A review by rebus
The Butterfly by James M. Cain

4.25

It doesn't quite rank with his masterpieces, but this is simply another solid effort by Cain to illustrate the lives of the economically marginalized. The plot it taut and nervy, the characters dangerous and warped, and the conclusion is thrilling. 

The only crime novelist who compares is Big Jim Thompson, but Cain at his peak as better than the much more renowned and respected noir authors of the period.