Джокер в тестето

Helga Rolfe #2

by James Hadley Chase, Джеймс Хадли Чейс, Станислава Миланова (translator)

When Helga Rolfe flies into Nassau to join her elderly millionaire husband, Herman, she finds plenty of bad news awaiting her. Crippled, suspicious Herman has long suspected she's been playing around since their marriage, and is proposing to write some nasty-looking terms into his will.

Herman is right, of course - Helga's weakness is for handsome, sexy men like Harry Jackson, whom she meets on the beach the day she arrives. But Harry is not quite what she thinks - and because of him she suddenly finds herself in a nightmare world of blackmail, voodoo and violence . . .

'I always enjoy his books . . . he just keeps me reading' George Macdonald Fraser

Genres: Thriller, Novels, Fiction, Noir, Mystery

180 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1975

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

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even most successful writers have their failures and this seems to be the case with this novel.
The plot is thin if not quite poor, language and style are beyond average. Helga, the main character, is a rough, selfish, narcissistic lady, who loves money and younger men and does nothing to earn her living. so, no much sympathy either for her nor for the book...

[Paul Lothane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard it many times the claim that the author James Chase was something of a misogynist the way he often portrays women. Well, this work shows definitely that if anything, the author was the opposite! His portrayal of Helga Rolfe is very sympathetic including his non condemnation of her "fateful vice", nymphomania. Rolfe is attractive, clever, calculating, even ruthless and the author continues to side with her, till the end. Everything she dreams of comes her way in the end, anyway - dollops of millions, universal respect, the demise of her husband... even the young woman we have been led all along to believe despised her, and who could have swept the rug under her feet, becomes an ally late on! Lucky Helga. In this work, the author also broad-mindedly introduces us to the world of voodoo (what we call juju in Africa; muthi) But then again, Chase apparently believes voodoo does exist (see other works of his, like Make the Corpse Walk). Here, Helga Rolfe initially never believed in something like the supernatural, but thanks largely to such forces, she takes it all!

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone in this story deserved to die. Unfortunately, Helga Rolfe didn't. (She'll be back for a third visit in JHC's I Hold the Four Aces. Who is Helga? The merely lustful adventuress of An Ace Up My Sleeve has turned into a 43 year-old nymphomaniac by her own admission. She's also a constantly smoking alcoholic with a permanent suntan always on the edge of hysteria. Did I mention she's a narcissist, too, and gullible to the extreme when being flattered, especially by men? So it's quite an achievement that Chase is actually able to make her seem slightly sympathetic--all because the people confronting here are unimaginably worse. Her husband is an ogre, the PI investigating her is a sleaze. And the innocent young boy she intends to corrupt turns out to be a murdering, thieving witch doctor. The only thing wrong, really, is the utterly contrived ending Chase writes. He must have been joking.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Rolfe was one of the wealthiest men in the world. His marriage to Helga was one of appearances only. There was to be no sex involved; he was a sickly man. The trouble was that Helga was a nymphomaniac so she had to be discreet about her many sexual relationships. Helga did some of the accounting of her husband's riches and was allowed to spend money as she liked.
When Rolfe found out what Helga had been doing behind his back, he was furious. He didn't want his good name tarnished by gossip about Helga's sexual activity. He became so angry that he had a stroke that left him unable to speak. Before the stroke, however, Rolfe composed a letter to his attorney that would eliminate Helga from his will. His fortune would go to his estranged daughter.
One of the servants showed the letter to Helga & she took it and hid it so no one would know that she had been dis-inherited if her husband should die. The attorney hadn't seen the letter.
There is blackmail and witchcraft going on after all this. Big trouble lay ahead.

[Mark Vickers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've already said that I'm reading his collection for the third time in 40 years, this one is a ripper thriller that only Mr. Chase could think up, well worth my 5 star rating.....

[W]

The tension and excitement found in Chase's best books is missing in the Helga Rolfe series,of which this is the second instalment.

[Kakha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that I will always and everywhere rate (sincerely and objectively) all the works of James Hadley Chase only to the maximum. All his works are superb! They are all very strong and incomparably suspenseful. So this second book about that minx Helga Rolfe is just gorgeous. You will not put off this book until you turn the very last page. I think that Helga and her story will be remembered by you forever.

[Paul Adler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read James Hadley Chase stories 40 odd years ago. I did not realise how good they were. This is a very good story with a good plot very well written. I normally find pre 1970 thrillers slow but this one was quite pacy. Helga Rolfe a real bitch is the main character who goes from one crisis to another. If you like a good easy to read thriller I recommend this book.

[Nikhil Kasarpalkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit different from what is expected from JHC but still very fun read.

[Ravi Prakash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as exciting as James Headley Chase's other books, but yes, it's fast, unpredictable, and worth of investing time. Read it in two days.

[Lucie Chihandae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good pace !

[Jonez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je dois dire que je noterai toujours les livres de James Hadley Chase très haut, peu importe où je suis ou ce que je suis en train de critiquer. Toutes ses œuvres sont exceptionnelles, pleines de suspense et d'excitation. Ce deuxième livre sur Helga Rolfe ne fait pas exception. Il est fantastique ! La tension est tellement forte que vous ne pourrez pas poser le livre avant d'avoir atteint la dernière page. L'histoire de Helga est inoubliable, et je suis sûr que vous vous en souviendrez longtemps après avoir terminé le livre. Chase sait vraiment comment créer une histoire qui reste avec vous.

[som · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending of this book was so wholesome! Terry and Helga's conversations were so satisfying to read! And yes! I am so happy Herman died😭

[Aruna Sathish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the usual Chase novel. But loved it tiil the end.. As always, Chase is really good in portraying strong female characters. This is yet another one to add to the list.

[Costea Constantin · Rating 5 out of 5]

De undeva, din adâncul inimii, auzi o voce ascunsă, care o ispitea. Nu te grăbi. Gândeşte-te la ceea ce ai pierde. Gândeşte-te la puterea pe care o vei avea când vei fi stăpâna a şaizeci de milioane de dolari. Dacă-i dai lui Winborn scrisoarea, conştientă că nu vei putea trăi izolată, vei rămâne fără nimic şi va trebui s-o porneşti iarăşi de la zero. Gândeşte-te la ce va spune lumea aflând că Herman te-a dezmoştenit. Toţi vor zice, satisfăcuţi, că fum fără foc nu există. Fiscul va dori să afle unde au dispărut cele două milioane de dolari furaţi de Archer. Ca să te salvezi, va trebui să-l torni, iar el, pentru a-şi uşura pedeapsa, va povesti tuturor că i-ai fost amantă. Nu-i da scrisoarea lui Winborn, o ispiti vocea interioară. Distruge-o aşa cum plănuiseşi înainte ca acest complex ridicol de vinovăţie să te fi copleşit. În afară de Hinkle, care-ţi este prieten, nu va afla nimeni. Hinkle te admiră. Atât de bună, devotată, atentă!
Timp de trei ore, Helga duse o adevărată luptă cu vocea interioară, însă, tocmai când se simţea epuizată, nervii ei de oţel o salvară. Indiferent de soarta care te-aşteaptă de-acum înainte, îşi spuse, aproape cu glas tare, trişoare nu vei fi niciodată!

[Kavita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Helga Rolfe series, Helga travels from Zurich to meet her husband in Haiti. Herman Rolfe has grown suspicious of her and has hired a private detective to watch her. From here, the story takes thrilling twists and turns, and once again, Helga ends up triumphant.

I actually liked the characters in this book. Helga is far more sympathetic than in the previous book. Rolfe's daughter is interesting, along with a couple of other characters. There is a lot of racism, at times even unpalatable. It seems to be a staple of this genre. The plot is interesting, but you absolutely have to suspend disbelief with the voodoo and black magic stuff.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

An immediate sequel to Chase's An Ace Up My Sleeve. After the blackmail attempt in that book, she flies to the Caribbean to meet with her rich, aging husband. She learns that he has found out about the blackmail attempt in the first book, and what he plans to do about it. Meanwhile, she meets a hunk on the beach, and since she's sex-obsessed, she risks all in meeting with him. Another fast-paced book about blackmail and betrayal, and this one adds to the mix voodoo and an exotic setting as she attempts to master a young man in the employ of the hotel where she is staying.

[Al-amin Zanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helger she's so tempter of sex "when a middle age woman get hot pants for a boy enough to be her son cold water works" your step daughter told you dis how are you gonna feel it infact what are you gonna do?"

[Salihu]

you need to have an ace up my sleeve and i hold the four aces. in order to make sense of this novel.

[jefrey das · Rating 5 out of 5]

best of suspense thrillers full of chase and quarry and leaves us exasperating for more of such stuff as it ends too soon for ALL

[Madikeri Abu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-read after almost 35 years. Not exactly the very best of JHC but nevertheless entertaining.

[Satyajeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic sequel to the original “ an ace up my sleeve”. I love the protagonist Helga and her whole demeanour. I think she comes across as quite a strong character.

[Joydeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rare creepy horror story.