The Maltese Falcon - Paperback

by Dashiell Hammett (Author), Karl Wurf (Introduction by)

San Francisco, 1928. Private detective Sam Spade takes on what seems like a routine case: a beautiful woman seeks protection for her sister from a dangerous man. But when his partner is murdered and the woman vanishes, Spade finds himself trapped in a web of lies, greed, and betrayal.

At the center of the chaos is a legendary artifact-a jewel-encrusted statuette of a falcon, worth a fortune and pursued by a rogues' gallery of criminals. A sophisticated fat man who speaks in riddles. A perfumed Levantine with a deadly temper. A young gunman with ice in his veins. Each one will kill to possess the prize, and Spade must navigate their treacherous games while staying one step ahead of the police who suspect him of murder.

In the shadows of San Francisco's fog-shrouded streets, Spade plays a dangerous game where trust is a weakness and loyalty has a price. As bodies pile up and alliances shift like quicksand, he must decide what matters more: the woman who hired him or his own survival.

In this world of lies, the only certainty is that someone won't live to see the dawn.