hammett, dashiell

Looks at the lives, careers, and relationships of the two writers focusing on their active roles in American literary, political, and social circles and examining their nontraditional yet long-term love affair.

As Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, travel to San Francisco to settle her family legal affairs, she begins to act irrationally and have haunting dreams. Her family memories of being in the 1906 earthquake resurface, and secrets of her family's past reveal several mysteries. Mary and Sherlock investigate her parent's marriage, a car accident, and numerous unexplained deaths in the family.

Provides research material for the study of "The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett. Includes a biographical overview of Hammett; coverage of his years as a detective; information on the composition of the novel; and critical responses to the novel. Also discusses the movies, radio shows, and other spin-offs from the novel.

Mary Russell and her husband, Sherlock Holmes, are en route to California to settle her family's estate. Once they arrive, a series of mysterious deaths leads them from the winding streets of Chinatown to the unspoken secrets of a parent's marriage and the tragic accident that Mary alone survived. She discovers that even a forgotten past never dies and that it can kill again.

Literary Masterpieces is one series of the trio that makes up the Gale Study Guides to Great Literature (the others are Literary Topics and Literary Masters). Each Literary Masterpieces volume chooses a book by one of the authors covered in Literary Masters and offers a discussion of themes, characters, comparisons with social events of the era when the book was written and a critical analysis. Dashiell Hammett began writing in 1922 and was one of many mystery writers in America at that time. However, he was the most accomplished and his experiences as a Pinkerton detective brought realism to his mystery fiction. The Maltese Falcon, as well as many of his other works, are mysteries of lasting literary worth.

Literary Masters is one series of the trio that makes up the Gale Study Guides to Great Literature (the others are Literary Masterpieces and Literary Topics). Each Literary Masters volume introduces a significant author and covers basic biographical information. Dashiell Hammett popularized the hard-boiled detective in American crime fiction to an art form and drew on his experiences as a private eye to create believable characters in realistic situations.