BEFORE SAM SPADE
Dashiell Hammett's Continental Op starts with a seemingly routine hit-and-run investigation—but nothing is routine in this city’s underworld. What begins as a straightforward case spirals into a tangled web of murder, counterfeiting, and betrayal, all leading to a luxury hotel where three bodies lie in wait and danger lurks in every hallway.
As the Op peels back the layers of deception, he finds himself locked in a high-stakes game with one of the West Coast’s most dangerous criminals—where a single misstep could mean the difference between justice and his own body on the pile. Sharp dialogue, grit, and suspense fuel this noir thriller from start to finish.
This is not just an audiobook version of the short story. Its multi-layered story draws inspiration from Dashiell Hammett’s own rich legacy of detective stories.
The series is not epic in scale, with vast landscapes and multiple points of view. It is a personal story of redemption. The series belongs to The Op. Except in episodes where he recounts the exploits of an associate, The Op is in every scene. The viewer only knows what he knows, what he sees, staying true to the narrative style of the stories. Each case unfolds as it happens. But ultimately, the story is not about the cases The Op works. It is about his inner struggle, which plays out over a three-season span.
Produced, Adapted, and Directed by Keith Brian Shaw [human]
Our A.I. Repertory Theater Cast
Host . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Stone
Narrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Charlie Phelps
The Continental Op . . . . . . . . Edward Thurman
Soules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Quentin Margolies
Officer Coffee . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barry Eubanks
Sean O'Meara . . . . . . . . . . . . . Davy Gibbs
Meghan O'Meara . . . . . . . . . . Julia Penske
Ernesto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angel Ruiz
Stacey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Larry Eardman
Detective McNeil . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Wendt
Maid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trini Soleda
The Old Man . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ozzie Rayburn
Dick Foley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Wells
Iva Archer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bette Nance
Ross Orrett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Jamison
Audio production © 2025 Keith Brian Shaw
A.I.R.T. actors created using elevenLabs.ai
Source text is in the Public Domain
