The Thin Man

The Thin Man
Hammett’s The Thin Man mixes hard-boiled mystery with witty social comedy. Nick Charles, a retired private detective, and his glamorous, quick-witted wife Nora are spending Christmas in New York when Dorothy Wynant, the daughter of a wealthy inventor, begs Nick to find her missing father. Soon a secretary is murdered and clues point to the elusive Wynant—nicknamed “the thin man.” Though Nick initially resists being pulled back into detective work, he and Nora become embroiled in a web of family secrets, blackmail, and double-crosses. Their sparkling banter and fondness for cocktails contrast with the seedy underworld they navigate. Ultimately, Nick uncovers the true killer and clears Wynant’s name—though Wynant himself is long dead. More lighthearted than Hammett’s earlier novels, The Thin Man combines sharp dialogue, a puzzle-style mystery, and a stylish portrayal of 1930s urban life, establishing the template for the witty detective couple in later fiction and film.