Mystery Review: The Return of the Continental Op is an easy if arbitrary introduction to Dashiell Hammett's early creation. The Continental Op, an agent or operative for the Continental Detective Agency (modeled on Pinkerton's where Hammett had worked), is the nameless protagonist of many of Hammett's early stories and novels. In these stories we learn that the Op served in the Great War, is about 40 years old, is short and weighs 180 pounds. The five stories herein are: "The Whosis Kid" (1925) - On a whim the Op decides to tail a known gunman he sees on the street, which soon leads him straight into the midst of a battle between backstabbing (literally) international jewel thieves; "The Gutting of Couffignal" (1925) - While on duty guarding the presents at a rich folks' wedding reception the Op finds himself fighting a one-man battle against a mysterious military-style invasion turned crime spree, machine guns and all, and has to steal a crutch from a cripple; "Death and Company" (1930) - A kidnapped wife leads to two murders and no one the richer; "One Hour" (1924) - The Op solves the case of a fatal hit and run in an hour, and then goes to the hospital; "The Tenth Clew" (1924) - After a rich man in murdered there are too many clues and the Op almost drowns. The Return of the Continental Op was part of the broad release of the first collections of Hammett's short stories in book form. The Op stories are almost devoid of characterization except that necessary to describe an able detective, which is carefully detailed and explained. We get little background, no friends, family, or history, not even a name. The reader is given a premise, a bit of violence, and a solution. A complete collection of the Op oeuvre is available for those who like their stories cut and dried, basic, and to the point. [3½★]
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