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The Cocktail Waitress Audiobook
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(3.00) - 337 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Grieving widow or black widow?
The day Joan Medford buried her husband was a fateful one—because before the day was out she'd meet the two men who would change her life forever. Forced to take a job waitressing to support herself and her child, Joan finds herself caught between the handsome young schemer whose touch she comes to crave and the wealthy older man whose touch repels her…but who otherwise would make a tempting husband number two. It's a classic Cain triangle —brutal and sexual and stark—that can only end in death. But for whom, the guilty…or the innocent?
The final novel written by James M. Cain and never before published, The Cocktail Waitress is a testament to the enduring power of one of the most acclaimed novelists of the twentieth century. The author of unforgettable noir classics such as Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cain's work remains as impossible to put down today as when first written, and will leave even jaded modern readers breathless.
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"Not Cain's best but still a compelling read from one of the all-time masters. The middle goes off on an uninteresting tangent via a London honeymoon, but the book soon gets back on track and ends with a bang. This is no masterpiece but hardboiled fans and Cain fans will enjoy the book. Check it out."
— Andrew (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“After burying her abusive husband on page one of the book, Joan takes a job waitressing to make ends meet and winds up meeting two new men: a wealthy but repulsive older man and a handsome young schemer who makes her blood boil. Can you have any doubt that things will end badly for one or both of them? No, that’s not a spoiler—it’s a simple statement of fact when you’re talking about a Cain femme fatale, the deadliest species there is.”
— Huffington Post -
“It’s easy to fall for a previously unpublished work by Cain…Fortunately, The Cocktail Waitress—which the author sought to complete before perishing in 1977—serves up ample delights.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“[It] pulses with more authentic primal energy than the work of any number of Cain imitators from the 1930s to the present.”
— Wall Street Journal
Awards
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A 2012 eMusic Best Audiobook of the Year
The Cocktail Waitress Listener Reviews
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" The audio was nicely "performed" by Amy Rubinate; not sure I would have finished it if I'd been reading rather than listening. Has a certain curiosity value since it's Cain's last book, but it's no Mildred Pierce or Double Indemnity. "
— Bayneeta, 2/16/2014 -
" this is a very, very dated book with a lousy ending. I know that others of his books are suspenseful, but this wasn't. "
— Kunni, 1/22/2014 -
" Not his best but sorta fun. "
— Lesa, 1/20/2014 -
" The plot was a little thin and moved a little slowly, but I liked the story and the main character, Joan. "
— Amie, 1/15/2014 -
" The "lost" James M Cain book was a disappointment for me. A wholly unlikeable main character and a silly story at that. I'm not fully convinced this was even written by James M Cain. "
— Bridget, 12/3/2013 -
" Not bad. Guess I expected more... but this is an old, classic story about crime noir. Guess I was expecting more... I dunno... crime? "
— Greg, 11/15/2013 -
" If you like an occasional side-trip to pulp fiction, you can't go wrong with this long lost classic. Hard-boiled and told first person from the femme-fatale side, this one is a winner. From the guy who brought you Double Indemnity & The Postman Always Rings Twice. "
— Adam, 11/9/2013 -
" I managed to get my grubby mitts on a promo copy of this, but I won't post a review until after the official pub date. "
— Nicci, 11/3/2013 -
" Not going to compare it to Double Indemnity or Postman...just enjoyed it a lot. "
— Harvey, 8/1/2013 -
" This was terrific and unusual. My first Cain but I'll be looking for his other work now. "
— John, 6/24/2013 -
" A great final novel from a noir legend. Chandler was right when he called Cain, "Proust in greasy overalls." He didn't mean it as a compliment but it should be taken as one. "
— Christian, 5/29/2013 -
" I'm a big fan of Cain's. This is quite good. The ending struck me as too harsh. "
— Erik, 5/16/2013 -
" Decent book, quick read. Not as amazing as Stephen King seems to think, but still an excellent read. "
— Jon, 4/10/2013 -
" Another good and gritty crime story from the author of The Postman Always Rings Twice. In first person narrative, Author Cain writes gripping dialogue. He also writes scenes that exude the aura of sexual tension between his characters. Delicious entertainment. "
— Misteeyed, 3/27/2013 -
" Not my favorite Cain book. I thought it finished stronger than it started. The book was reassembled after Cain's death from various drafts that he left behind and has many ideas and elements that he used in prior works. "
— Doctorwu51, 3/3/2013 -
" Interesting study of a woman who is victimized by society, family, men and medicine. It's a look back at a time remembered fondly many who have no idea how others struggled behind a false facade of wholesomeness. Recommended. "
— Roy, 12/18/2012 -
" As a Cain novel it is exactly what you should expect. The afterward is an unexpected treat, talking about the circumstances that lead to the novel's delayed publication and giving examples of the editorial difficulty in producing a work without any input from the original author. "
— Robert, 10/22/2012
About James M. Cain
James Mallahan Cain (1892–1977) worked as a reporter during World War I and was managing editor at the New Yorker before going to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. His novels, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mildred Pierce, and Double Indemnity, became film noir classics. In 1974, he was awarded the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America.
About Amy Rubinate
Amy Rubinate has narrated over 250 audiobooks and won multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. Her books have been selected for AudioFile’s Best Romance of 2016 list; Booklist’s Top 10 Romance, Top 10 Historical Fiction, Editor’s Choice Media; and YALSA’s Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults. She has a degree in oral interpretation of literature and won state and national awards for poetry reading. A voice actor and singer for over a decade, Amy has narrated many interactive children’s books and provided character voices for toys and video games. Amy’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, AudioFile magazine, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and Library Journal.