Red Harvest

Red Harvest brings Dashiell Hammett’s approach to fiction, mystery into clear focus first published in 1929. Its central concerns include secrecy, evidence, motive, and the difficult search for truth, approached through the possibilities of fiction, mystery. As part of a series, the book also contributes to a larger imaginative or narrative design while retaining its own identity. Dashiell Hammett relies on a carefully controlled structure that rewards attention to detail and shifting suspicion, allowing mood and structure to carry as much meaning as subject matter. At roughly 63,250 words with an easy reading profile, it offers a reading commitment that is easy to judge before beginning while still leaving room for close attention. Its continuing value lies in its role in shaping the pleasures and conventions of detective and suspense fiction. The result is a book that rewards readers who enjoy carefully controlled structure while leaving room for reflection after the final page.