The Death Collector (Smart Kids)

Book Description

What starts as an ordinary picket-pocketing incident in Victorian London unites three teens against a madman. Eddie is the pickpocket; George is an assistant at the British Museum; Elizabeth has a nose for trouble—and all of them are being hunted by Augustus Lorimore. Lorimore is a sinister factory owner, a villain bent on reanimating the dead, both humans and dinosaurs—and one of each is already terrorizing the streets of London. It’s up to Eddie, George, and Elizabeth to stop Lorimore’s monsters . . . or die trying.

Customer Reviews:

I am a sixth grader.......2007-03-20

I am a sixth grader. The book I read is The Death Collector. It is about a man named George, a lady named Liz, and a boy named Eddie. They battle a mad scientist who experiments with dead things and tries to create life.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes lots of action, and adventure. I really liked this book because it really got my imagination going. It was also fun to predict what might happen next, and in the beginning, who's bad and who's not (this is really fun). For example, in my favorite part (described in part below), there is lots of action and suspense, and you never know what to expect. This really helps to grab my interest.

My favorite part is when George and Eddie save Liz and Sir William (a person who works at the British Museum and helps him). Eddie, a former pickpocket, dresses up as a delivery boy and delivers a special clock to the mad scientist, Lorimore. At exactly six o'clock, the clock does something very unexpected, but I will not spoil it for you.

I really like all the surprises in this book. For example, in the beginning, George and his friend Percy are attacked, and Percy is killed. But in his last breath, Percy says "help" and "Lorimore". This makes George think that Lorimore can help, but when he goes to Lorimore's mansion, he is in for a big surprise.

This is a really good book that I think anyone who likes action, adventure, suspense, and mechanical monkeys in army uniforms should read this book. Think this was an extremely great book and I also think everybody should read it.

Imagination and Surprise.......2007-03-13

I am a sixth grader. The book I read is The Death Collector. It is about a man named George, a lady named Liz, and a boy named Eddie. They battle a mad scientist who experiments with dead things and tries to create life.

I really liked this book because it really got my imagination going. It was also fun to predict what might happen next, and in the beginning, who's bad and who's not (this is really fun). For example, in my favorite part (described in part below), there is lots of action and suspense, and you never know what to expect. This really helps to grab my interest.

My favorite part is when George and Eddie save Liz and Sir William (someone who works at the British Museum and helps him). Eddie, a former pickpocket, dresses up as a delivery boy and delivers a special clock to Lorimore, the mad scientist. At exactly six o'clock, the clock does something very unexpected, and if I explain any more I'll spoil it for you.

I really like all the surprise in this book. For example, in the beginning, George and his friend Percy are attacked,and Percy is killed. But in his last breath, Percy says "help" and "Lorimore". This convinces George that Lorimore can help, but when he gos to Lorimore's mansion, he is in for a big surprise.

This is a really good book that I think anyone who likes action, adventure, suspense, and mechanical monkeys in army uniforms should read.
[...]

Victorian Scare with High-tech Flair.......2006-06-24

This is a fabulous blend of mystery and horror for young adults who would like a Victorian scare with high-tech flair. The story was fast paced, and I was riveted to my seat from start to finish in one sitting. I am a big fan of the author's Invisible Detective series and found this another great title to enjoy. Like in the Invisible Detective series, the plot mixes a nice blend of endearing characters with some very nasty villains and lots of action and mystery to keep one turning the pages without stopping. . Two thumbs up for this creepy suspense novel!

Average customer rating:

Pretty good, but...
A little gem
The Hundredth Man is a hard act to follow.
Well plotted and fast paced
Awesome book!

The Death Collectors
Jack Kerley
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451218299

Book Description

His name was Marsden Hexcamp-artist and psychopath-shot to death in an Alabama courtroom by a deranged fan. Days later, grisly evidence from his crimes vanished. But among underground collectors of the macabre, his art lived on. It leads homicide detectives Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus into the shocking world of the Death Collectors, where madness and murder is an art all its own.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty good, but..........2007-08-05

The trip to France slowed things down a little too much. And the narrator's voice changed a bit, sounding a little more snobbish. I guess when in France.....

A little gem.......2007-07-03

What's better than a mystery with an interesting, complex and convoluted story, great characterization, an unlikely love story and a surprising yet satisfying ending? You coldn't ask for much better and the language is intelligent and captivating from the start. Once again, it is NOT the goryness of the crime or the shock of the monstrous that creates lasting memories; it is the human element, that inner dialogue shared with the reader and the relationships developed in the story.

As a Southerner, I especially like mysteries set here. More than any other section we have retained our peculilarity in both speech and habits. The subject is as fascinating, repulsive yet compelling - there is an underground who get their kicks by collecting articles of serial killers. The closer the article to the crime (a rope to strangle the victim) the higher the price. I thought that surely this had to be a joke until a quick Google gave names, upcoming auctions and the like. I find it hard to understand the mindest that would enjoy such things. Just when you think you've heard it all something like this comes around.

The story opens with a trial of a Manson-like cult artist who has a fanatical following. His specialty was death, capturing that "Last Moment", and for this purpose he killed savagely and cruely. The end of the first chapter is shocking, establishing a theme that will recur later in the story. Years after his death the cult has returned and someone is recreating the deaths again. Rumors abound that the artist left a mythic "collection" of his works that would be worth millions. Carson, our hero cop, must battle his own demons. His brother, who nearly steals the show, reminds one of Brad Pitt as the insane genius in "Twelve Monkeys". Carson's partner, an older, experinced black cop dispensee advice bother personal and professional. Their relationships is a close one - almost father and son. Carson's nemesis is a cut but bothersome television reporter who goes by the name "Dee Dee" though he bestows a four-letter nickname that I am not allowed to print in this forum. After much action, intrigue, death and loving, we find the answer - the REAL story of the crazed artist and his legacy. Bravo and here's hoping for more.

The Hundredth Man is a hard act to follow........2007-04-13

Maybe I was too excited to read this book after The Hundredth Man. This novel fell short of my admittedly high expectations. Kerley's previous novel was so entertaining that perhaps I was looking for his next book to be unrealistically good. What I thought was truly missed in the authors second outing was the sub plots found in THM. It provided the depth for the main characters that drew me in and made them likable. There is a lack of emotion in chapters that demand more which made the story feel a bit rushed at times. While the main plot in The Death Collectors is creatively fed to the reader at a suspenseful rate and the writing is just as smooth as Kerley's previous, it simply feels a bit empty. The relationship between Ryder and "the new girl" Danbury is hollow and did not really provide any significant or useful purpose to the book. Overall however this book has the ingredients for a good read. Unlike some of the previous reviews, I found the end to be terrific. As in THM, Kerley skillfully keeps his audience guessing until the inevitable "I did not see that coming" moment followed by a slap to the head. So maybe it was not as good as Kerley's last effort which set the bar way up there. I still enjoyed it and still look forward to future books in the series.

Well plotted and fast paced.......2007-04-07

The three primary characters are alive and engaging, you care about them. The mystery is well crafted and keeps pulling you forward towards the end. The horrifying descriptions of the focal crimes are not for the weak stomach or hearted, but opens a window into the darkness of pure unredemeable madness and evil. A good read!

Awesome book!.......2007-02-10

Jack Kerley is one of my new favorite authors! I got hooked on Kerley with the Death Collectors and then bought his first book - The Hundredth Man - And it was as good as his second novel. A Garden of Vipers (his third) was also EXCELLENT! Can't wait for more Carson Ryder novels to come out.

4 Card Draw/ Desert Death Song / Trap of Gold (Louis L'Amour Collector)

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4 Card Draw/ Desert Death Song / Trap of Gold (Louis L'Amour Collector)
Louis L'Amour
Manufacturer: Media Books Audio Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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At the Hour of Death (Collector's Library of the Unknown)

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At the Hour of Death (Collector's Library of the Unknown)
Karlis Osis , and Erlendur Haraldsson
Manufacturer: Hastings House Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0809481251

Raymond, Or, Life and Death (Collector's Library of the Unknown)

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Raymond, Or, Life and Death (Collector's Library of the Unknown)
Oliver Lodge
Manufacturer: Time Life Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0809481456

VAMPIRELLA - A Scarlet Thirst: Vampire of the Nile; The Case of the Connected Clowns and the Collector; The Beauty and the Behemoth; The God of Blood; The Betrothed of the Sun God; Bracelets Demons and Death; Death Machine; A Plague of Vampires

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VAMPIRELLA - A Scarlet Thirst: Vampire of the Nile; The Case of the Connected Clowns and the Collector; The Beauty and the Behemoth; The God of Blood; The Betrothed of the Sun God; Bracelets Demons and Death; Death Machine; A Plague of Vampires
Flaxman; DuBay, Bill; Margopoulos, Rich; Loew
Manufacturer: Harris Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GTAH26

Batman: A Death in the Family: All Four Collector's Issues in One Volume

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Batman: A Death in the Family: All Four Collector's Issues in One Volume
Jim Starlin
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000N8UQF8

Batman: A Death in the Family (All Four Collector's Item Issues in One Volume)

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Batman: A Death in the Family (All Four Collector's Item Issues in One Volume)
Jim Starlin
Manufacturer: DC Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic

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ASIN: B000O1QV30

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Collector's Series #94: To The Death
J. E. MacDonnell
Manufacturer: Horwitz Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0725517239

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Counterpoint for Death
Will Harrison Ryan
Manufacturer: Fithian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1564741370

Book Description

When the last honest citizen of Poisonville was murdered, the Continental Op stayed on to punish the guilty--even if that meant taking on an entire town. Red Harvest is more than a superb crime novel: it is a classic exploration of corruption and violence in the American grain.

Customer Reviews:

Bad Blood Pours in Poisonville [T].......2007-07-01

Some novelists are great in their genre. Some novelists create a genre. In many respects, this book exemplifies the birth of the genre referred to as the American crime novel - one which Raymond Chandler said ". . . took murder out of the Venetian vase and dropped it into the alley. . . ." And, oh how from-the-street this novel is.

This novel started a critically acclaimed writing streak for Hammet - 1929 ("Red Harvest"and "The Dain Curse"), 1930 ("The Maltese Falcon"), and 1931 ("The Glass Key"). Hollywood was right behind the publishers as they produced his books to film almost as soon as the print dried on the second printing: 1930 ("Roadhouse Nights" based on "Red Harvest), 1931 ("Maltese Falcon" ) and 1935 ("Thin Man" and 5 other movies to follow with the Thin Man theme.)

Hammett was hot. Maybe the hottest commodity in print and screen the first five years of the 1930's. Then in 1936 he secretly joins the Communist Party and you can guess the rest.

This book reviews many of his personal experiences. At 31, he became a private detective (Pinkerton Agency) and the major character of this book is a 190-pound 5'6" solidly built unnamed character who works for a similar agency. He is called an Op. And, his "Old Man" sends him to Personville which is affectionately referred to as Poisonvile - dank and mysterious, it lost its innocence when old man Willsson hired Italian goons as union busters to preserve his bottom line for his many capitalistic ventures. After they did their dirty business, they stayed and the old man could not live as he had before - in total control of the city.

When the Op is shot at by goons and cops, he decides that even though his business is over, he will stay and earn $10,000 while making himself a Poisonville regular. Thereafter, 24 bad people are murdered - cleaning the streets of the bad blood - and the worst injury suffered by the Op is a burn. Good conquers all, or mostly all. The Op meant what he said, and said what he meant, he hated the town 100%.

Hammett, probably from having to gumshoe streets following leads for the Pinkerton Agency, understood American vernacular. Implementing the same created his "style" which probably was not consciously done. But, it was artistic. And, this artistry is purely Americana. American vernacular was new in literature - something which was also brought to readers by another hot commodity of the 1930's - Ernest Hemingway.

His curt and precise statements, dialogue, and great descriptions of the physical appearances of characters are Hammett's best weapons. And, this is one of his best books - probably only exceeded by "Maltese Falcon." It seems only a shame that he could not produce more of these novels

CLEANING UP DODGE .......2007-06-25

I have just finished reviewing in this space all of Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe detective series. It occurred to me that I might as well review the work of that other exemplar of the modern hard-boiled noir detective story, Dashiell Hammett. Most of those familar with his work know it from Nick Charles of the Thin Man or, more likely, Sam Spade of the immortal Maltese Falcon but Hammett, like Chandler, did not blossom forth with these classics without a grinding apprenticeship in pulp detective fiction. Red Harvest represents Hammett's baptism. This story of an unnamed shamus who moreover works for a detective agency runs against the type we have come to expect from Hammett and Chandler-the independent, no-holds barred character. Have no fear our Continental Op has most of those qualities and the single-mindeness to clean up a rotten crime-dominated town no questions asked. While there is not the plot or character development of Hammett's later work here this is still a good read.

Mr. Hammet.......2007-03-08

The same operator that apears in The Continental Op, but this novel is more elaborated. A must. Hammet at his best.

'Harvest' this high quality read from a master of the detective genre........2006-12-19

Nowadays, not many people think of reading a pulp detective novel from 1929. Most would expect the plot to be superficial, the characters one-dimensional, and the dialogue filled with obscure eighty year-old words like 'dames', 'dingus', 'gams', and 'gat'.

But 'Red Harvest' is one of the best (are there any bad ones?) novels from Dashiel Hammett, arguably the most artful if not prolific detective story writer of all time.

If you are reading this, then you are already a fan of the genre or you are branching out from your usual 'mystery' choice. You're looking for an entertaining read that won't dumb you down. You're hoping to stumble upon a lesser-known gem from a great mystery writer. Or maybe to find out why they say Hammett was so good. Well, you've found it.

I won't recount the story line--- plenty of other reviewers will do that. But I will tell you why you should buy it and read it.

I think 'Red Harvest' is a fine piece of American literature, one of the most perfect detective novels I've read.

The serpentine plot winds it way between the predictable and unpredictable, telling the story about one man against an entire town. In 2007 this might seem trite and overdone, but it was a fresh idea in 1927.

If violence and gunplay is your thing, you're in luck. Chapter 21 is entitled 'The Seventeenth Murder'.

The Obscure 1920's Gangster Dialogue Index is set to 'Low'. I don't want Edgar G, Cagney or Bogie pop into my mind while I'm forming my own mental image the character.

Dialogue and exposition are extremely well-written. Words tumble naturally from the pages like dice in a crapshoot.

In his exquisite portrait of Dinah Brand, the femme fatale, Hammett succeeds in the difficult task of capturing for his reader the essence of a physically imperfect woman who has perfected the art of attraction and allure, enchanting any man she wants.

Best of all things about `Red Harvest' is the wily Op himself. He appears a deceptively average guy: anonymous, middle-aged, average height, soft around the middle, receding hairline. But smart and tough as nails, he's not one to cross.

Sharp, brief and clear dialogue.......2006-10-27

Dashiell Hammett is the master of classic detective novels!!
In Red Harvest a detective is called in on a private case and his client is murdered in the company town of Personville (Poisonville by the locals) This is the classic detached, hard guy detective, who does what he does because he wants to finish the job he started. In this case it is to find out who has murdered the man that just may be the last honest man in town. In this company town, murders seem to be a dime a dozen, some just to mislead, others, just because. The dialogue is sharp and brief, yet clear as a diamond!! The women can be just as hard hearted as the men, with motives that reach only as far as their wallets.
This is another classic detective novel!!!

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Seven Continentl Op stories
Seven Stories From the Twenties
Hammet
Chandler's early work
classic detective novel!

The Continental Op
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679722580
Release Date: 1989-07-17

Book Description

Short, thick-bodied, mulishly stubborn, and indifferent to pain, Dashiell Hammett's Continetal Op was the prototype for generations of tough-guy detectives. In these stories the Op unravels a murder with too many clues, looks for a girl with eyes the color of shadows on polished silver, and tangles with a crooked-eared gunman called the Whosis Kid.

Customer Reviews:

Seven Continentl Op stories.......2007-08-12

These are some of the earliest of Hammet's stories featuring the unnamed 'Continental Op'. The stories are:

The Tenth Clew
The Golden Horseshoe
The House in Turk Street
The Girl With the Silver Eyes
The Whosis Kid
The Main Death
The Farewell Murder

Most of them are good, but the only one that approaches the excellence of the the Continental Op novels ('Red Harvest' and 'The Dain Curse')is 'the Main Murder'. In this story Hammet displays his talent for creating memorable secondary characters and crackling dialogue.

Seven Stories From the Twenties.......2007-06-09

The "Introduction" is by Professor of English Literature Steven Marcus. Marcus mentions Hammett's marriage, but not the name of his wife and daughters. Why did Hammett become a Stalinist Communist (p.xii)? Hammett certainly knew about organizations and their faults. The story of "Charles Pierce" may be a clue about a person who changed their name and location but not their habits (like Miss Wonderly). "Flitcraft" may be his derogatory term for "alienists" (p.xv). The plot of these stories is summarized: something unusual happens, and somebody will pay money to investigate so the facts will be discovered. The Continental Op (C-Op) is a corporate employee, not an independent businessman like "Sam Spade" or "Philip Marlowe".

Amendment XVIII gave the Federal government the power to control alcohol. It was the Volstead Act which outlawed the production and sale of cider, beer, and wine as well as liquor, but allowed people to buy and drink alcohol (p.xxii). Hammett's idea of organized gangs running society is another word for a ruling class; it is reality, not a notion (p.xxiii). The ban against collecting a reward (p.xxv) is to prevent framing people for a crime. Marcus questions the use of "violence" (p.xxvii); that is the use of lawful force. This "Introduction" isn't important, it is the stories that matter. Hammett knew there were political parties behind a candidate, bosses behind the parties, and wealthy individuals behind the corporations that control the political bosses. "Mr. Smith" went to Washington to find this out.

In "The Tenth Clew" the C-Op shows up to meet a client, but the client has been murdered. The tenth clue is to question the other nine clues. The C-Op learns something on the ferry from Oakland. [Does the last paragraph contradict lawyer Abernathy?]
In "The Golden Horseshoe" the C-Op is assigned to find a missing husband. He does, but when he returns he finds a dead client. The C-Op returns to Tijuana and runs a bluff to shake up the suspects. There is a surprise ending.
"The House on Turk Street" is visited by the C-Op when he is looking for a man. An old couple served him tea and cookies, and then a surprise. While the situation becomes unpleasant, the conflicting interests of the people there allow the C-Op to triumph.
"The Girl With the Silver Eyes" is about a woman who goes missing after closing out her bank account. Her boyfriend is heartbroken, then he disappears. The C-Op figures out the scam and traces the missing persons to Halfmoon Bay for the shocking end of this story.
"The Whosis Kid" begins with a rub-out attempt. The C-Op follows one man to learn more about him. This results in meeting a woman who is hiding. Other men come to her rooms and the story emerges from the conflicts. The police show up at the end.
"The Main Death" was a robbery by two who got clean away from the apartment building. The C-Op talked to Main's boss to learn more about him. After learning about other people the C-Op is able to recover the missing money. The ending will surprise and shock you.
"The Farewell Murder" has the C-Op traveling to rural Farewell to guard a millionaire from an old enemy. When this man is found murdered there are two likely suspects, with perfect alibis. The murder is solved for another surprising ending.

Hammet.......2007-03-08

A very fine work. Fiction? I am not so sure. A novel, but a very good sense of reflection from the society itself.

Chandler's early work.......2007-01-06

If anyone else had written these stories, they would have been masterpieces. Instead, Chandler wrote them - they're just journeywork on his way to mastery. Still, this journeyman blows the doors off most masters, and Chandler just got better as he wrote more.

They're stories about a detective working for a private agency. We know his name - heck we know lots of names, just not the one his mother gave him. We know that works for hire, and for people that can't talk to police, for any of many reasons. And we know that nothing is what it seems at first glance, or second, or maybe third. By the end of the book, judgement is permanently suspended. We always know something and probably suspect more, but live in bone-deep knowledge that the next guy who walks through the door will turn it all on its head.

These stories are dark, hard-boiled, and oddly anonymous. The Op has no name, or none that we can trust. His clients and enemies (not that there's a lot of difference) have no names either, at least none that will be the same in a week. And everything, yes everything will reverse itself before the story ends. Except, maybe, The Op, whoever he is.

//wiredweird, reviewing the 1974 Vintage edition, ISBN 039472031X

classic detective novel!.......2006-10-27

This is a collection of short stories about the classic hard boiled detective who is tough, detached and in the end successful at solving the mystery tossed in his lap. The dialogue is brief, uncompromising and precise....after all tough guys don't emote, they take charge!!! The language is pure and evokes the 30's and 40's film noir dialogue. The alcohol flows and the smoke encompasses all and the attitudes are....well.........not the kind of thing that would be deemed politically correct!!!! This is a classic detective!!

The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, Red Harvest (Everyman's Library)

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a great collection
Classic Hammett
A classic for every home library

The Maltese Falcon, The Thin Man, Red Harvest (Everyman's Library)
Dashiell Hammett , and Robert Polito
Manufacturer: Everyman's Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0375411259
Release Date: 2000-12-05

Book Description

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

The three classic novels published here in one volume are rich with the crisp prose, subtle characters, and intricate plots that made Dashiell Hammett one of the most admired writers of the twentieth century.

A one-time detective and a master of deft understatement, Hammett virtually invented the hard-boiled crime novel. In The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade, a private eye with his own solitary code of ethics, tangles with a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. The Thin Man introduces Hammett's wittiest creations, Nick and Nora Charles, who solve homicides in between wisecracks and martinis. And in Red Harvest, Hammett's anonymous tough-guy detective, the Continental Op, takes on the entire town of Poisonville in a deadly war against corruption.

"Dashiell Hammett is a master of the detective novel, yes, but also one hell of a writer."—Boston Globe

”Hammett was spare, hard-boiled, but he did over and over what only the best writers can ever do. He wrote scenes that seemed never to have been written before.”—Raymond Chandler

”Hammett’s prose was clean and entirely unique. His characters were as sharply and economically defined as any in American fiction.”—The New York Times

”As a novelist of realistic intrigue, Hammett was unsurpassed in his own or any time.”—Ross Macdonald

”Dashiell Hammett’s dialogues can be compared only with the best in Hemingway.”—André Gide

”Hammett is one of the best contemporary American writers.”—Gertrude Stein

Customer Reviews:

a great collection.......2005-01-02

The Maltese Falcon is a masterpiece. I love Red Harvest as well. The Thin Man isn't quite as good, but it's a lot of fun. All in all, reading this collection is a great way to spend a rainy weekend as I discovered.

Classic Hammett.......2004-01-23

Dashiell Hammett is best known as the man who wrote "Maltese Falcon," the classic noir mystery behind the classic noir film. That book is included here, along with the confusing "Red Harvest" and magnificent, polished "Thin Man," two other crime novels by Hammett.

The mysterious "Maltese Falcon" is at the center of international intrigue -- and murder. Cynical Sam Spade and his partner Miles Archer are hired by a beautiful, seemingly helpless woman to find a man who she says has run off with her sister. Not only is the woman lying, but someone kills Archer. A slimy fop, a cultured gangster, and a breathy femme fatale are all in the same web of crime and murder, centered on a bejewelled bird called the Maltese Falcon.

"Red Harvest" is the full-length novel introduction of the cool-as-ice Continental Op. He travels to Personville (or "Poisonville," depending on your accent) to meet a client. Except the client has just been murdered. Rather than go home to San Francisco, the Continental Op meets the dead man's wealthy father, and begins a one-man battle against the vicious gangsters who control Personville. But the death and mayhem draw him in, threatening his life as he struggles to stay afloat.

"The Thin Man" was Hammett's last and lightest novel. Nick and Nora Charles are a wealthy couple who have a weird kind of compatibility, but ex-private-eye Nick is through with crime solving. Or so he thinks. One day when Nick is out drinking, he encounters young Dorothy Wynant, daughter of peculiar inventor Clyde Wynant. Her dad has vanished, and soon his secretary/mistress is found dead. Nick finds himself sucked unwillingly into a sordid, messy crime that will leave more murdered bodies behind it.

This collection shows the unevenness of Hammett's writing at times. "Maltese Falcon" and "Thin Man" are complicated and polished, while "Red Harvest" is a dense mass of shootings, conspiracies and mysterious crimes. What they all have in common is tense, sparse writing, and hardened, cynical anti-heroes who are surrounded by other ambiguous characters.

The three-pack of "The Maltese Falcon," "The Thin Man," and "Red Harvest" is a good way to introduce yourself to Hammett's gritty, engrossing crime novels. Highly recommended.

A classic for every home library.......2000-12-30

My two favorites in this collection are The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon. I love these hard-boiled detective novels doubly for their sheer entertainment and their place in history. If you want a fascinating read to go allong with this collection, get The Perfect Murder: A Study In Detection by David Lehman. It will clue you into these novels and life. These classic American Novels by Hammett are about to explode in historical research as these novels create an important link in America from WWII to our morality.

The return of the Continental Op: A Dashiell Hammett detective (A Jonathan Press mystery)

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The return of the Continental Op: A Dashiell Hammett detective (A Jonathan Press mystery)
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Jonathan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

3 Book Set By Dashiell Hammett; the Thin Man; the Continental OP; the Maltese Falcon

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3 Book Set By Dashiell Hammett; the Thin Man; the Continental OP; the Maltese Falcon
Dashiell Hammett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W25W8G

Product Description

3 Book Set By Dashiell Hammett; the Thin Man; the Continental OP; the Maltese Falcon.

THE BIG KNOCK OVER (originally $106000 Blood Money) - A Continental Op Mystery

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THE BIG KNOCK OVER (originally $106000 Blood Money) - A Continental Op Mystery
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Lawrence E. Spivak - The American Mercury - Jonathan Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVW876

Blood money: A Continental Op murder mystery

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Blood money: A Continental Op murder mystery
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Dell Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The Continental OP

Manufacturer: Dell Publishing Co., Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HU42M0

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The Continental Op
Dashiell Hammett
Manufacturer: Vintage, 1999
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RM5VEG

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Continental Op
Dashiell Hammett; Selected And With An Intr
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WTGKOO

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