Some well - known ones could be 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It's a classic with its tough detective Sam Spade. Another might be 'Red Harvest' also by Hammett, which features his signature gritty style.
Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep' is surely in there. It has the iconic detective Philip Marlowe. Also, 'Farewell, My Lovely' by Chandler. His novels are known for their complex plots and hard - boiled dialogue. The seedy underbelly of society is often explored in these works, and the detectives are not your typical heroes but rather flawed individuals who get the job done in a tough world.
Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep' is also a great one. It has the iconic detective Philip Marlowe. The story is filled with noir elements, like seedy characters and a convoluted plot full of murder and blackmail.
One of the top ones is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It's a classic with a tough detective, Sam Spade, dealing with a web of lies and a hunt for a valuable statuette.
The hard - boiled detective novel genre has some great works. 'The Long Goodbye' by Raymond Chandler is a very well - known one. Chandler's writing style is so distinct, and Marlowe's character is further developed in this novel. 'Farewell, My Lovely' by Chandler as well is excellent. It has all the elements of a great hard - boiled detective story, like a seedy underworld, a tough detective, and a mystery to solve. And Jim Thompson's 'The Killer Inside Me' is also considered one of the top ones. It gives a disturbing but fascinating look into the mind of a killer and the detective trying to solve the case.
Ross Macdonald's 'The Moving Target' could be a great choice too. It features detective Lew Archer and a well - crafted mystery. The language isn't overly complex, and it gives a good introduction to the typical themes and styles of hard boiled novels.
James M. Cain's 'Double Indemnity' is a classic hard boiled novel. It tells the story of an insurance agent who gets involved in a murder - for - profit scheme with a femme fatale. The noir atmosphere and the moral decay depicted in the story are characteristic of the hard boiled genre.
Hard boiled novels typically feature tough, cynical protagonists. They often take place in gritty urban settings. The plots usually involve crime, mystery, and a sense of moral ambiguity.
One of the top ones is 'The Maltese Falcon'. This novel is famous for its complex plot and the iconic character Sam Spade. He's a detective who has to deal with a bunch of crooks all after the same valuable falcon statue. Another great one is 'The Big Sleep'. Philip Marlowe, the detective in it, is a very cool and smart character. He has to navigate through the seedy side of Los Angeles to solve the mystery.
Well, one characteristic is the tough and cynical detective. They've often seen the seedy side of life and are jaded. Another is the gritty settings, like dark alleys and smoky bars in big cities. Also, the plots usually involve complex mysteries, often with a touch of danger and violence.
One of the best modern hard boiled novels is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. It has a complex plot with morally ambiguous characters and a sense of mystery and deception that is characteristic of the genre. Another great one is 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson. It combines a hard - boiled detective - like character in Lisbeth Salander with a dark and gritty story full of secrets and violence.
One of the best is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It's a classic with its tough detective, Sam Spade, and a complex web of mystery involving a valuable statuette. Another great one is 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. His character Philip Marlowe is iconic, and the novel has a great noir atmosphere with lots of double - crosses and seedy characters. Also, 'Red Harvest' by Hammett is excellent. It shows a corrupt town and a detective's efforts to clean it up in a very gritty and hard - boiled way.