Leigh Brackett's 1944 novel No Good from a Corpse is fine hardboiled stuff. A PI takes a case for a client he hates. There's a rich assortment of crooked PIs, deranged alcoholics, insane ex-cons and as many no-good dames as you could wish for.
My review: https://vintagepopfictions.blogspot.com/2013/07/no-good-from-corpse.html