Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for the Week of April 3

This week’s selection of books includes mysteries: from crime noir to the earliest detective story to a children’s book that kids will love.

Fiction

Crime Noir at Its Best

‘The Maltese Falcon’ By Dashiell Hammett

Great fiction requires great characters. Led by detective Sam Spade, the story revolves around unscrupulous characters, including the lovely but dangerous Brigid O’Shaughnessy and criminals Joel Cairo and Casper Gutman, all vying for the elusive Maltese Falcon.