Dashiell Hammett is regarded as one of the finest mystery writers and one of the founders of 'hard-boiled' school of detective fiction. Hammett created some memorable characters and fictional detectives such as Sam Spade, the main protagonist of the novel "The Maltese Falcon", Nick Charles from The Thin Man, and The Continental Op, a nameless private investigator, who appears in several of his works. His novels and stories had a significant influence on films. Table of Contents: The Maltese Falcon Red Harvest The Dain Curse The Glass Key The Thin Man