became cinematic icons.