V P P itibaren Ridgefield, OH, Birleşik Devletler itibaren Ridgefield, OH, Birleşik Devletler

This diary was fascinating. What does an educated woman do when the only job available that falls in her lap is that of an escort? She does it and does it very very well.

Sam Spade is the quintessential, hard-boiled detective that all other detectives appear to be based off of. From reading this I finally understand where the term 'hard-boiled' derives from. "I won't play the sap for you...Your Sam's a detective." Through perils of misdirection, fat men, women, guns, Levantines, and of course the Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade determines the truth and refuses to make allowances for anyone, making sure that even if he doesn't come out smelling like a lily, he also is not going to be the fall guy. What I found to be the most interesting angle of this story was the role of the three women who pass through, stay, or maintain a link to Sam Spade. Well, mostly, I didn't appreciate how the women are portrayed to be like. Iva, Brigid, and Effie are three of the most..irksome...females I have come across since Abigail Williams from The Crucible. Iva is a classic example of a woman obsessed, believing that Sam would do dastardly deeds just to keep her. I can easily see her becoming Fatal Attraction material. Effie, full of 'womans intuition', refutes Sam for doing something she disapproves of. Brigid, seems innocent, and lovely, and completely unassuming, but uses the worst, most guilt inducing line ever put into any characters repertoire. It is up to you, the reader, to finish this book to find it out. Despite Sam Spades character flaws, I found myself agreeing with his methods and his actions. In the end, he is just a man, and one who will do what is necessary to survive.

I loved this book. It was a little slow at the beginning, but I grew to love the story and can't wait to read the sequel. Story of a pioneer family in the Arizona territories and a good love story.