Tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful, Double Indemnity gives us an X-ray view of guilt, of duplicity, and of the kind of obsessive, loveless love that devastates everything it touches. First published in 1935, this novel reaffirmed James M. Cain as a virtuoso of the roman noir.
Double Indemnity (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard)
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
When smalltime insurance salesman Walter Huff meets seductive Phyllis Nirdlinger, the wife of one of his wealthy clients, it takes him only minutes to determine that she wants to get rid of her husband--and not much longer to decide to help her do it. Walter knows that accident insurance pays double indemnity on railroad mishaps, so he and Phyllis plot frantically to get Nirdlinger on--and off--a train without arousing the suspicions of the police, the insurance company, Nirdlinger's dishy daughter, her mysterious boyfriend, or Nirdlinger himself. This brief but complex novel is a perfect example of the ordinary-guy-gone-disastrously-wrong story that Cain always pulls off brilliantly.
Review
'[A] fine idea for a series... They already have a superb noir backlist. but adding Philip K Dick's Minority Report and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? improves the mix.' SCOTSMAN
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Walter Huff is a pretty decent and basically honest insurance salesman, until he meets Phyllis Nirdlinger, the wife of a successful California businessman. Phyllis isn't the most attractive woman, but she's a true seductress. Huff immediately knows that Phyllis will be trouble, but he can't resist her, and she quickly involves him in a plot to kill her husband. Things become even more complicated when Phyllis' step-daughter, Lola, enters the scene and bonds with Huff.
James M. Cain is one of the indisputable greats of crime noir novels, and he also wrote the terrific "The Postman Always Rings Twice." The plot is fast-moving, and I love Cain's stattaco writing style. He also includes so much great detail, such as the "blood red curtains" in Phyllis' living room. Further, Cain makes the action very believable and doesn't overlook any plot holes, which is not always the case in this genre. I really liked this book.
Having said that, I think that the movie (1944, directed by the peerless Billy Wilder) is even better than the book. I know that's blasphemous, but the movie is one of the all-time great American movies. Read the book and don't miss the movie either!
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
James Cain followed up his controversial THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE with another thin crime novel DOUBLE INDEMNITY. Like POSTMAN, it brings the reader into a world of moral indifference. In other words, it's great!
The action follows insurance agent Walter Huff, who has at some point come up with an insurance scheme to off a guy and collect the insurance. He discovers his partner in crime, Phyllis Nirdlinger, when she inquires about accident insurance for her husband. But this is James Cain writing. It is not going to be that easy, is it? You bet not.
Phyllis turns out to be way, waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy more dangerous than Walter ever imagined her to be. He learns too late that he is just one more patsy in Phyllis's own plans, much bigger and nastier than the ones Walter himself formulated. Complicating the matter is Phyllis's step-daughter, Lola, whose wholesomeness actually touches some soft spot in Walter's heart.
Perhaps Cain mellowed a little bit between POSTMAN and DOUBLE INDEMNITY. The main character actually feels some degree of guilt for the crime and actually shows concern for someone besides himself. Jeez, what a softie. Do not worry, though. There is enough human darkness here to satisfy even the hardest of readers' hearts.
The action follows insurance agent Walter Huff, who has at some point come up with an insurance scheme to off a guy and collect the insurance. He discovers his partner in crime, Phyllis Nirdlinger, when she inquires about accident insurance for her husband. But this is James Cain writing. It is not going to be that easy, is it? You bet not.
Phyllis turns out to be way, waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy more dangerous than Walter ever imagined her to be. He learns too late that he is just one more patsy in Phyllis's own plans, much bigger and nastier than the ones Walter himself formulated. Complicating the matter is Phyllis's step-daughter, Lola, whose wholesomeness actually touches some soft spot in Walter's heart.
Perhaps Cain mellowed a little bit between POSTMAN and DOUBLE INDEMNITY. The main character actually feels some degree of guilt for the crime and actually shows concern for someone besides himself. Jeez, what a softie. Do not worry, though. There is enough human darkness here to satisfy even the hardest of readers' hearts.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By DrSpecter
Format:Paperback
Walter Neff is a bored insurance salesman who fantisizes of ways to cheat the company by committing the perfect murder, without ever doing anything about it. Phyllis Nardlinger is a Hollywoodland housewife who is quietly psychotic, (complete with a fantasy of being the angel of death,) has killed before and will kill again. Just because you've seen the movie, don't think you know the book. Still shocking after nearly seventy years after publication!! POSTMAN is great but this one's greater!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Crime
Insurance salesman Walter Huff calls on a client,to be greated by his wife, Phyllis Nirdlinger, and becomes an accomplace in a murder.... Read more
Published 19 days ago by An admirer of Saul
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still raeding it.
Purchased for school. Intresting and suspensful book. It is also my first book. No one has ever stopped reading in the middle of a James Cain book.
Published 20 days ago by martin arellano
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't understand
I don't understand why the noir progression is Chandler then Hammett then maybe Cain. Cain should be first. This is his masterpiece,
Published 1 month ago by Francis D
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good but reads like a short story
This was an enjoyable mystery, clever, well-written, but one of those books you finish wishing the author had come up with a more satisfying ending. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Frosted
4.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing story
I had to read this for my English 102 class and I really liked it. I would really recommend this book to people who like murder and mystery books.
Published 2 months ago by LovelyPinkMaree
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thriller Writing at its Best
I bought this after having read an article on Billy Wilder who directed the movie (which I have not seen) of the book. Read more
Published 2 months ago by J. Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is A Classic
The book is in some ways better than the movie, and this one is read and acted out well by the guy reading it. It's fun, interesting, and entertaining to listen to.
Published 2 months ago by Mark Kolman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Double Indemnity
Great read. I've seen the movie before and was happy to know how the author intended the story to be.
Published 3 months ago by Leonard T. Cortinaz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love the old school noir
James M Cain is the best!
Reading about the characters decomposing into reprobates is so fun!
Totally recommended for all noir lovers!
Reading about the characters decomposing into reprobates is so fun!
Totally recommended for all noir lovers!
Published 4 months ago by Anne Dowling
4.0 out of 5 stars
Short, gritty, compelling noir
"But all of the sudden she looked at me, and I felt a chill creep straight up my back and into the roots of my hair. `Do you handle accident insurance? Read more
Published 4 months ago by fra7299
