Dashiell Hammett, the bestselling creator of Sam Spade, The Maltese Falcon, and The Thin Man, was one of the America's most entertaining authors, and one of its most influential. Even so, many of Hammett's stories-includ-ing some of his best-have been out of the reach of anyone but a handful of scholars and collectors-until now. Lost Stories rescues 21 long-lost Hammett stories. For several stories, this is the first book publication. For all but five, this is the first hardcover publication. This deluxe limited edition precedes the trade hardcover edition. All stories have been restored to their original versions, replacing often-wholesale cuts with the original text for the first time. For each story, Hammett researcher Vince Emery tells how Hammett's life shaped the story and how the story affected his life. Emery's comments reveal surprises about Hammett's life not covered in any other book. To round out this celebration of Hammett, three-time Edgar Award winner Joe Gores has written an introduction describing how Hammett influenced literature, movies, television, and Gores' own life. Lost Stories is the first title in The Ace Performer Collection, a new series of books by and about Dashiell Hammett, crowned "the ace performer" by his disciple Raymond Chandler. Deluxe edition limited to 195 hand-numbered copies, signed by Joe Gores and Vince Emery, with spine of Saderra leather, housed in a slipcase with 4-color decorative onlays. Spine and front cover art are stamped in genuine gold. Page edges are gilt with genuine gold. 8 illustrations, 38 photographs; 352 pages, $149.95, ISBN 0-9725898-0-5. This deluxe edition precedes the trade hardcover edition, and thus is the true first edition of this book. Note that this deluxe limited edition is NOT available for sale to the book trade from Independent Publishers Group (IPG). To order your copy of the deluxe limited edition of Lost Stories, send a check or money order for $158.45 per copy ($149.95 plus $8.50 postage) to Vince Emery Productions, P.O. Box 460279, San Francisco, CA 94146 USA. If you live in California, please add $12.75 per copy for sales tax. Quantity discounts on the deluxe limited edition are available for purchases of 2 or more copies. For information about quantity discounts, please email vince @ emery.com. Click here for information about the trade hardcover edition.