Can you recommend some of the best hard boiled novels?

Of course. 'The Neon Rain' by James Lee Burke is a top - notch hard boiled crime novel. It has a vividly drawn Louisiana setting and a tough detective. 'Black Cherry Blues' by James Lee Burke is also great. It continues the story of the detective and has more of that southern - fried crime and mystery. And 'The Concrete Blonde' by Michael Connelly. His detective, Harry Bosch, is a great character and the novel has a great mystery to solve.

I would recommend 'The Big Sleep'. Raymond Chandler's writing is excellent in this one. The character of Philip Marlowe is a great example of a hard boiled detective. He's smart, tough, and has his own moral code. Another good one is 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'. It has a really interesting plot about love, lust, and murder in a rather sordid setting.

Sure. 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' by James M. Cain is a must - read. It's a story of passion and murder that really sets the tone for the hard boiled genre. The characters are complex and the plot is full of twists.

Raymond Chandler has some excellent hard boiled short stories too. His story 'Red Wind' is a good example. The seedy underbelly of the city is vividly depicted, with a tough detective trying to make sense of the chaos and crime around him. The hard - boiled style is evident in the cynical dialogue and the noir - like atmosphere.

Sure. 'Sharp Objects' by Gillian Flynn is a great modern hard boiled novel. It has a damaged protagonist who returns to her hometown to cover a series of murders. The atmosphere is dark and full of family secrets. Another one is 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. Although it was written earlier, it has had a huge influence on modern hard boiled novels. It has a classic detective, Philip Marlowe, and a convoluted plot full of double - crosses.

For beginners, 'The Maltese Falcon' is a great start. It's not overly complex and gives a good sense of what hard boiled noir is all about.

There's 'They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'. While it's not a traditional love story in the sense, it has elements of a hard boiled view of relationships. The desperation and the harsh reality of the characters' lives are well - portrayed. Additionally, 'A Farewell to Arms' by Ernest Hemingway has some hard boiled elements in its love story, with the backdrop of war adding to the toughness of the relationship.

James M. Cain's 'Double Indemnity' is a classic hard boiled novel. It tells the story of an insurance agent who gets involved in a murder - for - profit scheme with a femme fatale. The noir atmosphere and the moral decay depicted in the story are characteristic of the hard boiled genre.

One of the best modern hard boiled novels is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. It has a complex plot with morally ambiguous characters and a sense of mystery and deception that is characteristic of the genre. Another great one is 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Stieg Larsson. It combines a hard - boiled detective - like character in Lisbeth Salander with a dark and gritty story full of secrets and violence.

One of the best is 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett. It's a classic with its tough detective, Sam Spade, and a complex web of mystery involving a valuable statuette. Another great one is 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. His character Philip Marlowe is iconic, and the novel has a great noir atmosphere with lots of double - crosses and seedy characters. Also, 'Red Harvest' by Hammett is excellent. It shows a corrupt town and a detective's efforts to clean it up in a very gritty and hard - boiled way.