The Maltese Falcon is a novel written by Dashiell Hammett in 1929. It was originally published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York, in 1930. Readers and Critics see this book as one of the best detective novels ever written, but they also see it as a great work of literature. At 217 pages, it's an easy read but it's a thought-provoking story. The main character of this book is a private detective named Sam Spade. The story revolves around him being constantly lied to and interrogated by people who hire him to find the statue called The Maltese Falcon. It was believed that the interior of the ordinary statue contained priceless jewels and other forms of wealth. The conflict arises after several different events mentioned in the story quickly come together, as more and more people die, more and more people hire Spade, and more and more of these employers begin to lie to him . This would be an example of external conflict (male versus male). The story is told in the third person, which makes the book more engaging. Sometimes the plot is difficult to understand and follow, but it pays off. ...