Come Easy—Go Easy / In a Vain Shadow

by James Hadley Chase, Rick Ollerman

Come Easy--Go Easy



Chet Carson works for the Lawrence Safe Corporation. One night temptation gets the better of him, and he and his partner decide to rob one of their clients. Some months later, Carson is languishing at Farnworth Prison. But Carson has a plan and soon escalates from convict to escaped con, on the run from the sadistic guards. That's when he comes across Carl Jensen at Point of No Return, a filling station on the edge of the desert highway. Jensen takes a chance on Carson and gives him a job--and a new lease on life. The Swede has a good feeling about Carson. Unfortunately, the Swede's greedy wife Lola doesn't share his sentiment, and sets up Carson to crack one more safe or she'll turn him in. Jensen has a small fortune stashed away. And it's just one more safe--only this one could be Carson's last.



In a Vain Shadow



Frank Mitchell is bored and restless when he spots the ad for a bodyguard. He's tired of feeling like a kept man. So when he finds that Mr. Sarek needs someone to protect him against a series of threatening letters, he jumps at the chance to get away from Netta and her smothering love. On the surface, Sarek looks like a harmless little guy in a loud coat who deals in diamonds. Eccentric but harmless. But Frank gets more than he bargains for when he meets Mrs. Sarek. Rita is something else indeed--she hits like a sucker punch. She's all that he can think about. But Rita's got more surprises for Frank. She wants him to help her kill her husband. And the payoff? All those diamonds....

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

René Lodge Brabazon Raymond was born on 24th December 1906 in London, England, the son of Colonel Francis Raymond of the colonial Indian Army, a veterinary surgeon. His father intended his son to have a scientific career, was initially educated at King's School, Rochester, Kent. He left home at the age of 18 and became at different times a children's encyclopedia salesman, a salesman in a bookshop, and executive for a book wholesaler before turning to a writing career that produced more than 90 mystery books. His interests included photography (he was up to professional standard), reading and listening to classical music, being a particularly enthusiastic opera lover. Also as a form of relaxation between novels, he put together highly complicated and sophisticated Meccano models.

In 1932, Raymond married Sylvia Ray, who gave him a son. They were together until his death fifty three years later. Prohibition and the ensuing US Great Depression (1929–1939), had given rise to the Chicago gangster culture just prior to World War II. This, combined with her book trade experience, made him realise that there was a big demand for gangster stories. He wrote as R. Raymond, James Hadley Chase, James L. Docherty, Ambrose Grant and Raymond Marshall.

During World War II he served in the Royal Air Force, achieving the rank of Squadron Leader. Chase edited the RAF Journal with David Langdon and had several stories from it published after the war in the book Slipstream: A Royal Air Force Anthology.

Raymond moved to France in 1956 and then to Switzerland in 1969, living a secluded life in Corseaux-sur-Vevey, on Lake Geneva, from 1974. He eventually died there peacefully on 6 February 1985.

Reviews

[Rajat Hazra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical JHC. Crisp writing -almost cinematic. A twist in the tale!