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zwrobertson's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
5.0
Digital audiobook performed by James Naughton
Walter Huff is an insurance agent who heads out to a Spanish mansion in the hills above Los Angeles to renew – and hopefully upgrade – an automobile policy for Mr Nirdlinger. The client is not at home, and Mrs Nirdlinger asks Huff to return the next night, but before he leaves she also asks about accident insurance. Huff knows the woman is trouble – with a capital T – but he lets himself get reeled in and before you know it …
Cain is a master of the roman noir. His writing is every bit as seductive as the temptress at the heart of his story. You just know this is going to end badly but you cannot tear yourself away, you just HAVE to continue. His short declarative sentences and first-person narrative give an immediacy to his writing, and make the novel difficult to put down. And just when you think you’ve already gone over the cliff …. You find that Cain has one or two more surprises in store for you. The ending of this one is nothing short of chilling.
James Naughton does a superb job voicing the audiobook. His clipped delivery is perfect for Cain’s writing style.
Walter Huff is an insurance agent who heads out to a Spanish mansion in the hills above Los Angeles to renew – and hopefully upgrade – an automobile policy for Mr Nirdlinger. The client is not at home, and Mrs Nirdlinger asks Huff to return the next night, but before he leaves she also asks about accident insurance. Huff knows the woman is trouble – with a capital T – but he lets himself get reeled in and before you know it …
Cain is a master of the roman noir. His writing is every bit as seductive as the temptress at the heart of his story. You just know this is going to end badly but you cannot tear yourself away, you just HAVE to continue. His short declarative sentences and first-person narrative give an immediacy to his writing, and make the novel difficult to put down. And just when you think you’ve already gone over the cliff …. You find that Cain has one or two more surprises in store for you. The ending of this one is nothing short of chilling.
James Naughton does a superb job voicing the audiobook. His clipped delivery is perfect for Cain’s writing style.
feebeesbooks's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Interested to see if the book or movie is better. Multiple jaw dropping moments for me.
jcovington0815's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
chitownbookworm's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
pbraue13's review
4.0
A classic noir story that keep the tension tight and the character's interesting and deceptively simple. Jame M. Cain's writing fits super well with the hard-boiled crime films made at the time of the novel's writing and the film it eventually became. Rapid speech, innuendos that could go unnoticed until you give the material a second look, and morals that are as grey as old celluloid. A quick and gut-punching read.
_b_t_h_'s review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tmhwrd's review
5.0
A noir classic: lean, mean, and a third thing. (Clean? Not especially.) Have read it a couple of times before and it still feels fresh.