Max Allan ⁣Collins ​to ⁢Revive Sam Spade in Upcoming Novel

NEW YORK — The​ story of one of ⁤the greatest fictional detectives, Dashiel Hammett Award-winning crime writer⁢ Max Allan Collins will take over the novel from Sam Spade.

Hard Case Crime⁢ publisher announced‌ Thursday that Collins’ “The Return of the Maltese Falcon” will ⁣be ⁣released in ‌January 2026,⁣ just as Hammett’s classic novel “The Maltese Falcon” is entering the public domain. Originally published in 1930 and best known to film​ buffs for its 1941 film ‌adaptation starring Humphrey Bogart, “The Maltese Falcon”​ is widely considered a model for sadistic detective ⁢fiction.

“It has inspired writers⁢ and⁢ filmmakers, actors and illustrators and musicians, and⁢ it has inspired me as a novelist for more than 50 years,” Collins said in a statement.⁣ “That’s not to say that writing about Hammett’s world and ⁤its transcendent, sometimes unscrupulous characters isn’t challenging. Hammett’s⁢ best⁢ mysteries are also among the best​ American novels.”

Once a book’s ⁣copyright protection ends, anyone can freely use‌ its characters‌ and ⁤storyline. F. Scott ‍Fitzgerald’s “The‍ Great Gatsby”‍ entered the public domain in 2021, leading to⁤ a‌ new production of⁤ the Tony Award-winning⁢ musical of the‍ same name and a prequel novel by ​Michael Paris Smith titled “Nick.”

According⁣ to Hard⁤ Case Crime, Collins’ new book will feature the⁤ return of other Hammett characters, including ⁣Spade and Joel Cairo, ‌as well as “a new mysterious seductress.” Collins, whose “Road to ​Perdition” was adapted into a ‌movie starring Tom Hanks and Paul ‌Newman, has a long history with the famous literary detective. He⁤ took over⁤ the Dick⁤ Tracy comic strip after writer​ Chester Gould ‍retired in the late 1970s, and later took ‌over the⁢ reins to continue Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer series.

“I’m pretty good at⁢ following in the footsteps of the giants‍ who came​ before me, but I’ve never claimed to have⁤ replaced them,” Collins told the ‍AP.

There have been several legitimate Spade projects released, including the 2009 prequel “Spade‌ & Archer,” a novel about Spade and his professional partner Miles Archer. Spade was featured this year in the AMC miniseries “Monsieur Spade,” which stars Clive Owen ⁤in the sequel⁢ about a retired detective living ‍in the South of France.