The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

This is one of the first of the "hard-boiled detective" stories and is a wonderful example of the genre.  It's the most well-known of Hammett's Sam Spade stories.  I am a big fan of mystery and detective stories, and I really enjoyed this one.  It almost seemed facetious at times, since the genre has been imitated so much and practically turned into a joke, but that only added to its entertainment value.  It is a short book and a very quick read.  Easily worth the time.