First published 1981
Walter Neff sells insurance in 1930s Los Angeles. He visits the Dietrichson house to renew an auto policy and meets Phyllis Dietrichson, the blonde wife of his client. She asks about accident insurance for her husband. Walter recognizes her scheme immediately. He should walk away. Instead, he finds himself drawn into her plan to kill Mr. Dietrichson and collect the double indemnity payout. They stage the murder to look like a train accident. Walter thinks he has covered every angle. His colleague Barton Keyes suspects fraud and begins investigating. The insurance company refuses to pay. Phyllis grows desperate and dangerous. Walter discovers she has killed before. Trust breaks down between the conspirators. Walter realizes he has been manipulated from the start, but escape seems impossible as Keyes closes in.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: deception, enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Los Angeles
Period: 1930s
224 pages · Hardcover · Robert Hale Ltd
Content warnings: murder, violence