best 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.

One of the best is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. The female character in it, Amy Dunne, is complex and manipulative. It's a psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns.

Well, 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' by James M. Cain is a classic hard boiled detective novel. It has a gritty and somewhat amoral atmosphere. Then there's 'I, the Jury' by Mickey Spillane. His detective, Mike Hammer, is a tough - as - nails character. And 'The Thin Man' by Dashiell Hammett (besides 'The Maltese Falcon') is also highly regarded for its engaging story and interesting characters.

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.

One of the best is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It features Sam Spade, a tough private detective. The complex plot and morally ambiguous characters are hallmarks of hard boiled noir.

Some of the great hard boiled detective novels include 'The Thin Man' by Dashiell Hammett. It combines mystery with a bit of humor. 'The Long Goodbye' by Raymond Chandler is another classic. Chandler's writing style is so evocative, and his detective Marlowe is a complex character. And 'A Rage in Harlem' by Chester Himes is also a notable one, with its unique take on the genre set in Harlem.

Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep' is a classic hard boiled mystery novel. It has Philip Marlowe, a private detective, dealing with blackmail, murder, and a cast of seedy characters. 'Farewell, My Lovely' by Chandler is also highly regarded for its moody atmosphere and complex plot.

Of course. 'The Neon Rain' by James Lee Burke is a top - notch hard boiled crime novel. It has a vividly drawn Louisiana setting and a tough detective. 'Black Cherry Blues' by James Lee Burke is also great. It continues the story of the detective and has more of that southern - fried crime and mystery. And 'The Concrete Blonde' by Michael Connelly. His detective, Harry Bosch, is a great character and the novel has a great mystery to solve.

Sure. 'Red Harvest' by Dashiell Hammett is a great one. It has a nameless detective known as the Continental Op who is sent to a corrupt town to clean things up. The violence and cynicism in the story are hallmarks of hard boiled novels.