description The Dain Curse Overview
The Dain Curse is a 1929 novel by Dashiell Hammett featuring the unnamed Continental Op, an investigator employed by a private detective agency. Beginning with a diamond theft, the inquiry expands into murders, religious manipulation, drug use, and claims that the Dain family is afflicted by a hereditary curse. The novel uses apparently supernatural events as elements in a hardboiled investigation grounded in deception, criminal schemes, and competing explanations.
help The Dain Curse FAQ
Who is the detective in The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett?
The Dain Curse features the unnamed Continental Op, an investigator employed by a private detective agency. This is the same recurring protagonist who appeared in Hammett's earlier novel Red Harvest. The Continental Op is one of the foundational figures in the hardboiled detective genre.
When was The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett published?
The Dain Curse was published as a complete novel in 1929 by Dashiell Hammett. It originally appeared as a serialized story in the magazine Black Mask before being expanded into book form. It followed the publication of Red Harvest.
What is the plot of The Dain Curse?
The Dain Curse begins with a diamond theft investigation that expands into murders, religious manipulation, drug use, and claims that the Dain family is cursed. The Continental Op navigates a labyrinth of cults and criminal schemes in the San Francisco area. The narrative is divided into three distinct sections or 'parts.'
Is The Dain Curse part of a series with other Dashiell Hammett novels?
The Dain Curse is one of several novels featuring the Continental Op, though each book functions as a standalone story. The Op also appears in Hammett's 1929 novel Red Harvest. Hammett is better known for The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man, which feature different protagonists.
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