“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
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 Nora’s 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.
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.
“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
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From the Publisher
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
Booklist
Caustic dialogue, shocking plot twists, and edge-of-one’s-seat suspense characterize these masterpieces of crime fiction, brought vividly to life with a stellar full-cast performance. Return of the Thin Man is an absolute ‘must-have’ for fans of Hammett’swork.”
—Wisconsin Bookwatch
Wisconsin Bookwatch
Fans of the films will find virtually all the suspects and plot twists already present in Hammett, together with much of the banter between retired detective Nick Charles and his socialite wife, Nora, all wrapped up in the lightly comic tone established by [the original movie].”
—Kirkus
New York Times
Peter Ganim and Nicola Barber shine as the witty Nick and Nora Charles, and Scott Brick’s narration securely anchors the story.”
—AudioFile
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