"The Thin Man" is set in New York City in December 1932, in the last days of Prohibition. The main characters are a former private detective, Nick Charles and Nora, his clever young wife. Nick, son of a Greek immigrant, has given up his career since marrying Nora, a wealthy socialite and he spends most of his time cheerfully getting drunk in hotel rooms and speakeasies. Nick and Nora have no children but they own a female Schnauzer named Asta. (In the film adaptation, Asta is a male...
"The House in Turk Street" is an early short story by Dashiell Hammett, featuring the Continental Op. It was first published in Black Mask in April 1924. This story indicates Hammett was turning towards themes of increasing violence in his stories, and its savagery has been commented upon by critic Robert Sampson, particularly the ending.<P> The story was loosely adapted into the film No Good Deed (2002), directed by Bob Rafelson.
A Tale of the Continental Op The man who had disturbed my Sunday morning sleep—I found when I reached the Glenton—was a slim, white-faced person of about twenty-five, with big brown eyes that were red-rimmed just now from either sleeplessness or crying, or both. His long brown hair was rumpled when he opened the door to admit me; and he wore a mauve dressing-robe spotted with big jade parrots over wine-colored silk pajamas. The room into which he led me resembled an...
"The Dashiell Hammett Megapack" collects 20 early and rare stories by the famous mystery writer, plus one poem. Included in this volume are:<P> AFRAID OF A GUN<BR> ARSON PLUS<BR> THE NEW RACKET<BR> BODIES PILED UP<BR> DEATH ON PINE STREET<BR> THE MAN WHO KILLED DAN ODAMS<BR> MIKE, ALEC, OR RUFUS<BR> NIGHT SHOTS<BR> NIGHTMARE TOWN<BR> ONE HOUR<BR> THE ROAD HOME<BR> RUFFIAN’S WIFE<BR> THE SECOND-STORY...
Sam Spade und sein Partner Miles Archer betreiben in San Francisco eine Privatdetektei. Alles beginnt mit einem scheinbar harmlosen Auftrag: Die umwerfende «Miss Wonderly» bittet die beiden Detektive darum, ihre kleine Schwester aufzutreiben, die durchgebrannt ist mit einem Mann. Doch schon in der nächsten Nacht gibt es zwei Tote. Und einer davon ist Archer, mit dessen Frau Spade eine Affäre hat. Dann erscheint ein schmächtiger Typ bei Spade und bietet ihm 5000 Dollar für die Wiederbeschaffung...
