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The Continental Op
The First Cases of the Continental Op (Annotated): Five "Black Mask" Stories
• The illustrated introduction of this eBook reviews briefly Dashiell Hammett as a writer and the first stories of the Continental Op, one of his most enduring creation.
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hardboiled detective novels and short stories. He created enduring characters such as Sam Spade (“The Maltese Falcon”), Nick and Nora Charles (“The Thin Man”), and the Continental Op, a never named insurance investigator (“Red Harvest,” “The Dain Curse,” and numerous short stories).
Hammett is widely regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time. “The New York Times,” called him “the dean of the hardboiled school of detective fiction,” although, technically, John Carroll Daly was the first to write a story in the hardboiled style and to create, with Terry Mack and Race Williams, the first hardboiled private eyes.
The very first five stories by Hammett were Continental Op stories, some written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, and all published in “Black Mask” toward the end of 1923. Later on, the stories were collected and republished in book form.
This eBook contains all first five stories as originally published in “Black Mask”: “Arson Plus,” written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, “Black Mask,” October 1, 1923; “Crooked Souls” (also known as “The Gatewood Caper”), “Black Mask,” October 1, 1923; “Slippery Fingers”, written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, “Black Mask,” October 15, 1923; “It” (also known as “The Black Hat That Wasn’t There”), “Black Mask,” November 1, 1923; and “Bodies Piled Up” (also known as “The House Dick”), “Black Mask,” December 1, 1923.
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hardboiled detective novels and short stories. He created enduring characters such as Sam Spade (“The Maltese Falcon”), Nick and Nora Charles (“The Thin Man”), and the Continental Op, a never named insurance investigator (“Red Harvest,” “The Dain Curse,” and numerous short stories).
Hammett is widely regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time. “The New York Times,” called him “the dean of the hardboiled school of detective fiction,” although, technically, John Carroll Daly was the first to write a story in the hardboiled style and to create, with Terry Mack and Race Williams, the first hardboiled private eyes.
The very first five stories by Hammett were Continental Op stories, some written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, and all published in “Black Mask” toward the end of 1923. Later on, the stories were collected and republished in book form.
This eBook contains all first five stories as originally published in “Black Mask”: “Arson Plus,” written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, “Black Mask,” October 1, 1923; “Crooked Souls” (also known as “The Gatewood Caper”), “Black Mask,” October 1, 1923; “Slippery Fingers”, written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, “Black Mask,” October 15, 1923; “It” (also known as “The Black Hat That Wasn’t There”), “Black Mask,” November 1, 1923; and “Bodies Piled Up” (also known as “The House Dick”), “Black Mask,” December 1, 1923.
93 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 22, 2019
42 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Dashiell Hammett
396 books2,750 followersAlso wrote as Peter Collinson, Daghull Hammett, Samuel Dashiell, Mary Jane Hammett
Dashiell Hammett, an American, wrote highly acclaimed detective fiction, including The Maltese Falcon (1930) and The Thin Man (1934).
Samuel Dashiell Hammett authored hardboiled novels and short stories. He created Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man), and the Continental Op (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse) among the enduring characters. In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on film, Hammett "is now widely regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time" and was called, in his obituary in the New York Times, "the dean of the... 'hard-boiled' school of detective fiction."
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashiell...
Dashiell Hammett, an American, wrote highly acclaimed detective fiction, including The Maltese Falcon (1930) and The Thin Man (1934).
Samuel Dashiell Hammett authored hardboiled novels and short stories. He created Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man), and the Continental Op (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse) among the enduring characters. In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on film, Hammett "is now widely regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time" and was called, in his obituary in the New York Times, "the dean of the... 'hard-boiled' school of detective fiction."
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashiell...
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 9, 2022
The first five Continental Op stories from Dashiell Hammett, published in Black Mask in 1923. These are not The Maltese Falcoln or Red Harvest. They are the stripped down, lean and mean models. Hammett was himself a Continental Op, an insurance investigator, working often closely with the police, so he was drawing from experience, as the father of the hard-boiled detective novel: “Arson Plus,” written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, “Black Mask,” “Crooked Souls” (also known as “The Gatewood Caper”), “Slippery Fingers”, written under the pseudonym of Peter Collinson, “It” (also known as “The Black Hat That Wasn’t There”), and “Bodies Piled Up” (also known as “The House Dick”).
Very spare prose, only the facts, ma'am, unemotional. Later would come the more lyrical prose, the humor, the babes, the more complex and entertaining plots, but these are good. They go down easy, like Scotch. Not single-malt Scotch, but basic bar Scotch, infused with cigarette smoke and listened to by a cool bartender and a woman, stirring her drink, sitting alone at the end of the bar, waiting.
Very spare prose, only the facts, ma'am, unemotional. Later would come the more lyrical prose, the humor, the babes, the more complex and entertaining plots, but these are good. They go down easy, like Scotch. Not single-malt Scotch, but basic bar Scotch, infused with cigarette smoke and listened to by a cool bartender and a woman, stirring her drink, sitting alone at the end of the bar, waiting.
October 22, 2019
Nice collection, far from raw, but only occasional glimpses of the style and prose Hammett would later master. "It" and "Bodies Piled Up" were highlights and "Crooked Souls" was also quite good. Super audio narration available freely from Librovox.
July 9, 2022
Hollywood has associated Dashiell Hammett irrevocably with Sam Spade and The Thin Man. But for the lovers of hardboiled fiction, real stuff was his Continental Op works, especially the short stories. They were barebones tales packed with truth and tension.
Hammett, according to Chandler, was the 'Ace Performer' who could deliver goods again and again. This book contains five of the earliest specimens of Hammett's performance.
If you haven’t read Hammett so far, this is the best place to start.
If you are an admirer already, no harm in refreshing good old memories through this one.
Recommended.
Hammett, according to Chandler, was the 'Ace Performer' who could deliver goods again and again. This book contains five of the earliest specimens of Hammett's performance.
If you haven’t read Hammett so far, this is the best place to start.
If you are an admirer already, no harm in refreshing good old memories through this one.
Recommended.
February 29, 2020
Well written; interesting to return to the 1920s to view the latest in crime scene investigation. Reminders of modern technologies like the telegraph speak volume in these wellwritten, fast paced stories.
September 10, 2019
When Hammett’s stories started appearing in Kindle collections, I got some with 10-12 stories for 99 cents. Sadly, those have been replaced by much more expensive collections. Too bad for Hammett lovers.
This collection has only five stories, but they’re all “Black Mask” stories from 1923 and every one shows the inimitable Continental Op at his finest. “Arson Plus” is frequently used in anthologies and with good reason. It’s a long, complicated story that has the Op investigating a suspicious house fire in rural Sacramento County. Working with a local deputy, he probes into the fire that killed a mysterious occupant. The dead man’s past is murky, but he had several large insurance policies. Was he worth more dead than alive to someone?
“Bodies Piled Up” is another frequently reprinted story and has the Op serving as a temporary sub for a hotel detective. Things are quiet until a maid sees blood leaking from a wardrobe. When the Op opens it, not one but THREE bodies are inside. That’s a LOT of bodies, even in 1920’s San Francisco. How did three men who seem to have little or no connection to each other end up dead inside a hotel clothes press?
The other three stories are harder to find. In “Crooked Souls” (“The Gatewood Caper”) the Op's client is a real stinker. Gatewood is a crooked, miserly businessman with lots of enemies, but no one has suffered more than his only child. When 19-year-old Audrey is kidnapped, her father angrily refuses to pay a ransom, but as the hours turn into days, the old man goes through a bizarre transformation. There’s a neat twist at the end which proves that the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.
In “Slippery Fingers” a businessman with a shady past is stabbed to death. His only son inherits, but doesn’t seem to be in need of money. His former partner is a good bet for the kill if only his fingerprints matched the bloody ones on the murder weapon. Science (in a primitive form) has entered the field of detection and can’t be ignored. The finale shows that a successful criminal must keep up with the times, too.
“It” is the story of two brokers, one of whom has apparently run off with a client’s $100,000 bonds. The partner is reluctant to call in the police, so he turns the mystery over to the Continental Agency. The Op has his hands full interviewing girl friends and hotel managers, ticket clerks and luggage agents. The missing man had a ticket to New York City, but doesn’t seem to have arrived there. There’s a whole continent between San Francisco and New York, so where should the Op start looking? The solution involves a simple fact of life - no man travels without his toothbrush and razor.
At 20 cents each, these stories are a great bargain. The original “Black Mask” covers are delightful and the introduction highlights Hammett’s vital role in the development of “hard-boiled” detective fiction. No one ever approached Hammett’s beautiful, spare writing style, his smooth use of contemporary slang, and his creation of realistic characters. In Hammett’s stories, crime crosses all levels of society and the Op is never more than two steps behind. Enjoy.
This collection has only five stories, but they’re all “Black Mask” stories from 1923 and every one shows the inimitable Continental Op at his finest. “Arson Plus” is frequently used in anthologies and with good reason. It’s a long, complicated story that has the Op investigating a suspicious house fire in rural Sacramento County. Working with a local deputy, he probes into the fire that killed a mysterious occupant. The dead man’s past is murky, but he had several large insurance policies. Was he worth more dead than alive to someone?
“Bodies Piled Up” is another frequently reprinted story and has the Op serving as a temporary sub for a hotel detective. Things are quiet until a maid sees blood leaking from a wardrobe. When the Op opens it, not one but THREE bodies are inside. That’s a LOT of bodies, even in 1920’s San Francisco. How did three men who seem to have little or no connection to each other end up dead inside a hotel clothes press?
The other three stories are harder to find. In “Crooked Souls” (“The Gatewood Caper”) the Op's client is a real stinker. Gatewood is a crooked, miserly businessman with lots of enemies, but no one has suffered more than his only child. When 19-year-old Audrey is kidnapped, her father angrily refuses to pay a ransom, but as the hours turn into days, the old man goes through a bizarre transformation. There’s a neat twist at the end which proves that the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree.
In “Slippery Fingers” a businessman with a shady past is stabbed to death. His only son inherits, but doesn’t seem to be in need of money. His former partner is a good bet for the kill if only his fingerprints matched the bloody ones on the murder weapon. Science (in a primitive form) has entered the field of detection and can’t be ignored. The finale shows that a successful criminal must keep up with the times, too.
“It” is the story of two brokers, one of whom has apparently run off with a client’s $100,000 bonds. The partner is reluctant to call in the police, so he turns the mystery over to the Continental Agency. The Op has his hands full interviewing girl friends and hotel managers, ticket clerks and luggage agents. The missing man had a ticket to New York City, but doesn’t seem to have arrived there. There’s a whole continent between San Francisco and New York, so where should the Op start looking? The solution involves a simple fact of life - no man travels without his toothbrush and razor.
At 20 cents each, these stories are a great bargain. The original “Black Mask” covers are delightful and the introduction highlights Hammett’s vital role in the development of “hard-boiled” detective fiction. No one ever approached Hammett’s beautiful, spare writing style, his smooth use of contemporary slang, and his creation of realistic characters. In Hammett’s stories, crime crosses all levels of society and the Op is never more than two steps behind. Enjoy.
June 5, 2019
The Continental Op
These Black Mask stories from 1923 provide a marvelous view into the Hammett in his early years. The writing is smooth and rough simultaneously, cold blooded and fine! Hammett’s San Fransisco of the early 20s is a place I wish to hell I could find.
These Black Mask stories from 1923 provide a marvelous view into the Hammett in his early years. The writing is smooth and rough simultaneously, cold blooded and fine! Hammett’s San Fransisco of the early 20s is a place I wish to hell I could find.
January 27, 2020
Not a bad compilation of early Hammett.
April 13, 2020
These stories are good fun, these are literally Hammett's first five Continental Op. stories though, so they are pretty rough around the edges compared to what would come later on (i.e. Red Harvest).
August 1, 2022
Plain private eye stories
March 16, 2023
Fun detective short stories by Dashiell Hammett. These stories were created early in his career so they are not as well written as his later stories, but they are still interesting and entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews