The Maltese Falcon
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Narrated by:
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Robertson Dean
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By:
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Dashiell Hammett
About this listen
The definitive masterpiece of the hard-boiled detective genre, The Maltese Falcon first appeared in the pages of Black Mask magazine in 1929 and was almost immediately acknowledged as not only a great crime novel but an enduring masterpiece of American fiction.
Tough, cynical PI Sam Spade - a man who, as his creator explained, is "able to take care of himself in any situation, able to get the best of anybody he comes in contact with" - is hired by the story's irresistible femme fatale, Brigid O'Shaughnessy, to locate the client's sister by tailing her companion. Spade's partner, Miles Archer, takes on the assignment, and quickly both he and the man he was shadowing are murdered. As Spade pursues the mystery of his partner's death, he is drawn into a circle of colorful characters - all of them after a legendary statuette of a falcon fashioned long ago for King Charles of Spain.
Made of gold and encrusted with jewels, the falcon is worth a fortune. Missing for centuries, it resurfaced in Paris in 1911, covered in black enamel to disguise its value, and then disappeared again until it was traced to Constantinople - and now, it would seem, to Spade's own backyard.
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- By S. Scott on 01-05-15
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A Nail Through The Heart
- A Poke Rafferty Thriller
- By: Timothy Hallinan
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Poke Rafferty was writing offbeat travel guides for the young and terminally bored when Bangkok stole his heart. Now the American expat is assembling a new family with Rose, the former go-go dancer he wants to marry, and Miaow, the tiny, streetwise urchin he wants to adopt. But trouble in the guise of good intentions comes calling just when everything is beginning to work out.
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Ever been to Bangkok?
- By Richard Delman on 12-11-11
By: Timothy Hallinan
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A Stone for Danny Fisher
- By: Harold Robbins
- Narrated by: Charles Leggett
- Length: 15 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Born into a family of modest means and respectability, Danny Fisher was gradually driven downward into the world of crime, racketeering and poverty. His bitterness, his homesickness over the loss of the house in Brooklyn that was given to him for his eighth birthday, and his feud with his harsh father, pulled him one way; his natural decency and his love for a sweet Italian girl, Nellie Petito, pulled him another.
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My teenage read.
- By A. Mitchell on 11-11-11
By: Harold Robbins
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The Case of the Velvet Claws
- Perry Mason Series, Book 1
- By: Erle Stanley Gardner
- Narrated by: Alexander Cendese
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Married Eva Griffin has been caught with a prominent congressman, and is ready to pay the editor of a sleazy tabloid hush money to protect the politician. But first Perry Mason tracks down the publisher of the blackmailing tabloid and discovers a shocking secret, which eventually leads to Mason being accused of murder. This is the first Perry Mason mystery and our introduction to secretary Della Street, detective Paul Drake, and the great lawyer himself.
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Enter Perry Mason
- By David S. Mathew on 04-10-17
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A Rage in Harlem
- A Grave Digger & Coffin Ed Novel
- By: Chester Himes
- Narrated by: Samuel L. Jackson
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Academy Award nominee Samuel L. Jackson ( Pulp Fiction, Star Wars films), fresh off the success of his uproarious, Audie-nominated performance of the mock children’s book Go the F**k to Sleep, delivers a swaggering, darkly-humored rendering of Chester Himes’ classic first novel.
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Go the f--k to Audible and get this now!
- By Julie W. Capell on 03-22-12
By: Chester Himes
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The Eighth Commandment
- By: Lawrence Sanders
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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When the Damaretion, the prized Greek coin from Archibald Havistock's collection, disappears and appraiser Mary Lou "Dunk" Bateson comes under suspicion, Bateson, a cop, and an insurance investigator set out to solve the crime.
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It was a nice listen
- By John on 10-01-12
By: Lawrence Sanders
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Somebody Owes Me Money
- A Hard Case Crime Novel
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Stephen Thorne
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
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Cab driver Chet Conway was hoping for a good tip from his latest fare, the sort he could spend. But what he got was a tip on a horse race; which might have turned out okay, except that when he went to collect his winnings, Chet found his bookie lying dead on the living room floor. Chet knows he had nothing to do with it.
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Great reading of a hilarious novel
- By G. Steyn on 09-12-08
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The Bormann Testament
- Paul Chevasse, Book 1
- By: Jack Higgins
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
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Special Agent Paul Chavasee is about to start a much-deserved holiday when he is abruptly pulled back to active duty. He knows that if he's being called into action, a job has gone bad - and it's about to get a lot worse. As Hitler's private secretary - and an influential member of the Third Reich - Martin Bormann was one of those rare Nazis who managed to simply disappear at the end of World War II. But the terrible secrets Bormann carried into oblivion are about to be revealed to the world. A manuscript that exposes former Nazis, who are now in hiding, is up for grabs, and there are those in power who have much to lose with its discovery.
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Good but not great
- By Randy P. Borges on 05-01-24
By: Jack Higgins
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A Reason to Believe
- By: Diana Copland
- Narrated by: Jack LeFleur
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Detective Matthew Bennett doesn't believe in ghosts. So when the spirit of a murdered child leads him to her body, he's shaken to the core - and taken off the case. Unable to explain his vision, or to let go of the investigation, Matthew turns to renowned medium Kiernan Fitzpatrick. Though he has doubts about Kiernan's claims to communicate with the dead, Matt is nevertheless drawn to the handsome psychic, who awakens feelings he thought were long-buried.
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Addictive listening
- By A.R. on 01-03-13
By: Diana Copland
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God Save the Mark
- A Novel of Crime and Confusion
- By: Donald E. Westlake
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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What, you ask, is a Fred Fitch? Well, for one thing, Fred Fitch is the man with the most extensive collection of fake receipts, phony bills of sale, and counterfeit sweepstakes tickets in the Western hemisphere, and possibly in the entire world. For another thing, Fred Fitch may be the only New York City resident in the twentieth century to buy a money machine.
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American Gods for the Grifter set!
- By William R. on 09-06-11
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The Mangle Street Murders
- The Gower Street Detectives, Book 1
- By: M. R. C. Kasasian
- Narrated by: Lindy Nettleton
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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After her father dies, March Middleton has to move to London to live with her guardian, Sidney Grice, the country's most famous private detective. It is 1882, and London is at its murkiest yet most vibrant, wealthiest yet most poverty-stricken. No sooner does March arrive than a case presents itself: A young woman has been brutally murdered, and her husband is the only suspect.
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Witty and clever British mystery
- By Kathi on 03-22-14
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Tea with the Black Dragon
- Black Dragon, Book 1
- By: R. A. MacAvoy
- Narrated by: Megan Hayes
- Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Martha Macnamara knows that her daughter, Elizabeth, is in trouble; she just doesn't know what kind. Mysterious phone calls from San Francisco at odd hours of the night are the only contact she has had with Elizabeth for years. Now, Elizabeth has sent her a plane ticket and reserved a room for her at San Francisco's most luxurious hotel. Yet she has not tried to contact Martha since she arrived, leaving her lonely, confused, and a little bit worried. Into the story steps Mayland Long, a distinguished-looking and wealthy Chinese man who lives at the hotel and is drawn to Martha's good nature and ability to pinpoint the truth of a matter.
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My favorite dragon book
- By Ellenaeddy on 08-08-15
By: R. A. MacAvoy
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This radio dramatization of the classic movie features the four original stars. It aired on September 20, 1943.
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Remembrance of Things Past
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Mildred Pierce
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Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness and determination. She used those attributes to survive a divorce in 1940s America with two children and to claw her way out of poverty, becoming a successful businesswoman. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for shiftless men and an unreasoning devotion to her monstrous daughter.
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Mildred -- you pierce my heart
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The Adventures of Sam Spade: Lawless
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No bigger fad swept across postwar radio than that of the hard-boiled private detective - and nobody had more fun with their wink-and-nudge take on the genre than the producers, writers, and cast of The Adventures of Sam Spade. Dashiell Hammett's legendary private eye had a sardonic sense of humor, which wavy-haired, rugged-voiced Howard Duff played to perfection.
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One of the best Radio Detectives
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What listeners say about The Maltese Falcon
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeremy M.
- 04-15-21
Fantastic narration. Story a star underwhelming.
Having seen the film 7 or 8 times, this first (and last) go of the novel was most definitely underwhelming.
The ending felt very anticlimactic compared to the film, as I was waiting to hear Sam Spade say, "It's uhh....the things dreams are made of."
Narration was excellent.
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- Math-lover Adelina
- 08-25-23
Good Story--Mediocre Listen
I have been listening to Poirot and decided to branch out in the dectective/mystery genre. After years of hearing how great The Maltese Falcon and the Thin Man (both by the author) were, I figured this would be a delight, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping.
The story is solid, but the main character felt one-dimensional. Not sure if that was the reader or the author's choice to constantly talk about his "V-shaped mouth" and smiles/grimaces.
In favor of the book, I will say the noir atmosphere really paints a picture. I liked that. In favor of the reader, he does LOTS of recognizable voices--easy to follow.
But the pacing of this was off somehow.
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- Vincent t.
- 11-09-23
Absolutely Fantastic
Not only (especially being a nut for the era in which this was written) was this a fantastic read, it gives me a greater appreciation for the film (Bogart/Astor Version). The way the characters unfold through dialogue and action lead me to believe it was a PERFECTLY cast film. If you’re a nerd for history and the era this one is a MUST.
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- Zeno
- 04-19-24
The ultimate private-eye noir classic
I mean, who hasn’t heard of The Maltese Falcon, right? And for most of us it’ll mean instant memories of Humphrey Bogart in the role of Sam Spade, the ultimate private eye. You’ll also remember Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, the fantastic plot, and the dialogue, man, that dialogue it’s, you know, the stuff that dreams are made of.
Well, there’s that film and, frankly, if that’s all you’ll ever know about The Maltese Falcon, you’re wonderfully served. But did you know, for example, that several Maltese Falcon films were made? But now about the novel. Dashiell Hammett wrote it in serialized form in the late 1920s, it was then published as a novel in 1930.
If you’re a screenwriter like me then this novel will feel to you like a screenplay. Screenplays are extroverted. In them you read what happens on screen, what is seen, what is said, what is heard. Novels, most often, are introverted. They’ll come with a lot of character musings, we get to be in their heads, read about their thoughts, get to know them beyond their external actions. Not so in script, there’s not a single line in a screenplay about what’s happening inside a character’s head - there is only what they say, what they do, how they act and react. In Hammett’s novel then, he does just that - there’s nothing about what characters feel or think. Made me feel right at home as a screenwriter and, frankly, John Huston (who directed and also wrote the screenplay) must have felt the same way.
Aside from the novel being very script-like, it was also startling to me just how faithfully the iconic film follows the novel. For much of the novel I could just see Bogie and Mary Astor and the rest of the amazing cast - the lines were there, word for word, the actions, the big things, the little things - seemingly all there. Obviously, a number of things had to be cut to pack it all into the film, but, again, faithful as can be.
However, that iconic line I mentioned in the opening paragraph? “The Stuff that dreams are made of” - that awesomely epic line - is not in the novel (legend has it that Bogie himself suggested that line). I’m sure Hammett didn’t mind that particular addition! Oh, since we’re on the topic of Humphrey Bogart - he was nothing like the Sam Spade Hammett had created in his novel. The original Sam Spade was a blond hulking pack of muscles with - get this - eyes that often appear yellow! The novel’s Spade is also a lot meaner, spiteful, occasionally petty, downright cruel. Bogart plays all of that to some degree, but he gave us a Sam Spade who’s tough as nails while, underneath, we can always feel that there’s a cool and mature soul with, ultimately, the heart in the right place.
Well then, should you ever feel like going down the Maltese Falcon rabbit hole, then know that watching the Huston/Bogart film is a great starting point. Now pick up the novel and know that it’ll be like watching the movie, but it still offers a few surprises - such as the “Flitcraft Parable” … at some point in the novel this feels like the author’s giving us a break, a time-out, an intermezzo from the twisted plot. Sam Spade hangs out with Bridget O’Shaughnessy and tells her the story of a man name Flitcraft, who, after almost being killed by a falling beam, just leaves his family behind and vanished. It certainly is an unusual element in The Maltese Falcon. Clearly, the story means something to Sam Spade, he likes that “He adjusted himself to beams falling, and then no more of them fell, and he adjusted himself to them not falling.”
And when you’re done reading the novel, then why not check out the other Maltese Falcon movie adaptations? The first was made in 1931 (10 years before the Bogie version) and pretty much vanished for many years because it censors denied approval as the film was considered to contain lewd elements. The second film followed in 1936 and was called Satan Met a Lady - it starred Bette Davis and was more of a comedic take on the novel. Another ‘funny’ adaptation came about in the seventies, a film called The Black Bird, starring George Segal as Sam Spade. I have to say, I haven’t seen these three films, but now that I’m writing about them, I really want to!
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- Kenneth L. Wadlin
- 04-18-22
The Greatest Noir Detective Story of all time
This is it folks - it is such a classic because of the balanced characters with their conflicting personality traits keeps up a steady dialogue of snappy patter. They are all crooks, driven by a dream of riches embodied in the form of a jewel encrusted statue of a Falcon. Even if you are not a lover of crime stories, you should read this just to learn how great stories are constructed.
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- TY
- 09-01-22
Saw the movie a dozen times
I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Even though the story was just like the movie or I should say the movie was just like the story. The story was excellent than movie
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- KT
- 04-29-23
Fun. exciting, intriguing look back to 1920s
Terrific Classic! Great mystery. funny tounge in cheek dialog. It was fascinating to think about how different society is today. The story was interesting, though definitely a l9ve story from a male perspective with the woman he loves is all looks and no substitance.
The narration is outstanding.
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- DLDickey
- 07-23-23
Sam Spade
First Hammett novel I have read - won't be last. Good performance by reader.
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- D. Ellenwood
- 02-01-24
The narrator is battleship gray
Audio books tend to have a lot of colorful narrations to them, full vivid greens and blues and every other color you can imagine. The personality and the character of the narrator, in this case, is battleship gray. I got to chapter 3 and had to quit. More's the pity.
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- F. Khan
- 01-12-21
Too drawn out?
I felt that some sections of the book just went on and on. The story was ok, this was perhaps my first detective book, and probably the last; not my cup of tea.
The narration though, was excellent. Probably the one thing that drew me in to the book was the narrator.
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1 person found this helpful