The Maltese Falcon (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Dashiell Hammett
- First Published: 1930
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Detective and mystery
- Time of Work: Twentieth century
- Setting: San Francisco, California
- Genres: Long fiction, Mystery and detective literature
- Subjects: North America or North Americans, United States or Americans, Murder or homicide, Police, Betrayal, 1920’s, California, West, U.S., Detectives, Greed, San Francisco, Espionage or spies, Smuggling or smugglers, Private investigators, Precious metals or stones, Gems
- Locales: San Francisco, CA
Characters Discussed
Sam Spade, a tall, blond, pleasantly satanic-looking, hard-boiled private detective suspected of having killed Thursby and of having also killed Miles Archer in order to marry Iva. He at last learns how he has been used in the plot to get the Maltese falcon; he discovers the murderers of Miles and Thursby, and he turns Brigid over to the police.
Brigid O’Shaughnessy, his tall, attractive, auburn-haired, deceitful client, who first masquerades as a Miss Wonderly, then shoots Miles, double-crosses her associates, and finally attempts in vain to...
[The entire page is 517 words long]
