Lost James M. Cain Manuscript Found!

Nine years ago, Charles Ardai, founder of Hard Case Crime, first heard about The Cocktail Waitress, the last novel written by noir great James M. Cain before he died in 1977. The book had never been published and no one seemed to know where the manuscript had ended up. Ardai knew the book would be worthwhile, given that James M. Cain is the author of such classics as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. He spent the next years searching for it.

He finally found it. The manuscript, which Cain discussed in various interviews, has annotations and edits that Ardai is trying to figure out before he publishes the book. But he’s sure he can do so, and plans to release the novel next year.