Red Harvest

Well, that was quite a bloodbath. Not even sure where the body count would be, but the author counts himself up to seventeen before the climax even begins!

When the the Continental Op is called to a job in Personville (yes, and odd name for a town - the occupants of which call is Poisonville) his client is murdered before I even gets to meet him, or find out what the job is! Not one to give up easily he find his own job, a new client to bankroll him, and sets to work cleaning up the town. The crims have the town well sown up, all working in an uneasy alliance to divide up the work, and the profits, but that alliance is tinder dry and the Continental Op sets out to divide an conquer!

There are twists and turns, and just when you think the Op has himself in a fix he finds a way out. Published in 1929, there are some archaic terms I wasn't familiar with, and the plot was a little jumpy. I was surprised with the way the murders were solved by the Op without much signalling to the reader - he sort of dropped the accusation of murder into conversation with the murderer - Not sure if this is the style of Hammett, or something he tried in this novel. Perhaps his later novels allow the reader more insight into his thought as he unravels the web!

Worth a look, for some early hard-boiled action.

3.5 stars, rounded down.