The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (Vintage Books)

This book was a huge surprise. I picked it up at the store expecting it find it silly because it was an old fashion detective novel. At first, it seemed like it too. The set up seemed cliche, the characters a little flat and predictable. But I read on determinedly. I wanted to finish and read something different. As I read more I found it harder to put the book down. Once the plot started unraveling, the layers did as well. It became clear the plot was more complicated than I thought and so were each of the characters. If you are looking for surprise, I would give this one a try. I think it shows well why this mystery has become a classic. In this case, as with much literature, newer is not better. Not to mention at only 217 pages in Vintage Books edition a perfect quick read that will keep you intrigued.