Read this years ago and remember how I thought then few writers could match Hammett for economy of language and plot. I suspect that for many readers today the emotional impact will not be there unless they immerse themselves in the time period with movies, other novels and, possibly, true crime stories such as Harold Schechter's The Mad Sculptor: The Maniac, the Model, and the Murder that Shook the Nation, plus others. Otherwise it's a complicated cause-and-effect novel. Then the tightly wound hero's personal, internal conflict fails to emerge.His most famous novel, The Maltese Falcon, and the movie from it deserves all the fame through the decades. The book is a good introduction to Hammett's style and ability to manage an intricate plot.Remember that Hammett writes of a time long gone--and of a subterranean culture of that period. He and Raymond Chandler moved crime/mystery writing to the bright lights of popularity, but very few have achieved anything close.Few, very few any better.I recommend anyone interested to read slowly, consider the implications of each scene and action. That's where the sweetness stays.