The Maltese Falcon is a famous novel written by Dashiell Hammett, first published in 1929. It is a classic example of the hard-boiled detective genre, featuring the character Sam Spade, a private investigator in San Francisco. The story revolves around the search for a valuable statuette, the Maltese Falcon, which many characters desire for its wealth and power. The novel was adapted into a successful film in 1941, directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. This adaptation is considered a landmark in cinema, influencing the portrayal of film noir and detective stories. The Maltese Falcon remains a significant cultural reference in literature and film.