James M. Cain

James Mallahan Cain (1892–1977) was an American novelist and journalist whose taut, hardboiled stories helped define crime fiction. Born in Annapolis, Maryland, he studied at Washington College and began his career in journalism, later working as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Cain gained lasting fame with *The Postman Always Rings Twice* (1934), a fast-paced tale of passion and murder, followed by *Double Indemnity* (serialized 1936) and *Mildred Pierce* (1941). His fiction is known for clipped prose, fatalistic plots, and characters driven by desire and desperation. Many of his works were adapted into influential films.