Synopses & Reviews
Dashiell Hammett was a crime writer who elevated the genre to true literature, and
The Thin Man was Hammett's last--and most successful--novel. Following the enormous success of "The Thin Man" movie in 1934, Hammett was commissioned to write stories for additional films. He wrote two full-length novellas, for the films that became "After the Thin Man" and "Another Thin Man". Bringing back his classic characters, retired private investigator Nick Charles and his former debutante wife Nora, who return home to find Noras family gardener murdered, pulling the couple back into another deadly game of cat and mouse. Hammett has written two fully satisfying "Thin Man" stories, with classic, barbed Hammett dialogue and fully developed characters.
Neither of these stories has been previously published (except for a partial in a small magazine 25 years ago). The Return of the Thin Man is a hugely entertaining read that brings back two classic characters from one of the greatest of mystery writers who ever lived. This book is destined to become essential reading for Hammett's millions of fans and a new generation of mystery readers the world over.
Review
"This first unabridged appearance of two Nick and Nora Charles "novellas" by Hammett should be an occasion for delight, and it is." The Wall Street Journal
Read The Return of the Thin Man and rediscover why Dashiell Hammett was the peerless master of crime fiction in all its dark and bloody glory.” New York Journal of Books
"Both of the main stories are pleasures to read." The Washington Post
This previously unpublished material will be an important addition to the collections of those who find Nick and Nora Charles as endearing and enduring as millions have since the 1930s.” The Washington Independent Review of Books
A volume no fan of Hammett's, of Nick and Nora Charles, of The Thin Man series should even think of doing without for another minute.” The Huffington Post
"'Return of the Thin Man' is still a fun and fresh read, with much of the spirit of the original still lingering in the sequels." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
A notable addendum to the Hammett canon.” Kirkus Reviews
Aficionados of Hammetts writing and mystery students of any level will find much to enjoy and contemplate here.” Bookreporter.com
"This a book for people who love Hammett's classic novels and for anyone interested in how a novel -- or novella -- is translated into a motion picture." Huntington News
The Return of the Thin Man is a must for enthusiasts, with plenty of his trademark snappy dialogue as well as a fascinating commentary by Hammett's granddaughter Julie M Rivett and biographer Richard Layman.” The Guardian (UK)
Review
PRAISE FOR
RETURN OF THE THIN MAN"This first unabridged appearance of two Nick and Nora Charles 'novellas' by Hammett should be an occasion for delight, and it is." —The Wall Street Journal
"Read Return of the Thin Man and rediscover why Dashiell Hammett was the peerless master of crime fiction in all its dark and bloody glory." New York Journal of Books
"A volume no fan of Hammett's, of Nick and Nora Charles, of 'The Thin Man' series should even think of doing without." The Huffington Post
PRAISE FOR DASHIELL HAMMETT
"I think Hammett's stories are about the best there are." Ross MacDonald
"Hammett's prose was clean and entirely unique. His characters were as sharply and economically defined as any in American fiction." The New York Times
"Hammett . . . wrote scenes that seemed never to have been written before." Raymond Chandler
"The exuberance of language, the relish with which seedieness is described . . . it's a pleasure to imagine young Hammett cutting loose with whatever rascally high jinks he could cook up." Margaret Atwood
"An acknowledged literary landmark." The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, screenplay writer, and political activist. He created enduring characters including Sam Spade (
The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (
The Thin Man), and the Continental Op (
Red Harvest and The Dain Curse).