The Continental Op-1928 — Dashiell Hammett

1928 was a seminal year for Dashiell Hammett. He ended the series of stories known as the Poisonville stories that were later turned into the novel Red Harvest. Later in the year he began the series of stories that were turned into the novel The Dain Curse. In between those two series, Hammett sent his Op to the Balkans to babysit a naive rich boy who thought he might become a king by backing a coup – a lesser known comic opera done in Hammett's inimitable style....DynamiteThe Cleansing of Poisonville.A novelette in nine chapters.The 19th MurderThe Continental detective cleans up.A novelette in twelve chapters.This King BusinessThe desire to rule is inherent in the breasts of most of us, notwithstanding the number of thrones that have toppled in the past decade. Mr. Hammett tells us of the strange series of events which led an American youth to seek kingship in the Powder Magazine of Europe—the Balkans. The consequences were—to put it mildly—exciting.Chapter I – Yes—and NoChapter II – RomaineChapter III – ShadowingChapter IV – IntroductionsChapter V – A FloggingChapter VI – Cards On The TableChapter VII – Lionel's PlansChapter VIII – An Enlightening InterviewChapter IX – ConjecturesChapter X – Einarson In ControlChapter XI – A Romantic InterludeChapter XII – The Night BeforeChapter XIII – Progress Goes BetuneChapter XIV – CoronationChapter XV – Bargain HuntersChapter XVI – Lionel RexChapter XVII – Mob LawBlack LivesThe Dain Curse (Part 1)A novelette in six chaptersThe Hollow TempleThe Dain Curse (Part 2)A novelette in seven chapters