Arson Plus (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

By Dashiell Hammett

Dashiell Hammett is the undisputed master of hardboiled detective fiction, and one of the greatest mystery writers of all time. Originally published in the October 1923 issue of Black Mask, 'Arson Plus' was one of his earliest published tales, and a defining early example of the genre he would go on to make his own. Many of the hardboiled and pulp detective stories, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781447499503

Reviews for Arson Plus (Fantasy and Horror Classics)

[aoibhealfae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story is a brief detective workout in the Continental Op series. Story arc were quite simple - arson and insurance but mostly the character's dialogues are engaging, it does feel rushed in the end but a good read for those who like a nice short read. Definitely a boy's read and the language are pretty dense but acceptable for a classic. I'm looking forward to read The Maltese Falcon.

[firedog_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although better known for Sam Spade and Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man series) this short story is the first of the so-called Continental op stories. There were over 30 of these stories published. This detective, sometimes known as the Continental Detective, was a no-nonsense private detective determined to give his client(s) a thorough investigation of any nefarious activity.This story, written in 1923, concerns a case of suspected arson. In this case, I thought the characters were very believable. I supposed there are red herrings thrown in, but the case is not solved easily. It certainly has a hard-boiled edge to it.Between 1923 and 1930, these stories were almost all published in the Black Mask magazine. Some of these stories were combined to become novels, the most famous of which is known as the Red Harvest. According to Wikipedia, Time Magazine called this novel one of the 100 best English language novels published between 1923 and 2005.