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mcfarlandclan's review
4.0
Loved it. Just finished it last night. What a fun read. Couldn't help but read the Spade dialog in the voice of Bogart. Watching The Maltese Falcon now to complete the double-feature.
jonjeffryes's review
5.0
I thought this book took a while to get moving, but by book two I was rapt. Gores does a great job of capturing Hammett's style and keeps Sam Spade as tough and mysterious as the original--no backstories or psychologizing. A very satisfying noir detective read.
psteve's review
3.0
I've enjoyed almost all Gores books, but for some reason this one put me off at the beginning. Maybe it was the obvious retelling of the Flitcraft story (the famous story from The Maltese Falcon) so early in the story. But the book righted itself soon, mostly because of its portrayal of San Francisco in the 20s. By the end, the last line of the book was also maybe a bit obvious, but fun.
claudiaswisher's review
3.0
Reading this right after reading THE MALTESE FALCON might have been unfair to Gores, but I really did love how he reflected Hammett's voice without trying to imitate. Truth be known, I preferred Hammett, but...Gore gave me so much back story...how Effie and Sam met, why he's carrying the weight of the world on those rounded shoulders, what a jerk Miles Archer was, and what a knight in shining armor Sam became to avenge the murder of a jerk.
You could tell that Gores knew and loved the characters, the setting, and the genre. A fun read.
You could tell that Gores knew and loved the characters, the setting, and the genre. A fun read.
aimer123's review
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - After Dashiell Hammet’s “The Maltese Falcon”, I went looking for more of Sam Spade. Spade & Archer is positioned as the prequel to TMF.
While Gores writes in the same clipped fashion as it’s muse, and packs this tale full of characters and ne’er do wells, this book just didn’t possess the same je ne sais quoi that Dashiell Hammett’s Maltese Falcon does. It lacked the sizzle and spark of its successor.
While Gores writes in the same clipped fashion as it’s muse, and packs this tale full of characters and ne’er do wells, this book just didn’t possess the same je ne sais quoi that Dashiell Hammett’s Maltese Falcon does. It lacked the sizzle and spark of its successor.
dennisb's review
5.0
Joe Gores does a masterful job of capturing the Maltese Falcon ambience. Fascinating from beginning to end. If you like Bogie, the Maltese Falcon, and noir in general, you'll love this read.
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