Punk Human

BLOOD MONEY

by Dashiell Hammett (1927)

The big knock-over. One street. Two banks. Smart planning and precise organisation. At least one hundred thieves and grifters on the job, many from out of town. Who are then separated into teams and allocated specific tasks on the day of the robbery. Alarms. Sirens. Deadly shoot out. The armed thieves abscond with the loot. But bitterness soon displaces sweet success, as the robbers are murdered in groups when they meet to split up the stolen treasure. Is there a Mr Big behind all this action? The Continental Op investigates. Blood money. $106,000 payable to the person who aids in the apprehension of the Old Man. But don’t let that description fool you. In this case, age pertains to wisdom. Mr Papadopoulos is smart, patient, organised, and a leader. He’s also an expert crook who has recently made a mint. Following on from the big knock-over, the Continental Op tracks the Old Man to his hideout. But things do not go as planned! Fiction. 189 pages. Dell Mapback 486.

Cover of the novel 'Blood Money' by Dashiell Hammett, featuring a woman in a red dress and a shadowy figure in the foreground.

DETAILS:

Title: Blood money

Year: 1927

Author: Dashiell Hammett

Pages: 189

Series: Dell Book 486 (Mapback produced between 1943-1951)

Text graphic featuring the phrase 'Punk Human' in bold, stylised lettering with a red and black background.

Book review by Keith Salter

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