Historical mysteries are selling like the proverbial hot cakes these days, with many making the 2008 "top crime fiction" listings. So it should stand to reason that a new historical crime fiction title coming out in February 2009 will be equally popular—especially since it's titled Spade & Archer: The Prequel to Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon. As Booklist Online pointed out, "A prequel to The Maltese Falcon sounds like a bad idea in so many ways, but not when it’s three-time Edgar winner {Joe] Gores—author of the novel Hammett (1975), a former PI himself, and a master of the hard-boiled style—at the helm." The story follows the earlier adventures of Sam Spade, his partner Miles Archer, and secretary Effie Perrine before the events of The Maltese Falcon, continuing in the style of Hammett's prose.
Reviewer Bill Ott says, "Rather than marveling at how much Gores sounds
like Hammett, we forget all about who’s doing the talking and let the
mood take over." Kirkus adds, "Along with the obligatory pleasures of watching Spade dealing with
familiar supporting characters for the first time, Gores, a far more
virtuoso plotter than Hammett, keeps multiple pots boiling furiously
while providing a pitch-perfect replica of his master's voice."
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