Private investigator Sam Spade takes on a case that plunges him into the treacherous world of greed and deception.

A mysterious woman, a priceless statuette of a falcon, and a cast of ruthless criminals all collide in this quintessential hard-boiled novel.

Hammett's crisp, unsentimental prose and intricate plotting set the standard for the genre. Spade is the archetype of the cynical, tough-talking detective, operating in a morally ambiguous world where loyalty is a rare commodity.

The search for the falcon becomes a metaphor for the elusive nature of truth and the corrupting influence of desire.