This collection features two of Dashiell Hammett's best-known short stories "The Big Knockover," and "$106,000 Blood Money" together, as they were meant to be read. In these connected stories, the Continental Op faces down an unprecedented influx of criminals into his native San Francisco, as the horde plans to collect a big payday by robbing two banks simultaneously, and then must hunt down the mastermind responsible for this elaborate crime spree. "The Big Knockover" witnesses the return of Dashiell Hammett's hard-boiled detective character known only as The Continental Op. One of the earliest characters in the world of detective fiction, The Op paved the way for similar private eyes like Hammett's own Sam Spade and Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe. The Op, however, had a personality all his own--uncompassionate, gruff, and stocky--and was never the prototypical heroic protagonist. He was, however the perfect fit for the genre in the early days of the hardboiled detective genre. HarperCollins brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperCollins short-stories collection to build your digital library.