The Glass Key

By Dashiell Hammett

Ned Beaumont is a gambler and a professional troubleshooter for his friend Paul Madvig, a cheerfully corrupt political power broker who aspires to greater things. Madvig has his eyes set on none other than the daughter of Senator Ralph Bancroft Henry, the heiress to a dynasty of political purebreds. When the senator’s son turns up dead, Madvig becomes the prime suspect. But if he is innocent, then which of his dozens of enemies is doing an awfully good job of framing him?

Dashiell Hammett’s tour de force of crime fiction combines a bulletproof plot, authentically corrupt characters, and writing of telegraphic crispness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9780307767493

Dashiell Hammett

Samuel Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his "hard-boiled" detective fiction and the iconic characters he created for his books, including the Continental Op (Red Harvest and the Dain Curse), Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), and Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man). Hammett is considered one of the finest mystery/detective writers of the 20th century. As a young man, Hammett signed up to be an operative for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, but the agency's role in strike-breaking soured Hammett to Pinkerton and he joined the Army in 1918 and served in World War I. While in the Army, Hammett contracted tuberculosis and the ill-effects of his consumption would plague Hammett for the rest of his life. In 1922, Hammett began to publish short stories in some of the popular mystery magazines of the era, particularly Black Mask, for whom he wrote a number of stories featuring his nameless private investigator, the Continental Op. He began producing these stories at a furious rate, eventually expanding into novels - Red Harvest and The Dain Curse - which he serialized in Black Mask prior to publication. In 1930, Hammett wrote The Maltese Falcon, which featured Sam Spade, one of the most popular characters in all of detective fiction. Then, in 1934, Hammett topped himself, creating Nick and Nora Charles, the protagonists of the wildly popular book The Thin Man. Both would later be adapted into successful motion pictures, the latter spawning five sequels. Once Hammett moved to Hollywood and began writing screenplays, his fiction writing almost entirely ceased. His activism in left-wing politics would eventually lead to Hammett being placed on the "blacklist." Hammett's career troubles were exacerbated by his alcoholism and his drinking, in turn, worsened his health. He died of lung cancer in 1961.Despite his life and career struggles later in life, Dashiell Hammett is still considered one of the greatest mystery writers of all time and his work proved to be an inspiration to an entire generation of young authors from Ernest Hemingway to Raymond Chandler and many others.

Reviews for The Glass Key

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very gritty.

[jrcchicago_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

See my review of The Maltese Falcon. Hammett is one of the greats.

[phillipfrey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had seen the film, and had always wanted to read the book. Cannot go wrong with Dashiell Hammett. This was a real treat for this crime book lover.

[black2lilly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is not so much a nice read for the story which somehow moves like an old cruising car. What makes this book a nice read is Hammett's way with words where short staccato like sentences are followed by flowery language.

[write5review · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love Triangle

As a caution, if you have not yet read The Glass Key (and really, why haven’t you?), you may wish to wait on this as it does contain spoilers.

Once upon a time, in a small city somewhere in America, a boss ran a city with liberal doses of money and violence. His loyal henchman watched the boss’s back for him, and the boss treated the henchman as a member of his family. The henchman called the boss’s mother, who lived with the boss, “Mom,” and the boss’s daughter “Snip.” When the boss decided to upgrade his standing by courting and eventually marrying a senator’s daughter, the henchman stood by the boss, even though he himself seemed to have feelings for the young woman. When the daughter’s brother, who was courting the boss’s daughter to the displeasure of the boss, turned up dead and everybody turned on the boss, believing he had murdered the brother, the henchman stood by the boss. His loyalty to the boss and his family was so fierce nothing could dissuade him of the boss’s innocence. He set about to prove it to everybody who doubted, sustained some brutal abuse, and dished some out as well. In the end, though, he proved that the boss indeed was an innocent man, at least of this one crime. But in proving it, he severed connections to the boss, maybe severed forever, when in the end he revealed to the boss that he was leaving town and taking the young woman the boss had set his heart on with him. Yet, we were all left to wonder, who, in fact, did the henchman love truly, the boss or the girl, when at that fateful moment with the boss exiting out the door, the girl looked at the henchman and the henchman stared unwaveringly at the vanishing boss.

Dashiell Hammett’s The Glass Key is at once a superb novel about mob corruption in a small city, the ruthlessness of gangsters, the vacillating loyalty of paid-off pols and cops, and the casual acceptance of murder, unless it involves a member of the elite class, and the disturbing idea that nobody is above, at least for long, their basest emotions and motivations. Underneath all that there simmers another story, a love affair so faint it barely takes shape during the course of the action, and then crystalizes at the very end as the reader is about to close the book in the last two sentences. As a warning, here follows those last two sentences featuring Janet Henry, the girl, Ned Beaumont, the henchman, and just exited Paul Madvig, the boss, that those who have not read the novel might like to avert their eyes from: “Janet Henry looked at Ned Beaumont. He stared fixedly at the door.”

The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon are both achievements and tutorials in the art of hard boiled detective fiction, but The Glass Key may be Dashiell Hammett’s true masterpiece of crime noir. It’s a must-read for anybody interested in the genre, and for everybody interested in fine, restrained, and subtle writing.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett is a hard-boiled puzzler that keeps the reader guessing until the end. The main character is Ned Beaumont, a professional gambler and racketeer who works for his friend, political boss Paul Madvig. He is investigating the murder of a local senator’s son, even though all the evidence points to Madvig being the killer. Meanwhile in the background, both a political race and a potential gang war are building.At one point or another suspicion falls on just about every character in the book, the reader isn’t ever totally sure of Ned’s motivation as this character is kept remote and never indulges in any inner monologue. Is he trying to clear Madvig or drag him into it. Madvig himself is trying to stay clear of it as he is in love with the senator’s daughter and doesn’t want to be blamed for the death of her brother. Unfortunately for him, the senator’s daughter and Ned are also developing feelings for each other.The Glass Key has constantly shifting human relationships, glimpses of underworld corruption and the seedy alliances between that world and the political one. This along with Hammett’s visual and stylistic writing ensure that this book well deserves it’s “classic” rating.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Taylor Henry, senator's son is dead. Murdered. Everybody believes that Paul Madvig killed him. But not his friend Ned Beaumont, so he investigates.
Who are the good guys, who are the bad, the line is very blurred.
A story of city politics, loyalties challenged or changed, betrayal everywhere
Originally written in 1931.
A re-read of another Hammett story

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun story and lots of twists and turns! I really liked how the author used the main character's whole name in the narrative, not just his first name or the pronoun 'he'. It really added something to the tale!

[mysterymax_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Someone said, "you couldn't put it down" but I did. 3/4 of the way through I just couldn't continue trying to wade through. I'm giving it 3 stars because it's Hammett, and how could you give him less, but if the book had been written by anyone else I'd have given it a 2.5.

[tmph_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An odd Hammett. I know nothing about this work, but it seems to just start in the middle of a story. It's a good story, though, worth fumbling around a bit. And, deliciously Hammett. Odd, capable characters. Odd story. All delightful.

[jonathan_m-100054 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Dashiell Hammett's fourth novel is many things. Apart from the two Continental Op adventures (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse), it's his most hard-boiled book. And it happened to be the author's favorite among his own works: with characteristic understatement, he deemed it "not so bad". But it's also the least formulaic of Hammett's novels, lacking a detective or even a readily identifiable hero. For that reason, perhaps, fans are not vocally enthusiastic about it...and critics, while generally agreeing that it's superior to Hammett's final novel The Thin Man (which they dismiss as fluff), also seem to be baffled by The Glass Key.Personally I don't think it's a difficult book to understand, and neither did Raymond Chandler, who called it "the record of a man's devotion to a friend". There you have it. Specifically, a murder which could adversely affect the career and personal life of political boss Paul Madvig is investigated by Madvig's friend, mustachioed racketeer Ned Beaumont. Though his nerves are sensitive and he seems unable to consume much liquor without vomiting, Beaumont has to be outwardly tough to overcome the obstacles he meets everywhere. It's a realistic novel, often jarringly so, and I enjoyed it very much. Read it and see what you think. (The 1942 film version, directed by Stuart Heisler and starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, is good and almost entirely faithful to Hammett's novel.)

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ned Beaumont is a far more likable hero than the hero of the Dain Curse -- not always honest, but a sense of justice (of a sort). Not nearly as convoluted as the Dain Curse either. A pretty good read with some classic 30's patter.

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this political imbroglio, greed is mixed with passion where ambition trumps family and loyalty. I very much enjoyed the political power struggles mixed with a light murder mystery and a prohibition backdrop. Compared to today's technologies and convoluted plots, the intrigue comes across as simplistic, but this is also the novel's charm: a back to basics suspense where the hero follows a fairly linear path. What really makes this book's strength is the writing and in particular the dialogues: it felt like I was watching an old fashioned black and white movie with wise cracking bad guys, tough but honourable good guys, sassy dames and charming damsels. The stereotypes are all there, but are they really since they are the originals?A great read where the atmosphere will bring the reader right back to the lawless Prohibition.

[algybama · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The only Hammett novel without a strong female lead. The romance is odd. But the gambling, cigar-chomping main man delivers some excellent tough-guy dialogue and action. The plot is less exciting than Hammet's other novels, and the villains are what carry you through. The villains are just as good as those in The Maltese Falcon and the Chief of Police in Red Harvest.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

If I had to use one word to describe this book, it would be 'gritty'. This is one of those classic mysteries filled with corruption, vice, and shady dealings in smoke-filled rooms. The mystery itself was only so-so, but the characters were great - conflicted and perfectly slimy. My rating for the story itself would probably be higher - 4 stars. But, I listened to this in audio and the narrator had the bright honest voice of a boy scout. For me it was a disconnect to have that voice selected for a corrupt political plot of this story.

[bookaddictkatie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Glass Key is one of those classic gangster novels that you just cannot put down. Known as the father of the hard-boiled crime novel, Hammett creates a world where murder is common, but there is also an unwritten code of conduct. In The Glass Key, Ned Beaumont works for Paul Madvig as his right-hand man, but when the son of a Senator gets murdered and Paul is the main suspect, Ned becomes Paul's personal detective as well. Did Ned's boss really murder Senator Henry's son? How is the senator's daughter involved? Are the senator's enemies trying to frame Paul?

Hammett creates the ultimate no-nonsense novel. The prose is quick, and it reads almost like a screenplay. I guarantee that if you any pick one scene of dialog, you will be able to visualize it as if you are watching a Humphrey Bogart film. (Granted, Hammett did write The Maltese Falcon, Bogart is the main character in the movie version). For the first 50 pages or so, I really did not care about any of the characters. Yet, as the novel progresses, Hammett throws you deeper and deeper into this world of corruption and chaos. Ned Beaumont becomes a sort of ragged hero. While he will never turn down a fight, he never really wins them either.

Each character has his or her own quirks that you will try to discern, but then they will surprise you as soon as you think you have it all figured out. The flare of the 1930s adds to the charm of the book, but the mystery itself will keep you turning the pages. Any guy who likes mysteries will love this book, and The Glass Key is one of the lesser-known books, so dad probably hasn't read it yet!

This was one of the books for my mystery book club, and we all found the book tremendously enjoyable. Fans of film noir will love this book by such an important author in the field of noir literature.

[ursula_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Dashiell Hammett is credited with really epitomizing the hard-boiled crime novel. I will just say up front that I don't think this is the best example of his mastery of the genre. The story centers around Ned Beaumont, a guy who presumably has some sort of profession although I couldn't tell you what it is. He is friends with Paul Madvig, who is a political boss trying to get a Senator re-elected. There is a pretty wide cast of characters - a rival crime boss, other gangsters, the Senator's family (a daughter and a son who dies at the beginning of the book), et cetera. Behind-the-scenes machinations take place, much drinking is done, confrontations result in lies and omissions, Ned is beaten up a few times.You get the idea. I mean, it was fine, mostly, but nothing to remember. I would have expected it to be a page-turner even if it was only fine, and it just wasn't. I alternated between confused and disinterested. You don't really get a handle on the characters because it's often unclear what their motivations are, and Hammett doesn't help you out by giving you any hints. Also, he refers to Ned as "Ned Beaumont" in just about every instance where he's mentioned, and since he's the main character, you can imagine it's a lot. Even if in the previous sentence, he mentioned "Ned Beaumont." I couldn't stop myself from thinking about Mojo Jojo from the Powerpuff Girls ("One shall be the number of Mojo Jojos in the world, and the number of Mojo Jojos in the world shall be one. Two Mojo Jojos is too many, and three is right out. So the only Mojo Jojo there is room for in the world shall be me.") As you might guess, that's not conducive to seeing Ned - sorry, Ned Beaumont - as a tough guy.Recommended for: fans of cronyism, anyone nostalgic for when men were men and women were histrionic, people who want to use it as a drinking game and don't mind risking alcohol poisoning by taking a drink every time someone in the book does.Quote: "The small nurse with large eyes opened the door cautiously and put her head in. Ned Beaumont addressed her in a tired voice: 'All right -- peekaboo! But don't you think you're a little old for that?' The nurse opened the door wider and stood on the sill holding the edge of the door with one hand. 'No wonder people beat you up,' she said."

[alexrichman_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Forget the falcon - this is surely Hammett's masterpiece.

[willymammoth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Glass Key centers on Ned Beaumont, gambler, alcoholic, tuberculosis sufferer, and political hanger-on. He is the right-hand man of a political boss in a big, unnamed city on the eastern sea board. An election is coming up, and the normally corrupt officials must mind their P’s and Q’s, else some sort of scandal or bad publicity could ruin their hopes of another term. But then the son of an influential senator turns up dead, with Ned’s employer as the prime suspect. Dodging rival political bosses, a spineless district attorney, crooked newspaper men, and lying dames, Ned struggles to solve the murder and keep his employer’s name out of the papers—all while trying to make sure he doesn’t wind up the next casualty of the election season. The book begins without introduction. Hammett doesn’t explain any of the political landscape, nor the events prior to the start of the novel. He just jumps in and tells the story. It makes it a bit hard to understand at first, but the way Hammett tells the story, you pick up on the details in short order. I like his narrative style because it is so lean, without unnecessary words and without excess ornamentation. It’s what makes Noir what it is. It's not as good as some of his other works ("The Maltese Falcon" being the best, of course), but it's still damn fine.It gets four and a half stars simply because it's Hammett, but it gets my unqualified recommendation because it was just that good.

[irishholger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I must be in a minority as I feel that this is by far one of Hammett's best books. I have recently started (re-)reading the Dashiell Hammett novels and found that they didn't often stand the test of time, but THE GLASS KEY stood out with its wonderfully cynical tale about a town in the grips of a bunch of corrupt politicians with practically no positive hero in sight.

[brettjames · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is by far the worst of the five novels Hammett wrote, and you'd still have to be an idiot not to read it.

[bruderbane · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Continental Op was a great series of stories. However The Glass Key just doesn't stand up to time like the previous novel; I especially found Hammett's prose/style to be a bit annoying and the story lags at distinct intervals. I'm going to trust my instincts in believing that maybe this was a one-off situation and that his other novels, like Red Harvest, are far superior works.

[opherdonchin_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun read. One suspects, reading this book, that Hammett had a number of short story ideas that got strung together into a novel by creating a frame story. Nevertheless, the device seems to work and you enjoy bouncing from episode to episode as each takes you one step nearer to the inevitable unexpected finale.