Setting: 1800s. Wyoming.

Location: A mining town. Lone Mine
Dramatis personæ:
[indent]Hardboiled detective = Cowboy/ Bill Montana
Femme fatales/ Virginal Maiden = Daughter of the Dead Man
Corrupt Deputies (Roger, )/Sheriff Hawkins
Jealous husbands
Intrepid claims adjusters (can change to the railroad men)
Down-and-out writers = The Dead guy #1
Older, Foolish Woman
Hero
Tyrant/villain = Mine Owner
Bandits
Clergy ("The missionaries sent out there are almost everyone mean, vicious, weak, immoral, useless men.")
The Town/ Lone Mine
Native Americans[/indent]

Note- "Among characters of every stripe, cigarette smoking is rampant."

Plot: In the opening scene there's a murder. The town has secrets. Scary things happen.

Other notes:
I'd like the dichotomy of the Rich and the down trodden. It would be very apparent in a mining town. The family holding the mine would be the richest (unless there was a railroad man there) and most everyone else would be struggling to get by. There would be two or three middle class families, but not many.

Clickable links:
[url=http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newnation/4550]Map of the 1800s[/url]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_fiction#Elements_of_Gothic_fiction[/url]
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir#Structure_and_narrational_devices[/url]