HAMMETT, Dashiell

The Glass Key

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1931. First American Edition. First Printing. Octavo (19.5cm); jade green cloth, with titling, rule, and decorations stamped in maroon and dark green on spine and covers; dark brown topstain; [viii],282,[2]pp. Gentle sunning to spine and covers, base of spine crimped, with faint foxing to front cover, and some mild dustiness and two faint splash marks to rear cover; contemporary owners penciled name to front endpaper, else contents clean; Very Good+, lacking the dustjacket.

Hammett's fourth novel, set in a nameless city modeled on Baltimore, MD, where he grew up. "Like Personville in Red Harvest, the city is controlled by crooked politicians in league with various mobster factions; but in The Glass Key Hammett gives us an insider's view of the corruption and in fact creates a corrupt political henchman as his protagonist" (Pronzini & Muller, 1001 Midnights, p.335). First serialized in four parts in Black Mask (1930), then published in London prior to publication in the U.S., the book served as the basis for two notable film adaptations: the 1935 Frank Tuttle picture starring George Raft, and Stuart Heisler's 1942 film noir starring Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, and Brian Donlevy. LAYMAN A4.2.a.

Price: $650.00

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