Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Deliciously Noir

 

 
Double Indemnity
by James M. Cain (1936); narrated by James Naughton (2005)
 

An amuse-bouche. I sat up until the wee hours listening--and the book is just over 3 hours. I did not want to put it down even though it was a re-read.

It all unravels so delightfully in a short, well-paced yet perfectly structured story. In a flash we go from simple insurance sale to murder plot and everything is just so delightfully black, without being gruesome. Except for the innocent virgin, every single character is not what he appears to be, has a secret, has a hidden agenda, is not quite  honorable. Sociopaths and psychopaths, all.

And then the ending, that leaves us hanging  -- or does it? Do they or don't they? Does he or doesn't he? Does she or doesn't she? Yes, well discussing it would just be one huge spoiler.

 

Originally posted on Booklikes  17 June 2019


 



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