This is probably the first of the "hard-boiled" detective novels that were later written by such authors as Mickey Spillane, John D. MacDonald, and Robert Parker. I think this is the 3rd Hammett novel I've read and it's probably the best. The story of a private detective who goes to a mining town in the West (probably Montana) at the request of a client who is killed before he has a chance to talk to him. The town is totally corrupt, run by gangsters, bootleggers, and crooked cops. The detective decides to clean up the town and does so by starting a gang war. This probably had more violence, murders, and bloodshed than any other novel I've ever read, including recent thrillers such as the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. Strong recommendation for this one.
