What are some classic American crime novels?

One classic American crime novel is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It features the hard - boiled detective Sam Spade and a complex web of crime involving a valuable statuette. Another is 'In Cold Blood' by Truman Capote, which is a non - fictional account that reads like a crime thriller. And 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler, with its detective Philip Marlowe solving mysteries in a seedy underworld.

Sure. One of the well - known ones could be 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It's a classic with a complex plot full of mystery and morally ambiguous characters.

Dashiell Hammett is a very famous author of classic American crime novels. He created Sam Spade in 'The Maltese Falcon'. Another is Raymond Chandler who gave us Philip Marlowe in books like 'The Big Sleep'. Truman Capote is also well - known for his crime - related work such as 'In Cold Blood'.

Another might be something that was perhaps less well - known but still part of the crime genre in 1934. There were likely many pulp crime novels published during that time. Some of them might have focused on gangsters and the seedy underworld of American cities. However, without more in - depth research, it's hard to name specific ones other than the more famous ones like Hammett's work.

I also recommend 'The Silence of the Lambs' by Thomas Harris. It features the iconic character Hannibal Lecter. The cat - and - mouse game between Clarice Starling and Lecter while she tries to solve a serial killer case is gripping.

The characters in these novels are typically complex. They are not simply good or bad. For example, detectives may have their own flaws and be cynical. Criminals might have some sympathetic traits. This moral ambiguity makes the stories more interesting. Moreover, the plots are usually full of twists and turns. Just when you think you've figured it out, there's another surprise waiting. It's like a maze that the reader has to navigate through.

One classic crime novel is 'Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It features the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson solving various complex mysteries in Victorian London. Another is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It's a hard - boiled detective story full of intrigue and double - crosses. And 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Christie is also a great one. It has a very unique and suspenseful plot where ten people are trapped on an island and start getting killed one by one.

One classic is 'Murder on the Orient Express' by Agatha Christie. It's a masterful tale of a murder on a train with a complex web of suspects. Another is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett, which features a hard - boiled detective in a search for a valuable statuette. And 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn is also a great modern example, with its twists and turns in a story of a missing wife.

Well, there's 'The Shape of the Ruins' by Juan Gabriel Vásquez. It has elements of crime and mystery as it delves into Colombian history. Then there's 'Chronicle of a Death Foretold' by Gabriel García Márquez. Although it's not a typical crime novel, it does deal with a murder and the events leading up to it in a small South American town. Also, 'Killing Pablo' by Mark Bowden, which is about the hunt for the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar.

One of the well - known books in it could be 'The Maltese Falcon'. It's a classic crime novel with a complex plot involving a valuable statuette. The characters are vividly drawn, especially the detective Sam Spade. Another might be 'In Cold Blood' which is based on a real - life murder case. It delves deep into the minds of the killers and the impact on the community.