James M. Cain’s first novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, was an instant bestseller. Based on a real-life murder, the shocking story was an instant bestseller that inspired both fascination and outrage, and was banned in Boston for its plain-speaking portrayal of adultery and homicide. Translated into 18 languages, it epitomises the hardboiled roman noir and is regarded as one of the most important crime novels of the 20th century.