Which author wrote 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'?

James M. Cain wrote The Postman Always Rings Twice. Published in 1934, the crime novel follows Frank Chambers, a drifter who becomes involved with Cora Papadakis, the dissatisfied wife of a roadside diner owner. Their attraction leads them toward murder, betrayal, and an inescapable reckoning.

Cain’s terse, direct style and focus on desire, violence, and fate helped define American hard-boiled fiction. The novel caused a sensation because its sexual frankness and brutality were unusually bold for its era; it was even banned in Boston. Its plot has often been discussed alongside Émile Zola’s Thérèse Raquin, which also involves illicit love and a deadly scheme.

The title is not simply a postal observation. Cain said it came from a conversation with screenwriter Vincent Lawrence, who described the anxiety of waiting for a postman’s second ring. The story has been adapted several times, most famously in the 1946 film noir starring John Garfield and Lana Turner. Cain also wrote Double Indemnity.