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Continental Op Stories · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Continental Op Stories by Dashiell Hammett.

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  1. Chapter 1

    Arson Plus

    The Continental Op investigates a suspicious house fire that killed Thornburgh, uncovering evidence that the fire was deliberately set with gasoline. Through interviews and detective work, he discovers that the supposed victim Thornburgh is actually alive and conspired with the Coonses to fake his death for insurance fraud.

  2. Chapter 2

    Crooked Souls

    Harvey Gatewood hires the Continental Op to find his kidnapped daughter Audrey. The Op investigates the Gatewood residence, gathers evidence, and traces a suspect to an apartment where a violent confrontation occurs.

  3. Chapter 3

    Slippery Fingers

    Joseph Clane confesses to the murder of Henry Grover, explaining how he killed Grover in self-defense during a confrontation over blackmail. With the help of Farr, a fingerprint expert, Clane faked his fingerprints to evade detection. The Continental Op uncovers the deception and arrests Clane and Farr.

  4. Chapter 4

    It

    The Op investigates the disappearance of Daniel Rathbone, who vanished after withdrawing bonds from a safe deposit box. The trail leads to a buried body and a confession from partner Lester Zumwalt, who claims self-defense. The chapter concludes with a court verdict and the unraveling of Rathbone's planned elopement with Mrs. Earnshaw.

  5. Chapter 5

    Bodies Piled Up

    The Continental Op, temporarily working as a hotel detective at the Montgomery Hotel, discovers three dead men piled out of a clothespress in room 906. The victims are identified as Tudor Ingraham, Vincent Develyn, and an unknown man. The Op investigates the murders, tracing a suspect named Ross Orrett, who is hunting for the dangerous criminal Guy Cudner. Orrett, wounded, later explains a convoluted plot involving a 'Master Mind' who manipulated two lieutenants into killing each other, with Cudner mistakenly entering the wrong room.

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  1. Chapter 6The Tenth Clue
  2. Chapter 7I: “Do You Know… Emil Bonfils?”
  3. Chapter 8II: “That’s Something!”
  4. Chapter 9III: “A Sleek Kitten That Dame!”
  5. Chapter 10IV: “Maybe That Ain’t So Foolish!”
  6. Chapter 11V: “Meet Mr. Smith”
  7. Chapter 12VI: “Those Damned Horns!”
  8. Chapter 13VII: “You Have a Lot of Fun, Don’t You?”
  9. Chapter 14VIII: “I Hope You Swing!”
  10. Chapter 15Night Shots
  11. Chapter 16I
  12. Chapter 17Chapter II
  13. Chapter 18III
  14. Chapter 19IV
  15. Chapter 20Zigzags of Treachery
  16. Chapter 21I
  17. Chapter 22Chapter II
  18. Chapter 23III
  19. Chapter 24IV
  20. Chapter 25V
  21. Chapter 26Chapter VI
  22. Chapter 27VII
  23. Chapter 28VIII
  24. Chapter 29IX
  25. Chapter 30The Bungalow Shootout
  26. Chapter 31XI
  27. Chapter 32XII
  28. Chapter 33I
  29. Chapter 34Chapter II
  30. Chapter 35III
  31. Chapter 36The House in Turk Street
  32. Chapter 37The Girl with the Silver Eyes
  33. Chapter 38I
  34. Chapter 39Chapter II
  35. Chapter 40III
  36. Chapter 41IV
  37. Chapter 42V
  38. Chapter 43Chapter VI
  39. Chapter 44VII
  40. Chapter 45VIII
  41. Chapter 46IX
  42. Chapter 47The Bungalow Shootout
  43. Chapter 48XI
  44. Chapter 49XII
  45. Chapter 50XIII
  46. Chapter 51XIV
  47. Chapter 52Chapter XV
  48. Chapter 53XVI
  49. Chapter 54Chapter XVII
  50. Chapter 55XVIII
  51. Chapter 56XIX
  52. Chapter 57Women, Politics & Murder
  53. Chapter 58Chapter II
  54. Chapter 59III
  55. Chapter 60IV
  56. Chapter 61V
  57. Chapter 62Chapter VI
  58. Chapter 63VII
  59. Chapter 64VIII
  60. Chapter 65The Golden Horseshoe
  61. Chapter 66I
  62. Chapter 67Chapter II
  63. Chapter 68III
  64. Chapter 69IV
  65. Chapter 70V
  66. Chapter 71Chapter VI
  67. Chapter 72VII
  68. Chapter 73VIII
  69. Chapter 74IX
  70. Chapter 75Who Killed Bob Teal?
  71. Chapter 76Mike or Alec or Rufus
  72. Chapter 77The Whosis Kid
  73. Chapter 78I
  74. Chapter 79Chapter II
  75. Chapter 80III
  76. Chapter 81IV
  77. Chapter 82V
  78. Chapter 83Chapter VI
  79. Chapter 84VII
  80. Chapter 85VIII
  81. Chapter 86IX
  82. Chapter 87The Bungalow Shootout
  83. Chapter 88XI
  84. Chapter 89XII
  85. Chapter 90XIII
  86. Chapter 91The Scorched Face
  87. Chapter 92I
  88. Chapter 93Chapter II
  89. Chapter 94III
  90. Chapter 95IV
  91. Chapter 96V
  92. Chapter 97Chapter VI
  93. Chapter 98VII
  94. Chapter 99VIII
  95. Chapter 100IX
  96. Chapter 101The Bungalow Shootout
  97. Chapter 102XI
  98. Chapter 103Corkscrew
  99. Chapter 104I
  100. Chapter 105Chapter II
  101. Chapter 106III
  102. Chapter 107IV
  103. Chapter 108V
  104. Chapter 109Chapter VI
  105. Chapter 110VII
  106. Chapter 111VIII
  107. Chapter 112IX
  108. Chapter 113The Bungalow Shootout
  109. Chapter 114XI
  110. Chapter 115XII
  111. Chapter 116XIII
  112. Chapter 117XIV
  113. Chapter 118Chapter XV
  114. Chapter 119XVI
  115. Chapter 120Chapter XVII
  116. Chapter 121Dead Yellow Women
  117. Chapter 122I
  118. Chapter 123Chapter II
  119. Chapter 124III
  120. Chapter 125IV
  121. Chapter 126V
  122. Chapter 127Chapter VI
  123. Chapter 128VII
  124. Chapter 129VIII
  125. Chapter 130IX
  126. Chapter 131The Bungalow Shootout
  127. Chapter 132XI
  128. Chapter 133The Gutting of Couffignal
  129. Chapter 134I
  130. Chapter 135Chapter II
  131. Chapter 136III
  132. Chapter 137IV
  133. Chapter 138V
  134. Chapter 139Chapter VI
  135. Chapter 140VII
  136. Chapter 141VIII
  137. Chapter 142IX
  138. Chapter 143Creeping Siamese
  139. Chapter 144I
  140. Chapter 145Chapter II
  141. Chapter 146The Big Knock-Over
  142. Chapter 147Chapter II
  143. Chapter 148III
  144. Chapter 149IV
  145. Chapter 150V
  146. Chapter 151Chapter VI
  147. Chapter 152VII
  148. Chapter 153VIII
  149. Chapter 154IX
  150. Chapter 155The Bungalow Shootout
  151. Chapter 156XI
  152. Chapter 157XII
  153. Chapter 158XIII
  154. Chapter 159XIV
  155. Chapter 160Chapter XV
  156. Chapter 161$106,000 Blood Money
  157. Chapter 162I
  158. Chapter 163Chapter II
  159. Chapter 164III
  160. Chapter 165IV
  161. Chapter 166V
  162. Chapter 167Chapter VI
  163. Chapter 168VII
  164. Chapter 169VIII
  165. Chapter 170IX
  166. Chapter 171The Bungalow Shootout
  167. Chapter 172XI
  168. Chapter 173XII
  169. Chapter 174The Main Death
  170. Chapter 175This King Business
  171. Chapter 176I: “Yes”—and “No”
  172. Chapter 177II: Romaine
  173. Chapter 178III: Shadowing
  174. Chapter 179IV: Introductions
  175. Chapter 180V: A Flogging
  176. Chapter 181VI: Cards on the Table
  177. Chapter 182VII: Lionel's Plans
  178. Chapter 183VIII: An Enlightening Interview
  179. Chapter 184IX: Conjectures
  180. Chapter 185Einarson in Control
  181. Chapter 186XI: A Romantic Interlude
  182. Chapter 187XII: The Night Before
  183. Chapter 188XIII: Progress Goes "Betune"
  184. Chapter 189XIV: Coronation
  185. Chapter 190XV: Bargain Hunters
  186. Chapter 191XVI: Lionel Rex
  187. Chapter 192Mob Law
  188. Chapter 193Flypaper
  189. Chapter 194I
  190. Chapter 195Chapter II
  191. Chapter 196III
  192. Chapter 197IV
  193. Chapter 198V
  194. Chapter 199Chapter VI
  195. Chapter 200VII
  196. Chapter 201VIII
  197. Chapter 202IX
  198. Chapter 203The Bungalow Shootout
  199. Chapter 204The Farewell Murder
  200. Chapter 205I
  201. Chapter 206Chapter II
  202. Chapter 207III
  203. Chapter 208IV
  204. Chapter 209V
  205. Chapter 210Chapter VI
  206. Chapter 211VII
  207. Chapter 212VIII
  208. Chapter 213IX
  209. Chapter 214The Bungalow Shootout
  210. Chapter 215XI
  211. Chapter 216Death and Company