Can you recommend the best hard boiled detective novels?

One of the best is 'Gone Girl' by Gillian Flynn. The female character in it, Amy Dunne, is complex and manipulative. It's a psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns.

Well, 'The Postman Always Rings Twice' by James M. Cain is a classic hard boiled detective novel. It has a gritty and somewhat amoral atmosphere. Then there's 'I, the Jury' by Mickey Spillane. His detective, Mike Hammer, is a tough - as - nails character. And 'The Thin Man' by Dashiell Hammett (besides 'The Maltese Falcon') is also highly regarded for its engaging story and interesting characters.

Sure. 'The Thin Man' is a great one. It has a detective who is smart and witty. Also, 'A Kiss Before Dying' is a very interesting hard boiled detective story with a lot of twists.

Some of the great hard boiled detective novels include 'The Thin Man' by Dashiell Hammett. It combines mystery with a bit of humor. 'The Long Goodbye' by Raymond Chandler is another classic. Chandler's writing style is so evocative, and his detective Marlowe is a complex character. And 'A Rage in Harlem' by Chester Himes is also a notable one, with its unique take on the genre set in Harlem.

Sure. 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett is a great start. It's not overly gory but has enough of the hard - boiled elements. The characters are tough and the plot is full of twists and turns involving a valuable statuette. It gives you a good taste of the genre.

Sure. 'The Maltese Falcon' by Dashiell Hammett is a classic. It has the iconic detective Sam Spade. Another one is 'Raymond Chandler's 'The Big Sleep'. His detective Philip Marlowe is a well - known character in this genre.

I would recommend 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' series by Alexander McCall Smith. While it has a somewhat different tone compared to more traditional hard boiled novels, the main character, Precious Ramotswe, is a strong and intelligent female detective in Botswana. She solves various cases in her own unique way, and the books offer a great look at the culture and life in Botswana while still having elements of mystery and detective work.

Well, in addition to the ones already mentioned, 'I, the Jury' by Mickey Spillane is quite well - known in the classic hard boiled detective novel genre. It stars Mike Hammer, a really tough and no - nonsense detective. These novels are known for their gritty settings, tough characters, and often morally ambiguous situations.

Sure. 'Red Harvest' by Dashiell Hammett. It has a nameless detective known as the Continental Op who goes into a corrupt town and cleans it up in his own rough way.

Definitely. 'City of the Dead' by Brian Keene is a horror - filled detective novel. The detective has to face not only the normal human evils but also some supernatural elements that add to the horror factor. 'Kiss the Girls' by James Patterson also fits. It has a detective hunting a serial kidnapper in a very tense and at times horror - inducing setting. There's also 'The Reapers are the Angels' by Alden Bell. It's a post - apocalyptic horror detective story where the main character has to figure out various mysteries while dealing with the horrors of the new world.