DAIN CURSE, THE

(BookJacketStatus:Jacketed)OneofthemostpopularAmericanwritersofthetwentiethcentury,DashiellHammettgaveuscrimefictionstrippeddowntoitsmostsubtleandsearingessentialsand,atthesametime,elevatedtoliterature.Thediamond-sharpproseandartfullymanipulatedintrigueforwhichheisknownareonfulldisplayinthefourclassicshortstoriesandtworivetingnovelspublishedhereinonevolume.TheContinentalOp,Hammett'sanonymousantihero,wastheindelibleprototypeforgenerationsoftough-guydetectives.Single-minded,emotionallydetached,anddecidedlyunglamorous,henarratesthefourlinkedstoriescollectedhere--"TheHouseinTurkStreet,""TheGirlwiththeSilverEyes,""TheBigKnockover,"and"$106,000BloodMoney."InTHEDAINCURSE,theContinentalOptakesonhismostbizarrecase,thatofawealthyyoungwomanwhoappearstobethevictimofadeadlyfamilycurse.AndTHEGLASSKEY--Hammett'sownfavoriteamonghisworks--featureshismostcynicalandmorallyambiguoushero,NedBeaumont,caughtinahard-boiledlovetriangle.