Another collection of short stories, some of which I've read before but some of which I hadn't, showing Hammett's wide range in writing--his slow-witted but good-hearted boxer speaks with a dictinct diction, as does his wonderfully charming highbrow aspiring poet-detective, who's in love with his terrible poetry but dismisses his brilliant detective work as nothing much. Also includes an early draft of the beginning of The Thin Man, which doesn't work very well on its own but definitely reveals how important Nick and Nora Charles are to making the whole thing crackle as the final product does.