The Postman Always Rings Twice - James Cain

The Postman Always Rings Twice, published in 1934, is hailed as one of the most important crime novels of the 20th century. At just over 100 pages, it was a quick and interesting read. The main character, Frank, is somewhat of a transient when he is hired to work at a automotive shop run by a Greek named Nick and his wife Cora. Quickly, Frank and Cora fall in love and they plot how best to live their lives together without Nick. There are scenes of unnecessary violence between Frank and Cora, which led to the book being banned early on, as well as overt sexuality, which is pretty tame by today's standards. Eventually, Frank and Cora find themselves thrust into the criminal justice system with clever interrogators and double-crossing prosecutors and defense attorneys. While I didn't find this book fascinating, it was a nice glimpse into the beginnings of the crime detective genre.