Dashiell Hammett

Samuel Dashiell Hammett (May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was a hard-boiled detective novelist and short story writer from the United States. In addition to being a scriptwriter, he was also a political activist. Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man), the Continental Op (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse), and the comic strip character Secret Agent X-9 are some of the memorable characters he created.

"Hammett is now largely considered as one of the best mystery authors of all time," according to the New York Times. Red Harvest, a novel by Hammett released in 1929, was featured in Time's selection of the 100 best English-language novels written between 1923 and 2005. Three of his books were chosen for the Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time list by the Crime Writers' Association in 1990. Four of his novels were included in the Mystery Writers of America's Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time five years later.

Famous Books: The Thin Man, The Maltese Falcon, Red Harvest,...