The Gutting of Couffignal

The Continental Op

by Dashiell Hammett

"Notre projet prit corps avant même que nous ayons entendu parler de Couffignal. Nous allions trouver une petite communauté de gens riches, suffisamment isolée et, après nous y être établis, nous allions la piller. Couffignal, quand nous l'avons découvert, nous a paru l'endroit idéal..."

Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 1925

About the author

Also wrote as Peter Collinson, Daghull Hammett, Samuel Dashiell, Mary Jane Hammett

Dashiell Hammett, an American, wrote highly acclaimed detective fiction, including The Maltese Falcon (1930) and The Thin Man (1934).

Samuel Dashiell Hammett authored hardboiled novels and short stories. He created Sam Spade (The Maltese Falcon), Nick and Nora Charles (The Thin Man), and the Continental Op (Red Harvest and The Dain Curse) among the enduring characters. In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on film, Hammett "is now widely regarded as one of the finest mystery writers of all time" and was called, in his obituary in the New York Times, "the dean of the... 'hard-boiled' school of detective fiction."

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dashiell...

Reviews

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Mayhem galore. It wasn't until 3/4s of the way into the story that I began to have an idea what was the motive, and who might be the perpetrators. It seemed like a simple job for the Op. A big wedding among the rich and famous on Couffignal Island near San Francisco needed a professional to watch the valuable wedding gifts. A former President from South America, an English Earl, and others of the same ilk were attending. Late in the evening all became quiet as the celebrations died down. For some time after that, the Op was reading Shiel's 1901 sci-fi novel, The Lord of the Sea. Then all hell broke loose. The electricity and phones were cut; the little wooden bridge to the mainland was knocked down, and bombs exploded at the bank and jewellry shop in the village. The story first appeared in Black Mask in 1925, and was collected with all the rest in 2017's The Big Book of the Continental Op. Machine guns, rifles, a dead sheriff, you've got it. Keith Hendrickson, the host for the wedding, asks the Op "Can you do anything down there?" With one of the guests, General Pleshskev, at his side, our detective attacks. Get set for numerous surprises! (May2021/Se2025)

[Бранко · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard - boiled detective style story practically invented by Dashiell Hammett, action-oriented so much so that you can forget it's also a story of detection.
On the exclusive island of Couffignal, a detective , from “Continental Op" agency is given the dull job of watching over rich people's wedding gifts.
But gunfire and explosions heard on the island change his assignment. As the community's wealth is plundered by an invading gang and the operative leads the resistance, the action ramps up and up. You can get completely absorbed by the exciting and entertainingly written exploits of the operative, before you're taken by surprise by a plot twist that reminds you: oh yeah, this really is a mystery.
The detective has actually figured out who is behind the attempted knockover. All that action was misdirection.
Worth reading

[Filipa Batista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um livro perfeito para quem gosta de um bom plot twist cheio de ação e irreverência.

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable jaunt through dysfunctional behaviors. A noir detective tale well told.