The Big Knockover And Other Stories

This is my fill-in book, read in 1/4 or 1/2 hours slots in the car, which is why it took so long for me to get through.
The stories were selected, and an introduction written by Lillian Hellman, a close friend of Hammett's. They are 10 short stories, mostly featuring his unnamed detective from the Continental Detective Agency. These were consistently pretty good, and I have provided only a short description of each, along with a rating.

The Gutting of Couffignal Hired to guard presents at a wedding on a wealth private island, a robbery takes place and the Op is left to sort out who the guilty party is. 4/5

Fly Paper The missing daughter of a wealthy man, extortion, double crossing, but with all those likely candidates who murdered the girl? 4/5

The Scorched Face Hunting two missing daughters, the Op uncovers a rash of debutante suicides and disappearances. 4/5

This King Business Set in an imaginary Balkans country, the Op is sent to discover what a wealthy boy has used his millions for - and it turns out his to be King of this country. The Op needs to extract him from the mess he is wrapped up in. 2/5 This one was less detective and more spy, and was an odd man out in this book (but not the only one!)

The Gatewood Caper The daughter of a wealthy businessman is abducted, but it doesn't all add up to the Continental Op, who has to sort it all out. 4/5

Dead Yellow Women The Continental Op is tasked with finding out why a seaside mansion was broken into by Chinese men, and his seeking finds him spending more time in Chinatown than he is comfortable with, but how does he sort out friends from enemies? 4/5

Corkscrew A Western setting for this story, in which the Continental Op plays deputy sheriff in a 2 horse town in Arizona. Working for a land development country to figure out why so many cowboys die in this town, which is preventing them to successfully selling farmland. Strangely out of place here, but a good cowboy story! 3.5/5

Tulip This is Hammett's unfinished novel, and doesn't even appear to be a Continental Op story, so it is a mystery why it is included here. Despite having an ended cobbled together by Lillian Hellman, was an awful example of writing, and in my view would have been better left out. 1/5

The Big Knockoff Criminals from all over the country appear in the city, and then two banks are robbed in an audacious scheme. Soon after, the crims start getting bumped off. The Continental Op is tangled up in the thick of it. 4.5/5

$106,000 Blood Money This one follows on from The Big Knockoff, in that there is a reward out for the ringleader of the robbery. There is, of course, a twist at the end! 4.5/5

A couple of duds in there, but consistent 4s otherwise, so 4 Stars.