Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

Hammett practically invented the hardboiled crime genre, and in "Red Harvest" he shows everyone exactly how it's done. Hammett provides a hero, the Continental Op, who struggles internally with the dirty work that must be done if he is to do the right thing, but at the same time never hesitates in the clutch; a femme fatale whose potency outstrips those of the male gangsters she manipulates like marionettes; and a plot that stays one step ahead of the Continental Op (and the reader) until the mystery explodes to a conclusion. The Continental Op's dry wit holds it all together. "Red Harvest" shows exactly why they've been riffing off of Hammett for decades, but never surpassing the original. Highly recommended.