The Continental Op

Hammett's stories are almost as good–and as varied–as his novels. Short, to the point, with a hard-nosed and taciturn maoin character who shows no sentiment or sympathy. Much-imitated, but never equalled, Hammett is the best writer of hard-boiled detective fiction ever, including Chandler, MacDonald and the legion of pale photocopies who came after.

A most enjoyable read with some great short stories and novelettes. The only reason I gave it four stars is that I prefer these tales as full novels. I loved The Maltese Falcon and I am keen to read Hammett's other novels.

This paperback collection of Dashiell Hammett's Continental Op short stories.
As usual with sort stories it is hard to write many words without giving too much of the story away, but I will have a go!
I like the Continental Op - for those who don't know, he is the central character in each story, always the same guy, un-named. He isn't your classic detective character - self confessed, short and fat, but he makes up for it in analytic ability. The number of times I will need to write Continental Op, I will shorten to the uncomfortable “CO”.

The Tenth Clew
The CO has a meeting set up with a prospective client at his residence. Leopold Gantvoort has indicated he has been threatened and shot at, and he doesn't show up for the meeting. As the CO is about to leave a phone call announces that Leopold has been found murdered. With the CO on hand he works with the police to figure out who the murderer is and why. 4/5

The Golden Horseshoe
Named after a bar in Tijuana central to this story in which the CO is hired to seek out the estranged husband of a woman who pays him a monthly stipend, and desperately wants him back. The CO traces him to Mexico and then his client is brutally murdered, but the man was with him the whole time. The twist at the end is a good one. 4/5

The House in Turk Street
The CO is knocking on doors in Turk St looking for a man, but the situation he bursts in on gives him another whole problem to unravel, but those involved believe he knows the whole situation. 4/5

The Girl with the Silver Eyes
The CO takes a job with an artist as his client, whose fiancé has disappeared, but after a few days his client has disappeared too, and the mans brother-in-law becomes the client. He wants the story kept quiet... There is a clever cross-over to an earlier short story here, but I can say no more. 4/5

The Whosis Kid
The CO spots a felon he had a previous connection with, and starts tailing him to see what he is doing in San Fransciso. This leads to him being wrapped up trying to untangle a web of crossing, double crossing and triple crossing between a group of heisters. Slower than the other stories. 3.5/5

The Main Death An art dealer is murdered and a sum of money stolen, and the CO is called in by the art dealer's business partner to solve the murder. The business partners wife, her maid and a couple of crims are all tied into a complex web. 3/5

The Farewell Murder A town called Farewell is the location of the story - the CO is called in to prevent the patriarch of a family from being murdered. The man knows who will murder him, and why, but can the CO stop it from happening? 3.5/5

Averages out to 4 stars