The Continental Op comes to Personville (or “Poisonville” as
the locals call it) to meet with local newspaper publisher Donald Willsson. But
when Willsson turns up dead, the Op has to figure out why. This leads to a dive
into the complex, intricate, and dangerous layers of criminality that control
Personville. All of which the Op intends to clear away.
Red Harvest is a classic of both the crime and noir genres
as well as the detective genre. The Op is as quintessential a character as
Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot: cool and clever under fire, adaptable in
high-stakes, fast-changing situations, and willing to use any means necessary
without breaking from his moral foundation. He’s not as cynical as Jack Bauer
or Dirty Harry, but he’s as willing to do whatever it takes to destroy crime at
its source.
What makes Red Harvest stand out among its peers is the
sheer scope of corruption and intrigue in Personville. The murder mystery that
kicks the plot off could keep a lesser book going for 300 pages, but Hammett
weaves it into a much wider story within the first few chapters. When the plot
is actually solved, it’s practically an afterthought between the much larger
plans in motion.
The cast of characters is worthy of such complex levels of
double crossing and back stabbing, and the way the Op plays off each, from the
bitter, emotional Old Man Elihu to the cutthroat and stoic Max “Whisper”
Thaler, leaves the reader constantly involved, constantly excited, and
constantly guessing how the Op will handle his next challenge. This is a story
that never sits still but rides from suspense to suspense with all the audacity
of the modern action movie.
It’s been said that Hammett drew inspiration from his life
as a detective for his Continental Op stories. To whatever degree this is true,
one thing is certain: Red Harvest is a crime novel as alive as anyone you might
meet on the streets. If you want a story that will thrill and excite, you can
hardly do better.
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