Red HarvestRed Harvest
Score Classic
What it's about
The Continental Op, a tough, nameless private detective, is called to Personville, a mining town so corrupt it's known as Poisonville. When his client is murdered before they meet, the Op decides to clean up the town by setting its gangsters, bootleggers and crooked cops against each other, and the bodies pile up.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels and is one of the founding books of hard-boiled crime. Its plot has been borrowed by films from Yojimbo to A Fistful of Dollars.
You'll love it if you liked
The Big Sleep
The Maltese Falcon
The ClosersGood to know
It's short and very violent, with a huge body count.
By the numbers
- Readers34 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller16 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #278 of the 555 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #485 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1688 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping
More by Dashiell Hammett
If you like this, read next
The Godfather
The Pillars of the Earth
In Cold Blood
Rebecca
Crime and Punishment
The Name of the RoseExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Red Harvest worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels and is one of the founding books of hard-boiled crime. It ranks #1,688 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 66.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Red Harvest about?
The Continental Op, a tough, nameless private detective, is called to Personville, a mining town so corrupt it's known as Poisonville. When his client is murdered before they meet, the Op decides to clean up the town by setting its gangsters, bootleggers and crooked cops against each other, and the bodies pile up.
How long does it take to read Red Harvest?
About 5 hours (215 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Red Harvest?
If you liked it, try The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett or The Closers by Michael Connelly.