Hammett

San Francisco in the late 1920s is a city of narrow alleys, thick fog and politicians who bend the law for their own gain. For Hammett, a former Pinkerton operative who now struggles to make a living as a writer, the place has long served as raw material for his stories. That changes when a friend is killed in a violent, senseless way. Hammett sets aside his typewriter, takes up the detective's trade again, and plunges into the rough, noisy streets to hunt the man responsible.

Joe Gores, himself a former private investigator, builds the novel around a real man. Its protagonist is modeled on Dashiell Hammett, the author of The Maltese Falcon, and the book draws on the author's knowledge of how investigators actually work. The city is more than a backdrop, with its corrupt officials and its mix of tough characters shaping every step of the search.

Hammett was published in 1975 by G.P. Putnam's Sons. It was later adapted into a 1982 film directed by Wim Wenders, with Frederic Forrest in the lead role.