In 2009, thirty years after the first slim edition of The Dashiell Hammett Tour saw print, Vince Emery released the best version of the tour book ever in his ongoing Ace Performer Series, dedicated to works by and about the author of The Maltese Falcon. If you roll into town on one of the many days when I’m not personally leading a walk, you can self-guide yourself up and down the mean streets — plus, you’ll be able to do everything I have ever done on the tour, including some sites and riffs there just aren’t time for on even a four hour walk today. You want it all, this is as close as you can get, whether you gumshoe the actual Frisco streets or play armchair detective in the comfort of your own home.
Vince debuted his edition with the first ever hardback printing for the tour book, consisting of 1080 copies in dustjacket, followed up with a trade paperback printing. Currently you can also get eBook editions for your Kindle or Nook or Apple ereaders, if that’s the way you interface the book world.
You can order it on Amazon or have your favorite bookstore stock copies, you can get one new or grab a copy used, whatever suits your needs. I don’t believe this edition will ever be topped.
Check out contemporary web reviews from Mark Coggins and Duane Swierzynski and Thomas Burchfield.
And early in 2012 the book got a nice mini-review in The Huffington Post.
