The Maltese Falcon

ERIC MEYERS

Sam Spade, the hard-boiled detective, must deal with several shady characters, all of whom would (and do) kill for the statue of the Maltese Falcon in this classic mystery by Dashiell Hammett the creator of the “hard-boiled” detective novel. The statue has a very long history and under a black coating is rumored to be encrusted with priceless jewels. Spade is cool and never shows much emotion, but his brain works overtime to figure out which are the bad guys and gals. Since his character is forever linked with Humphrey Bogart in the film version, it takes a special reader to resist the temptation to imitate Bogart. However Eric Meyers manages to create his own Sam Spade and also does a good job voicing the remaining characters. Meyers began his career working on radio. He has since appeared in many films as well as providing narration in documentaries for National Geographic, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel amongst others. He is a well-known character actor and voice artist. His experiences stand him in good stead here; the females are particularly well-drawn and when they cry it sounds absolutely true. Not for everyone, it is a bit dated, but for those who recall the movie with nostalgia, this will have appeal.

Price: $41.98