author
Dashiell Hammett
1894–1961
A former Pinkerton detective who helped define hard-boiled crime fiction, he brought a lean, unsentimental style to stories that changed the modern mystery. His novels introduced enduring characters like Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, and the Continental Op.
1 Audiobook
The Maltese falcon
by Dashiell Hammett
About the author
Born in Maryland in 1894, he left school young and worked a range of jobs before joining the Pinkerton Detective Agency. That firsthand experience fed directly into his fiction and gave his mysteries their sharp realism and street-level detail.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he became one of the key writers behind the hard-boiled detective story. His best-known books include Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key, and The Thin Man, and his influence can be felt across crime fiction and film noir.
His later life was shaped as much by politics and personal struggle as by literary fame. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I, was active in left-wing causes, and spent time in prison in the 1950s after refusing to cooperate with a court inquiry. He died in 1961, but his tough, precise style still feels modern.