The Silver Eagle. Illustrated

In The Silver Eagle, W. R. Burnett returns to Chicago’s smoldering social strata in a story far removed from the open violence of Little Caesar. This tense drama chronicles the rise of Frank Harworth, a self-made man who, after a lucky win at the racetrack, attempts to ascend into elite society through calculated investments and an impeccable public façade. Clad in a monocle and walking stick, Harworth projects sophistication—but neither high society nor the underworld is fooled. Among women like Helen and Louise, he is seen as a tantalizing touch of raw authenticity; yet to figures like Canovi and Molina, he is merely a vessel to launder crooked schemes. Caught between ulterior motives and societal expectations, Harworth is forced to confront the uncomfortable question: To which world does he truly belong?

Burnett explores ambition's thin veneer with sharp realism, portraying a man perched between aspiration and deception. This novel, though overshadowed by his more famous gangster tales, offers a compelling study of moral ambiguity, ambition, and the deceptive allure of respectability.