Maltese Falcon; The Impossible Fortune

 

After reading Max Allan Collins' sequel, I wanted to give the Hammett version another chance. I read it many years ago and didn't really care for it, but I've found sometimes if I go back and reread something that I read when I was young, now that I'm older it's better ("Pride and Prejudice" immediately leaps to mind--I love that book now. Thirty years ago? Not so much). 

At any rate, no, it didn't work. I still didn't like it. I guess I just don't care for Hammett's writing style. 

Spade's partner Miles is murdered while they're working the case to try to find the falcon statue, which is supposed to be worth a lot of money. There are about twenty other people looking for it, too (I'm exaggerating a bit. It wasn't really twenty, it just felt like it). More people die, Spade proves to be a real jerk, and in the end no one has the falcon. 

Enough said. Moving on. 

The next Thursday Murder Club mystery was much better. I love when a series keeps its original charm. It's hard to do after so many books (I'm thinking of Stephanie Plum, but to be fair, the last dozen or so have been better). 

Joyce's daughter, Joanna, is getting married! Joyce is, of course, beside herself with happiness. Her fiancé, Paul, is a nice guy. His best man, Nick, confides to Elizabeth that someone is trying to kill him--there was a bomb strapped to his car that morning. Elizabeth is intrigued, even more so when the Club interviews Nick's business partner, Holly, who is promptly blown up with a car bomb. 

Meanwhile, Ron's daughter's husband, Danny, has beaten her black and blue for the last time. Suzi pulls a gun on him and orders him to leave, which he does, but of course he's planning on killing her. And her brother Jason and Ron too. 

There was a lot going on, but it all tied together and was a lot of fun. I'm all caught up now, so I'll be over here, impatiently waiting for the next one 😄