Books

First edition. Original grey cloth printed in black and dark grey in pictorial dustwrapper. A very good copy, the cloth slightly faded with a couple of faint stains and occasional marginal foxing, in a very good (price clipped) dustwrapper with a little wear to the spine ends and corners, a small chip to the head of the spine, not affecting any lettering and neat repairs to tears to the folds of the rear panel and flap. A very nice copy of a book now seldom encountered in an unrestored dustwrapper. A seminal work of golden age detective fiction introducing the primary American detective of the period, Sam Spade. In style it is quite different to the cosy English counterparts. Hammett represented the early realistic vein in detective stories. His tough heroes confront the violence with full knowledge of its corrupting potential. In his novels Hammett painted a mean picture of an American society, where greed, brutality, and treachery are the major driving forces behind human actions. Hammett's two previous novels of 1929 revolved round an unnamed detective known as The Continental Op, and were based mainly on his own experiences working for Pinkertons. In Sam Spade, however, Hammett created a more rounded, identifiable character. His language was unsentimental, journalistic, and moral judgements were left to the reader. The first-person narration of the Op stories is left behind and Hammett views the detective protagonist in the book from the outside. The novel was filmed three times most memorably starring Humphrey Bogart as Spade. "A novel in which every character is trying to deceive all the others and in which the truth slowly becomes visible through the haze of deception." (Andre Gide) A Haycraft Queen Cornerstone.

"The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett is a seminal work in the genre of hard-boiled detective fiction. The novel follows the story of Sam Spade, a private detective in San Francisco, as he gets entangled in a complex web of mystery and intrigue. The plot kicks off when a beautiful woman named Miss Wonderly hires Spade and his partner, Miles Archer, for what seems like a simple surveillance job. However, Archer ends up murdered while tailing a suspect, launching Spade into a dangerous investigation that revolves around a legendary and valuable statuette of a falcon. As Spade delves deeper into the case, he encounters a cast of colorful and dubious characters, including the enigmatic Miss Wonderly (later revealed as Brigid O'Shaughnessy), the effeminate Joel Cairo, and the intimidating Casper Gutman. Each character has their own motives and connections to the elusive falcon, a priceless treasure that many desire. Betrayals, double-crosses, and shifting allegiances heighten the suspense as Spade navigates the treacherous landscape of deceit and greed. His ethical code and sharp wit guide him through the labyrinth of conflicting interests, all while maintaining a detached and stoic demeanor. Throughout the investigation, Spade remains emotionally detached and plays various sides against each other to uncover the truth. He ultimately exposes the layers of deception and reveals the falcon's true identity—a mere decoy. "The Maltese Falcon" is not merely a detective story but a compelling exploration of human nature, duplicity, and the allure of wealth. Hammett's writing style, characterized by terse prose and gritty realism, sets the tone for the hard-boiled detective genre. The novel's intricate plot, morally ambiguous characters, and Spade's unwavering determination make it a timeless classic, revered for its contribution to crime fiction and its enduring influence on subsequent detective novels and films.