h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ha! Eye-catching forum title, isn't it? I'm humbly submitting another article, http://www.h2g2.com/A464429. It's about Dashiell Hammett, one of my favorite modern American authors. He is a great antidote for all of the wretched mystery novels before the reading public. A "palate cleanser", as I would call it.

Drop me a note and let me know what you think. Thanks!

I liked the aritcle. I'll have to look him up. I've always been interested in how people did criminal investigations without some of the thigns we know today.

Two things have continually amazed me since I've been a police officer and a detective. One is how little the field has changed, and the other is how well law enforcement has done it's job in the past and in small agencies even without the aide of all that stuff you see on the Discovery Channel.

Incidently, I was really enthralled by the beginning of Sleepy Hollow, at least until all the spirit stuff started.

The science we have now is amazing. There are interview techniques that can detect decetpion 90+% of the time. Have investigators been using these techniques for years without realizing it was science? Profilers can tell you about the person who commited a crime based on the crime scene. What have detectives noted about crime scenes over the centuries without needed PhD's?

I look forward to reading his material and learning the secrets of real detectives. Back when they could actually work.

(I can't jsut say, "Yah, I liked the article.")

Thanks Two Bit! Happy reading!

I suggest reading The Maltese Falcon first. In addition to being his most famous work, it is incredibly suspenseful (something looks wrong about the spelling of that word, but I can't put my finger on it) and a ripping good yarn.

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review Sin Bin' to 'Dashiell Hammett'.

Back to Entry - became A507016 Dashiell Hammett - Author