num_pages: 11
description: This classic tale is the first appearance of ''The Continental Op," a character who would eventually appear in over two dozen stories. It was first published in "Black Mask" in 1923.Our unnamed private detective is stationed in San Francisco and goes out to Sacramento County to investigate an arson at the Thornburgh house on behalf of the Continental Detective Agency's client, an insurance company. The insurance policy was recent and the company wants to be sure it was legitimate before covering the claim. It turns out to be anything but straight forward! Librarian's note #1: this entry is for the story, "Arson Plus." Entries for collections of short stories, and each of the other individual stories, can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. There are a total of 28 short stories plus one incomplete; they can all be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Continental Op Short Story."Librarian's note #2: there are also two Continental Op novels, "Red Harvest" (also known as "The Cleansing of Poisonville), and "The Dain Curse."
language: English
title: Arson Plus - a Continental Op Short Story