The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett was Hammett’s last novel and probably his second most popular (after The Maltese Falcon). It was also the starting point for the Nick and Nora Charles movies (starring William Powell and Myrna Loy). They movie and the book are completely different types of stories, but both are well worth their time.

The novel is a old fashioned, hardcore detective novel. The detective, Nick Charles, is an ex-detective who married a young socialite and retired to mind her interests. He is drawn into solving a mystery and is soon back in his old ways trying to solve a murder. Nick’s primary interest is in drinking and he is a master at it. But he was a detective for a reason and finds himself getting deeper and deeper into the mystery. Their dog Asta helps out a bit in the investigation (and more so in the movies), but the plot is basically a standard well-written murder mystery with engaging characters.

The movie follows pretty much the same plot as the novel, but there is a lot more humor and bickering between Nick and Nora. They are presented as a loving married couple who drink and recover to drink some more. Nora minds the home front while Nick gets drawn into a mystery. The movie series ran for six films with the couple having a baby in the third movie. And Nick tries to quit drinking in the fifth movie. The movies are light-hearted and fun, between the couple’s drinking, the antics of Asta and a light detective story to push the plot along, they’re wonderful movies.

If you choose to read the book or watch the movies (or do both), you can’t go wrong either way. The characters are so engaging that they drag you in and don’t let you go. Highly recommended all around.