The Dain Curse

"The Dain Curse" is the second novel by Dashiell Hammett, the author universally regarded as the father of "hard boiled" detective fiction. The book was first serialized in the pulp fiction magazine Black Mask in 1928 and released as a novel in 1929.

The story is told in the first person, narrated by Hammett's enigmatic detective known only as the Continental Op. Sent to investigate a diamond heist from Edgar Leggett, patriarch of the wealthy Leggett family of San Francisco, the Op learns that a supposed "curse" lingers over Leggett's in-laws, the Dain family. The "Dain Curse" is said to be responsible for the violent deaths of a number of people associated with the Dains and as the Op delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers an intricate web of deceit, robberies, addiction...and murder.

"The Dain Curse" is among the finest works of Dashiell Hammett and its publication, in tandem with his first novel, a Continental Op mystery "Red Harvest," marked the arrival of one of the 20th century's most celebrated writers of detective fiction. It is presented here in its original and unabridged format.