James M. Cain 1946 Photo: AP / TT
Sample of authors
Cain, James M.
The American author and journalist James Mallahan Cain was a prominent figure in 20th century fiction. Alongside Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, he was among the first authors of "hardboiled" crime fiction that came to influence American noir fiction and film. Many of his works are considered classics, especially the novellas The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934) and Double Indemnity...
Literary figures
Don Diavolo
Gender: Male
Don Diavolo is a stage magician who always appears with a mask when he is not solving “impossible” crimes in a horror setting. The author, Stuart Towne (pen name for Clayton Rawson), has given little away about this enigmatic, evasive character. Don Diavolo’s New York home has secret rooms, false mirrors and hidden exits, and he is surrounded by a group of eccentric friends and collaborators.