Dashiell Hammett

Arson Plus illustrated Dashiell Hammett

Librarian's note: this entry relates to the story, "Arson Plus." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere. This classic tale from "Black Mask" is the first appearance of ''The Continental Op'', a character who would eventually appear in 28 stories and two novels. Our private detective is stationed in San Francisco. Here he goes out to Sacramento County to investigate an arson at the Thornburgh house on behalf of his insurance company client. The insurance policy was very recent and the company wants to be sure it is legitimate before covering the claim