Description
A LANDMARK OF AMERICAN NOIR FICTION • The novel that defined the hard-boiled detective and reshaped twentieth-century crime writing.
Sam Spade is tough, cynical, and unflinching. When a mysterious woman hires him for what seems like a simple case, he is drawn into a deadly hunt for the Maltese Falcon—a jewel-encrusted statuette that men will cheat, betray, and kill to possess. As the lies deepen and the bodies fall, Spade is forced to navigate greed, corruption, and desire with nothing but his own ruthless code to guide him.
First published in 1930, Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon broke new ground in American literature. It stripped away the genteel polish of earlier mysteries and introduced readers to the gritty realism of noir. With clipped dialogue and relentless pace, Hammett created the archetype of the hard-boiled detective—a figure whose shadow still falls across novels and films today. “I won’t play the sap for you,” Spade declares, in a line that captures the hard edges and moral ambiguity of the genre.
This Feel Classics edition makes Hammett’s masterpiece accessible for a new generation. With a thoughtful introduction, explanatory notes, glossary, and a detailed chronology of the author’s life, it is ideal for students, first-time readers, and crime fiction enthusiasts alike.
A sharp, unforgettable classic that still speaks to anyone drawn to the shadows of greed, loyalty, and the price of truth.
