Serenade by James M Cain – review

Cain is now mostly famous for the books which became big screen hits – Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice , and Mildred Pierce , currently on TV – but the first thing that hooks the reader in Serenade is the voice, that wonderful, poetic slang drawl that a few American crime writers do to perfection. The narrator John Sharp is down on his luck, with no money, hiding out in Mexico City – so far so predictable. But Sharp is a man with a complicated history, which is teased out gradually. He finesses a half-Indian illiterate prostitute from a popular bullfighter (echoes of Carmen : Sharp sings opera and Cain knows his music) and then falls for her. Together they travel north, helped by an eccentric Irish sea captain – all the minor characters are ideal for film cameos. From this mundane beginning the story builds to a stunning and complex climax. It's hard to believe this was first published in 1937; and how brilliant that a new generation has a chance to discover this compelling writer.