Reviews of “The Gatewood Caper” (1923) and related work

“The Gatewood Caper” (1923Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

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“Corkscrew” (1925Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

High concept: The Continental Op mixed up with cowboys.

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“Dead Yellow Women” (1925Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

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“The Gutting of Couffignal” (1925Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

Well executed but too high-concept.

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“The Scorced Face” (1925Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

Beautifully compatible with contemporary H. P. Lovecraft, albeit mundane.

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“The Big Knockover” (1927Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

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‣‣ “$106,000 Blood Money” (1927Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

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“This King Business” (1928Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

Balkan blue-blood romanticism is a poor fit with the tone and setting of Hammett’s more celebrated and influential work, but it’s fascinating how much of this high-concept stuff he actually wrote.

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“Fly Paper” (1929Text)

Dashiell Hammett (writer).

A good fast-moving yarn of downward mobility, deconstructing the already-old arsenic tolerance trope.

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