A review by armoore1231
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

More of a genre establishing entry than a mastery of the genre noir, the intrigue isn’t that intriguing, the mystery isn’t that mysterious, and the main character isn’t nearly as fuckable as Dashiell Hammett thinks he is. I had some very clever ideas for twists that I will whisper to the ghost of DH in seance in case he wants to use them (I am not sure how temporality works in the spirit world). I thought the frame-up was on Spade, which would have been rewarding. I also thought Effie mod podged the fake-o falcon and kept the real one at her mom’s so the gang could double cash in. Either of these would have been more satisfying endings! 

Extra star for the extremely horny description of rolling a cigarette in Chapter 2.