Hard Case unearths lost novel by James M. Cain

In fall 2012, Hard Case Crime will unveil the worldwide debut of The Cocktail Waitress, the final novel of famed writer James M. Cain, known for such classics as Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. He was said to have been working on revisions to the final novel up to close to the time of his death in 1977.

When Charles Ardai, founder and editor of Hard Case Crime, learned of the book’s existence, he spent more than nine years tracking down the original manuscript and arranging to get the rights to publish the book.

The Cocktail Waitress tells the story of a young widow whose husband died under suspicious circumstances. Desperate to make ends meet after his death, she takes a job as a waitress in a cocktail lounge -- where he meets two new men: a handsome young schemer she falls in love with, and a wealthy older man she marries...