Every week I receive a short story from the Library of America. This week’s story was classic detective fiction from none other than Dashiel Hammett. In case you’ve forgotten, Hammett is the genius who created Nick and Nora, Sam Spade/The Maltese Falcon and numerous novels featuring the Continental Detective Agency.
This short story, Arson Plus, was Hammett’s first story in his Continental Detective agency series. His name was not kinown back then when he submitted it to a magazinee. Hammett used his experience as a Pinkerton detective to write the story.
In Arson Plus, the anonymous detective (we never learn his name) is assigned a case from an insurance company. There had been a fire in a house outside Sacremento. The house was a total loss. The insurance company suspected arson. Our detective, after a brief look at the basics, had a hunch the insurance company was right.
In terms of the people involved in the case, we find very few. The man who died in the house-fire was an extremely private person, so there is little to know about him. Employed by this man was a husband/wife team of servants. And then there was the man’s niece who is his only heir. There are only a few other witnesses.
Our nameless detective was very organized and diligent as he moved from clue to clue and witness to witness. He followed up on every lead. And of course, it paid off as he solved the mystery.
This was a very good mystery that caught me by surprise. There was a nice trick at the very end.
If you’re interested in reading this old classsic mystery, visit here: Story of the Week
Short Story Monday is sponsored by John at Book Mind Set.