This week: James M Cain Mystery Noir for December Edited by: Christmas Wishes Adore♥lol  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
This month, I want to take you on a journey through the life and works of James M. Cain, a man who began as a journalist and ended as one of America’s most unforgettable crime novelists. His works include "The Postman Always Rings Twice", as well as "Double Indeminty" among others. His works are gritty, stark confessionals that pull the reader in till Cain lets go of his grip. So, sit back and come along on a ride you won't want to end in this month of December.
|
Well, here we are dear readers, and it's December again! lol Did you get buried in a surprise snowstorm over the weekend? Well, we did where I live and this was unexpected levels, and we still have so much more of December to go yet. I think that's enough about me and the snow, and let's move onto the focus of this month's Mystery newsletter: James M. Cain, author, journalist, father of crime noir.
James M. Cain’s writing career is a story in itself—one of reinvention, grit, and a relentless pursuit of truth through fiction. His novels are not polite puzzles or genteel mysteries; they are raw, confessional tales of ordinary people who stumble into extraordinary crimes.
Cain was born in 1892 in Annapolis, Maryland, the son of a professor and an opera singer. His early life was steeped in words and music, though he once dreamed of following his mother into opera.
When that didn’t pan out, he turned to writing. He began as a journalist, working for the Baltimore Sun and later the New York World. Journalism gave him a sharp eye for detail and a deep understanding of human nature—skills that would later define his fiction.
This novel established Cain as a master of the hardboiled school of crime fiction. Unlike contemporaries like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, who focused on detectives navigating corruption, Cain focused on ordinary people undone by their own desires. His characters are not masterminds—they are flawed, impulsive, and fatally human.
If Postman was Cain’s breakthrough, Double Indemnity (1936) was his masterpiece.
First serialized in Liberty magazine, it tells the story of Walter Huff, an insurance salesman who falls under the spell of Phyllis Nirdlinger, a femme fatale with murder on her mind.
Together, they plot to kill her husband and collect on a “double indemnity” clause in his insurance policy.
The brilliance of Double Indemnity lies not in the mechanics of the crime but in the psychology of the criminals.
Walter convinces himself that the plan is foolproof, but Cain shows us how quickly rationalizations crumble under guilt and suspicion. Phyllis, meanwhile, is one of noir’s most chilling creations—beautiful, manipulative, and utterly ruthless.
The novel was adapted into a 1944 film directed by Billy Wilder, with a screenplay co-written by Raymond Chandler. The movie is a landmark of film noir, but the novel remains darker, more intimate, more claustrophobic. Cain’s prose pulls us inside Walter’s head, making us complicit in his choices.
Cain didn’t stop there. His 1941 novel Mildred Pierce was another bestseller, though it shifted away from murder to explore ambition, betrayal, and the corrosive bond between mother and daughter.
Mildred is a woman who builds a business empire but cannot escape the destructive pull of her selfish child. The novel was adapted into a 1945 film starring Joan Crawford, which won her an Academy Award.
Cain also wrote Serenade (1937), a novel that blended music, sexuality, and crime, reflecting his lifelong fascination with opera. Later works like The Butterfly (1947) continued his exploration of taboo subjects, though none matched the explosive success of his early novels.
What sets Cain apart is his use of the first-person confessional. His narrators speak directly to us, often justifying their actions, often revealing their guilt.
This style creates intimacy and tension, pulling us into the moral ambiguity of crime. His prose is stripped down, almost journalistic, a reflection of his early career.
Cain’s themes are consistent: sex, money, violence, and betrayal. He believed that crime was not the domain of masterminds but the temptation of ordinary people.
His novels are mirrors, showing us how easily desire can tip into destruction.
Though Cain struggled later in life—his later novels never achieved the same acclaim—his early works secured his place among the giants of American crime fiction.
He is ranked alongside Hammett and Chandler, though his focus on ordinary criminals gives his work a unique flavor.
Nearly a century after their publication, Cain’s novels still grip readers. Why? Because they are not just about crime—they are about human weakness.
We recognize Walter Huff’s rationalizations, Phyllis Nirdlinger’s manipulations, Mildred Pierce’s ambitions. Cain forces us to ask: under the right circumstances, could we be them?
That question is the true mystery. Not who committed the crime, but why—and whether we, too, might be capable of it.
James M. Cain once said he wrote about “the wish that comes true—the wish that comes true and destroys you.” That is the essence of his fiction.
His characters wish for love, money, escape. And those wishes destroy them.
So, dear reader, as you close this month’s newsletter, consider Cain’s lesson. Mystery is not always about solving puzzles.
Sometimes, it is about recognizing the puzzle within ourselves—the dangerous desires we carry, the rationalizations we whisper, the shadows we might follow if we let them.
So, till next time, which is later this month, happy wishes for great shopping fun, times with family/friends you love and enjoying all the best this time of year has to give. Happy holidays friends, and I'll see you next issue! Bye friends♥ |
Here's just a few of new and exciting mystery stories for your reading pleasure:
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1087876 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Well, whoohooo!!! It's Christmas time, Jingle Bells, ho ho ho, let's get some eggnog
we've made it to the last month of the year!!!! So, before I start talking too much, let's review the questions from last newsletter:
How many cozy mystery writers were featured in this month's Mystery newsletter? We had three wonderful members answer this question as follows:
First we have Lazy Writer est 4/24/2008  who posted this response: There were 5 cozy writers featured in this newsletter, and The Turkey Murder was during the Thanksgiving 5K run.
I love cozy books. Enjoyed your newsletter.
Awww, geez!!! Thanks for your commmenting and for your lovely kind words. They are much appreciated!
Next, we have FÐ is Spreading the Jøy  who posted this response: There are five cozy mystery writers: Leslie Meier, Isis Crawford, Julie Hyzy, Lee Harris, and Kathi Daley. The second answer is Leslie Meier.
Geez, you are a trooper FÐ is Spreading the Jøy !!! Thank you for helping out on the newsletter and commenting regularly. 
Next, we have Ichabod Crane   Great NL. You have five authors featured. Leslie Meier wrote Turkey Trot Murder, about finding a body on a 5k run.
Bingo, to you, Ichabod Crane !!! You got them on the spot! Thank you so much for commenting and contributing in the newsletter.
That's all you guys, you have either a MB or Awardicon coming. You can do one of two things. You let me know which one you want, and I'll award it or send the MB to your account. Or you say nothing, and I send my choice of something to your account. Your call. But only this week. I need to know by the end of this week, okay guys?
Okay, so now I have a question that I MISSED from JULY!!! Oh my gosh!!! So so sorry about missing this reader's feedback but I'm including it here now.
Max Griffin 🏳️🌈  posted this worthwhile feedback in July: Nice newsletter!!! Did you know that "gay mysteries" are sub-genre? Authors like Michael Nava, Richard Stephenson, John Preston and many others featured detectives who also happened to be gay. Stephenson's novels have even been made into a series of movies starring Chad Allen.
Thank you so much Max Griffin 🏳️🌈 for this great feedback! My eyes play tricks on me and I truly missed your feedback my friend. I will send you a MB or Awardicion as well, if you want to let me know what you want for providing content for my newsletter. 
So, the question from the newsletter is as follows: How many mystery stories did James Cain write ? The first 5 contributors will receive either a MB or Awardicon for their participation.
The second question is: What was the "wish" that James Cain said he wrote about that was mentioned in the newsletter? The first 5 contributors will receive an Awardicon for any writing in their portfolio for participation.
So, we didn't see the grandkids but our grandson is on the basketball team
in our old hometown school. It's so great to see him in his uniform and we definitely are planning on a trip back before the next year comes around again to see those kids. lol They're growing up like weeds, they are!
lol Our granddaughter is still really into Roblox and that's good because she's mastering it now.
And there's one more mystery newsletter at the end of this month, so I'll be back before the New Year.
Please enjoy these times and days with your family, with your friends. Pursue that thing you kept putting off, or make big plans for the year 2026. Whatever you choose, I'll be here and back with you before the year's end, so see you soon, guys and a Merry Christmas to you!
Till next mystery newsletter, take care friends, be well and read well♥
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Mystery: December 03, 2025 Issue [#13480]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
