Reviews
Early praise: "No one understands Dashiell Hammett better than Joe Gores, and no one but Joe Gores could have produced such a masterful and faithful rendering of the prequel toThe Maltese Falcon.Spade & Archerstands on its own as a taut, engrossing existential crime saga set in San Francisco's vibrant 1920's, and as an evocation of Hammett's style and plots is a triumph. Gores's wondrous talent shines and the shadow it casts of Hammett is smiling." James Grady, author ofSix Days of the CondorandMad Dogs "Seventy-nine years afterThe Maltese Falconwas first published, the other (gum)shoe drops. It's calledSpade and Archerand it's fabulous." Michael Harvey "It took guts for Joe Gores to attempt a prequel to one of the great American novels. Guts or nuts, had to be one or the other. Lesser writers have attempted to ape Hammett's style and come off like mannered tough guys wearing their big brothers' double-breasted suits, but Gores manages to be both true to Hammett's vision and true to his own considerable gifts.Spade & Archeris a triumphintricately plotted, deft and strongly written, and perhaps most exciting, he shows us Sam Spade at the beginning of his career, deepening our appreciation of the character. I loved it." Robert Ferrigno "I was amazed at Joe Gore'sSpade & Archer. He's got Hammett's style down, and the story he tells is every bit as engrossing as anything Hammett ever wrote. I adored it." Joe R. Lansdale "Edgar-winner Gores has not only pulled off the Herculean task of writing a prequel toThe Maltese Falconbut also created a rip-roaring yarn of his own that will please even the crustiest of Hammett devotees . . . The author, who does a brilliant job of bringing Prohibition-era San Francisco to life with street-level detail and a native's perspective, also captures Hammett's spare style and tone perfectly." Publishers Weekly(starred) "Veteran Gores spins the straw of an origin story for the firm of Spade & Archer, violently dissolved in the opening chapters ofThe Maltese Falcon,into storytelling gold . . . 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." Kirkus Reviews(starred) "Here's another chance to walk the streets of San Francisco with the city's most memorable fictional character . . . Gores not only creates a compelling backstory for Spade but also does it so completely in the Hammett style that we suspend disbelief in an instant. Rather than marveling at how much Gores sounds like Hammett, we forget all about who's doing what and let the mood take over. From the clipped dialogue to the emphasis on the geography of San Francisco to the carefully detailed recounting of what a PI does, Gores nails it. He's equally on the mark with Hammett's characters." Booklist(starred), The very first reviews, both starred: "Veteran Gores spins the straw of an origin story for the firm of Spade & Archer, violently dissolved in the opening chapters ofThe Maltese Falcon,into storytelling gold . . . 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." Kirkus Reviews(starred) "Here's another chance to walk the streets of San Francisco with the city's most memorable fictional character . . . Gores not only creates a compelling backstory for Spade but also does it so completely in the Hammett style that we suspend disbelief in an instant. Rather than marveling at how much Gores sounds like Hammett, we forget all about who's doing what and let the mood take over. From the clipped dialogue to the emphasis on the geography of San Francisco to the carefully detailed recounting of what a PI does, Gores nails it. He's equally on the mark with Hammett's characters." Booklist(starred), Early praise: "No one understands Dashiell Hammett better than Joe Gores, and no one but Joe Gores could have produced such a masterful and faithful rendering of the prequel to The Maltese Falcon . Spade & Archer stands on its own as a taut, engrossing existential crime saga set in San Francisco's vibrant 1920's, and as an evocation of Hammett's style and plots is a triumph. Gores's wondrous talent shines and the shadow it casts of Hammett is smiling." James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor and Mad Dogs "Seventy-nine years after The Maltese Falcon was first published, the other (gum)shoe drops. It's called Spade and Archer and it's fabulous." Michael Harvey "It took guts for Joe Gores to attempt a prequel to one of the great American novels. Guts or nuts, had to be one or the other. Lesser writers have attempted to ape Hammett's style and come off like mannered tough guys wearing their big brothers' double-breasted suits, but Gores manages to be both true to Hammett's vision and true to his own considerable gifts. Spade & Archer is a triumphintricately plotted, deft and strongly written, and perhaps most exciting, he shows us Sam Spade at the beginning of his career, deepening our appreciation of the character. I loved it." Robert Ferrigno "I was amazed at Joe Gore's Spade & Archer . He's got Hammett's style down, and the story he tells is every bit as engrossing as anything Hammett ever wrote. I adored it." Joe R. Lansdale "Edgar-winner Gores has not only pulled off the Herculean task of writing a prequel to The Maltese Falcon but also created a rip-roaring yarn of his own that will please even the crustiest of Hammett devotees . . . The author, who does a brilliant job of bringing Prohibition-era San Francisco to life with street-level detail and a native's perspective, also captures Hammett's spare style and tone perfectly." Publishers Weekly (starred) "Veteran Gores spins the straw of an origin story for the firm of Spade & Archer, violently dissolved in the opening chapters of The Maltese Falcon, into storytelling gold . . . 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." Kirkus Reviews (starred) "Here's another chance to walk the streets of San Francisco with the city's most memorable fictional character . . . Gores not only creates a compelling backstory for Spade but also does it so completely in the Hammett style that we suspend disbelief in an instant. Rather than marveling at how much Gores sounds like Hammett, we forget all about who's doing what and let the mood take over. From the clipped dialogue to the emphasis on the geography of San Francisco to the carefully detailed recounting of what a PI does, Gores nails it. He's equally on the mark with Hammett's characters." Booklist (starred)
