I'm not an American literature expert. Just in case it helps, read Dashiell Hammet and Raymomd Chandler. They have some big similarities (differences too), and

I'm not an American literature expert. Just in case it helps, read Dashiell Hammet and Raymomd Chandler. They have some big similarities (differences too), and both are, at least for me, examples of solid american writing, the skill of which is made manifest through its simplicity. Chandler, I'm told, was a big influence on Hiruki Murukami (not American, though I think he here now, but another favorite). The whole idea that the novel is about the journey and not the plot. Chandler is also an inspiration for the Big Lebowski.