Hammett's debut novel unmistakably reveals his strong working-class sympathies and dissatisfaction with both the American social system and his former role as an enforcer for those who exploit others. Established in 1850, the Pinkerton Detective Agency played a crucial role in law enforcement in the United States, especially during a time when there was a lack of national agencies to handle interstate crime. The agency was often employed to manage cases that exceeded the scope and abilities of local police departments. The Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) aimed to organize industrial labor across the nation, leading to frequent and sometimes violent strikes. These events proved advantageous for Pinkerton's agency, which was regularly hired to break up strikes and interfere with union activities. Hammett had several assignments of this nature and expressed deep regret over his involvement in such cases. His growing disillusionment with detective work and his increasing interest in Marxist social philosophy can be traced back to his revulsion with these anti-union tasks.

Apart from these themes, which are closely tied to Hammett's personal experiences, Red Harvest shares social concerns similar to those found in the works of authors like Theodore Dreiser, Frank Norris, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. These writers critically highlighted social injustices in America and lamented the decline of the American Dream. Consequently, Red Harvest emerges as a work of social critique, spotlighting the persistent corruption of the American pastoral ideal, unveiling the violent and avaricious world of the Prohibition era, and presenting several existential challenges to individuals who oppose such corruption and greed.

Personville, where most of the story unfolds, serves as a microcosm of the United States. Its sarcastic nickname, Poisonville, reflects its corrupted nature, a concept described by critic George Grella as "The Great Bad Place." Crime isn't just present in the town; it's the status quo. Personville's location in the West—possibly a blend of Boulder, Colorado, and the mining towns of Butte and Anaconda, Montana—symbolizes the erosion of the frontier spirit. This transformation from a frontier to an industrial urban environment has turned the often justified violence of the West into the criminal violence of gangsters and tycoons, driven solely by greed and power.

Hammett views Personville as "sick from the diseases of violence, greed, and capitalist extortion," representing a broader societal issue. The violence brought in by Elihu Wilsson to suppress coal miners' labor unrest has become permanent, ultimately leading to his own son's death. Although a questionable order is eventually reinstated, Hammett suggests that Personville's moral decay is beyond repair. Eventually, someone will fill the power gap left by the National Guard's inevitable departure, which Elihu Wilsson had called in at the request of the Continental Op.

The evolution of the American hard-boiled detective novel diverges significantly from the lineage one might expect. Rather than evolving directly from the works of classic detective fiction like those of Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie, its roots are embedded in the traditions of medieval romance and the American Western novel. The classic detective stories often unfold within idyllic, rural-pastoral settings, while hard-boiled narratives are reminiscent of Grailquest romances. These tales feature heroes who traverse desolate landscapes, undertaking arduous quests amidst decaying societies, much like knights of old who sought to rejuvenate barren lands under the shadow of a failing king.

The Western novel also serves as a precursor, with its protagonists often fighting for civilization against the chaos of the frontier. These characters, despite their allegiance to the advancement of society, remain ambivalent, preferring the untamed wilds over the encroaching civilizations they ostensibly protect. This duality is evident in...

Red Harvest is a work from Dashiell Hammett's Black Mask era, his initial phase of creativity, during which most of his stories and novels were featured in this pulp magazine. The character of the unnamed Continental Op is pivotal to this early phase, which starts with the release of "Arson Plus" in October 1923 and concludes with "The Farewell Murder" in 1930. All the stories and the two Op novels, Red Harvest and The Dain Curse, are linked by this detective character and a consistently bleak perspective on American society. Contrary to some critics' views, the Op's character remains relatively unchanged throughout the series, with little variation in his violent tactics or ethical position. Many commentators have noted the prevalence of violence in the Op stories, but this surge of brutality is intended not to excite the reader but to convince them of the author's grim view of American society.

The Dain Curse, Hammett's subsequent and final Op novel, is notable for being the first American novel to explore the realm of California religious cults. Parts of the book incorporate the literary technique of stream-of-consciousness, which Hammett was hoping to apply in some of his future non-detective works. In this novel, Hammett also begins to express his interest in the modern theme of illusion versus reality, a concept that becomes a central theme in The Maltese Falcon.