The Maltese Falcon [With Headphones] »

An elegant figure with a real background as a private eye, Hammett pioneered hard-boiled fiction with his plain-spoken dialogue and classic characters such as Sam Spade, Nick Charles, and the Continental Op. Opening the door for a slew of imitators, Hammett left an indelible mark with a relatively short body of work.

This mystery novel, generally considered to be Dashiell Hammett's finest work, appeared in serial form in Black Mask magazine in 1929 and was published as a novel the following year. Some critics have said that the Biblical invocation "The love of money is the root of all evil" sums up Falcon's theme.

Detective Sam Spade's partner Archer is hot on a case, and as his partner, Spade must find the killer. The investigation becomes enmeshed with a search for The Maltese Falcon, a statue rumored to be of "incalculable" value. Spade's life is endangered and he is nearly destroyed by what turns up.

New York Times Book Review

If the locution 'hard-boiled' had not already been coined it would be necessary to coin it now to describe the characters of Dashiell Hammett's latest detective story. . . there is plenty of excitement. -- Books of the Century; New York Times review, February 1930