The Dain Curse
by Dashiell Hammett

The nameless narrator of this, and many other stories by Hammett, is the Continental Op (that is, an operative of the Continental Detective Agency, San Francisco office). In this case from 1929, he takes on one of his weirdest mysteries, involving drugs, religious cults, and murder.

The client is the heiress of the Dain family, which seems to be followed around by a fatal curse. People close to her keep dying bad deaths. Is she the killer, or is someone trying to frame her? Is she under a curse? Is a real live ghost involved? Could morphine-influenced dabbling in the occult be to blame? Or is Miss Dain herself a killer's target?

Never has the Op entertained so many theories that were, in many cases, so strange. But in this creepy, suspenseful, cleverly plotted story, starring one of the great unsentimental heroes of American fiction, nothing will surprise you more than the real solution to the puzzle.

You may also enjoy the numerous other stories about the Continental Op, including the novel Red Harvest.

Parental advisory: this book depicts heavy alcohol use.

Robbie Fischer
Arizona USA

Recommended Age: 16+

If you would like to contact Robbie, you may do so here.