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Mallory
A small French resistance group came to London after the war to avenge the death of their leader, betrayed to the Gestapo by one of their own members. But the traitor, Mallory, proved more than a match for them, and two corpses later, the remaining three called in outside help. They chose Martin Corridon, an ex-commando, who accepted the job and planned a neat double-cross of his own once he had the money. But it didn't quite work out that way: Corridon found himself trailing Mallory from the dens of Soho to the wilds of a remote Scottish island...
Paperback
First published September 1, 1969
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About the author
James Hadley Chase
649 books997 followersRené 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 15, 2022
Mallory, first published by Chase (the most well known pen name of Rene Barbazon) under the pen name Raymond Marshall, is a tightly wound post-war thriller featuring elements of espionage novels and elements of crime fiction. The plot involves unfinished business of members of the French resistance out to exact revenge on someone who betrayed them to the Gestapo.
An odd assortment of former resistant fighters are carrying on now in London, a serious woman named Jeanne who had all the life ripped out of her heart, dressed all in black, and hard as nails, a one-armed one-eyed man seemingly too soft for this business, and Jan, the man with the gun who is fine taking action, but not so much with the planning. Enlisted to help them with their lost cause is former British spy Martin Corridon, now living off his reputation and taking money from anyone fool enough to trust him.
From these characters, Chase creates an exciting thriller filled with doublecrosses, frame-ups, police chases, gun battles, and Corridon who doesn’t know what he’s got himself into, but handles it competently getting out of jams left and right. When Chase was on his mark, he put out well-crafted thrillers like this.
An odd assortment of former resistant fighters are carrying on now in London, a serious woman named Jeanne who had all the life ripped out of her heart, dressed all in black, and hard as nails, a one-armed one-eyed man seemingly too soft for this business, and Jan, the man with the gun who is fine taking action, but not so much with the planning. Enlisted to help them with their lost cause is former British spy Martin Corridon, now living off his reputation and taking money from anyone fool enough to trust him.
From these characters, Chase creates an exciting thriller filled with doublecrosses, frame-ups, police chases, gun battles, and Corridon who doesn’t know what he’s got himself into, but handles it competently getting out of jams left and right. When Chase was on his mark, he put out well-crafted thrillers like this.
April 27, 2012
That's the problem with reading too many JHC. You can at times guess the ending right at the start of the book. Unlike Agatha Christie, JHC don't hide much from the reader and if "mystery-thriller-suspense" is your bread & butter, you can very easily predict the story on your own. Mallory is a good book for one time read, but for me it was predictable after the first 25- 30 pages. It is strictly a one time read for lovers of mysteries may be when you are traveling alone in a train or you have nothing else to do in a burning June afternoon. But for me both Mallory and The vulture is a patient bird were huge disappointments.
February 13, 2014
Guns and drinks...damsels in distress, tight situations, tough guys, beautiful and cunning women, witty one liners, self depreciating humour, murder, suspense, chase through the countryside and nail biting suspense till the very last page...I salute you Mr Chase...I salute you.
I don't know who the hell gave the rights to publish JHC and ESG's novels to this crap publisher from India who uses garish covers in colours of red, pink, blue, orange, green et al...least they could have done would have been to hire a book cover designer...personally I wouldn't mind the scantily clad women on the front cover but whatever be the cover design I would still buy and devour each of JHC's novels !!!!
Personally Mr Chase would have asked me to "cut the crap" or "leave the old world charm for a more appropriate time' and "read the damn book" :-)
I don't know who the hell gave the rights to publish JHC and ESG's novels to this crap publisher from India who uses garish covers in colours of red, pink, blue, orange, green et al...least they could have done would have been to hire a book cover designer...personally I wouldn't mind the scantily clad women on the front cover but whatever be the cover design I would still buy and devour each of JHC's novels !!!!
Personally Mr Chase would have asked me to "cut the crap" or "leave the old world charm for a more appropriate time' and "read the damn book" :-)
August 20, 2015
A good read. Somehow I saw the end much earlier in the story... still an okay read.
January 31, 2021
Stretching from London to Scotland and a hermit island, JHC opts for non-stop action and very little psychologizing in this thriller. Caught up among three former fighters in the French Resistance, Martin Corridon finds himself in their pay searching for a fourth member, Mallory, who has supposedly betrayed them to the Gestapo during World War II. After that, it's all run, fight, flinch, kill, wound, and obsesses over revenge.
In this instance, JHC was moving away from his more psychologically involved London-based thrillers, which underwent quite a degree of character development and analysis. Here, the veneer of personalities never cracks. You never really appreciate what motivates Corridon, other than opportunism and an occasional misplaced bit of altruistic commitments to the hare-lip, Effie. Most of the time, however, he is a rogue, a conman, a chiseler who, but who still does the right thing in the end. A clear move away from earlier characters who exhibited more than a touch of moral ambiguity and self-doubt.
In this instance, JHC was moving away from his more psychologically involved London-based thrillers, which underwent quite a degree of character development and analysis. Here, the veneer of personalities never cracks. You never really appreciate what motivates Corridon, other than opportunism and an occasional misplaced bit of altruistic commitments to the hare-lip, Effie. Most of the time, however, he is a rogue, a conman, a chiseler who, but who still does the right thing in the end. A clear move away from earlier characters who exhibited more than a touch of moral ambiguity and self-doubt.
January 29, 2016
Some people start reading books because they get transported to the world the author creates in his books and relives the tensions and struggles of each character. For me James Hadley Chase is one such author and with his book Mallory he again proves he is the master at what he does. Mallory is a book filled with powerful characters and the story line is power paced and filled with twists. It is a book which gives you an adrenaline rush and you can't keep the book down without finishing the same. A must read book !!
May 4, 2022
Excitement, great characters and a twist ending that is kind of obvious if you've ever read a detective story but still fun. All with a British post WW2 flair. Spend an afternoon with it and you won't be disappointed.
August 20, 2015
This one from the maestro, features another one of his most popular characters, ex-British agent, ex- commando, Mr. Martin Corridon. A small resistance group comes to London after World War 2, to avenge the death of their leader, pierre, betrayed to the gestapo, by Brian Mallory, one of their own members. But the traitor, Mallory, proves to be more than a match for them and two corpses later, they decide to call on Corridon, one extremely tough hombre. It seems that Corridon is more interested in accepting their money and then double crossing them, but however they had a huge surprise waiting for Martin Corridon.....
August 18, 2012
Po přečtení předchozího dílá tohoto autora, jsem nabyla dojmu, že komplikované příběhy příliš neumí. V tomto případě jsem se přesvědčilo o opaku. Vyprávění začíná zdánlivě jednoduše, partička bývalých odbojářů si najme známého outsidera na vykonání jisté prácičky. Postupně je ale čtenáři odkrývána pravda o pozadí oné prácičky, která se zdá být čím dál více komlpikovanější a temnější.
Za závěrečnou absenci standartního románového kliché patří autorovi velký dík
P.S. fakt nechápu kdo vytvářel knize přebal, naprosto out of topic....
Za závěrečnou absenci standartního románového kliché patří autorovi velký dík
P.S. fakt nechápu kdo vytvářel knize přebal, naprosto out of topic....
November 13, 2007
mallory is a mystery
February 3, 2012
Typical JHC... Was able to guess the ending a bit too soon.. Otherwise a good entertainer and page turner...
July 25, 2021
Двадцатый роман Чейза. Восьмой роман, выпущенный под псевдонимом Рэймонд Маршалл. Первый роман в дилогии о Мартине Корридоне.
1946 год. Лондон. Мартин Корридон, бывший коммандос, а ныне «свободный агент». Занимается контрабандой и прочими мутными схемами. На Корридона выходят бывшие члены Французского Сопротивления и предлагают ему неплохие деньги за поиск и убийство некоего Мэллори.
Во время войны одну из ячеек Сопротивления сдал нацистам захваченный в плен член группы Мэллори. После войны пятеро оставшихся в живых членов ячейки узнали о том, что Мэллори может находится в Лондоне. Они приехали отомстить и двое из них погибли во время поисков Мэллори. Оставшиеся трое — Ян, Жанна и Марк — решили больше не играть с судьбой и нанять профессионала. Корридона.
Среди многочисленных «героев» и «злодеев» Чейза, Корридон выделяется редким для автора амплуа «антигерой». Корридон вроде и герой войны, но сейчас занимается преступной деятельностью. Тратит деньги на бескорыстную помощь малознакомой девушке, но берет «заказ на убийство». Правда, собирается кинуть заказчиков, но те заранее расставляют капкан для Корридона. Вот так, в череде взаимного кидалова и проходит роман «Мэллори».
«Мэллори» кажется слегка затянутым. Происходящее в 1946 году — очень динамичное повествование. «Затянутость» в романе возникает из-за того, что Чейз долго рассказывает биографию персонажей — в основном, связанную с событиями Второй мировой.
Роман-то про то, как люди не смогли прийти в себя после войны и продолжают решать вопросы с помощью пистолетов. Не ради денег или каких-то иных благ, а просто они привыкли решать с помощью трофейного «маузера» любые жизненные коллизии. Попался карманник? Маузер. Предал друг? Маузер. Попался сосед невовремя или заметили полицейские? Маузер. Чейз убедительно описывает людей, у которых во время войны накренилась крыша и к мирной жизни они так и не смогли приспособиться.
Корридон, в противовес людям из Сопротивления, после войны освоился и начал зарабатывать. Поэтому он сначала даже не понял, в какую «теплую» компанию его занесло. А потому за пару дней он из «уважаемого дельца» превращается в беглеца, которого отчаянно ищет полиция.
Спойлер — восьмой десяток роману идет, уже можно его тайны раскрыть. Сейчас развязка не вызывает удивления, но для 1950 года — это было очень продвинутая тема с психологией. Всё дело в том, что Мэллори погиб во время войны. Своих друзей сдала нацистам Жанна. У Жанны возникли большие проблемы с головой, она убедила себя и остальных, что Мэллори жив. Начала страдать приступами с помутнениями сознания. Во время этих приступов она сама и убивала своих друзей. В самом конце Корридон всё-таки догадывается, что всю книгу искал призрака, а убийца был всё время рядом.
Детективные приключения в 1946 году. Военные при��лючения во флэшбеках. Редкие для Чейза (да и для того времени в целом) психологические/психиатрические выверты. Вот, а еще говорят, что Чейз писал шаблонно. «Мэллори» — хороший роман. И в биографии Чейза. И среди детективов 20-го века тоже.
8/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/jhchase-mallory-1950/
1946 год. Лондон. Мартин Корридон, бывший коммандос, а ныне «свободный агент». Занимается контрабандой и прочими мутными схемами. На Корридона выходят бывшие члены Французского Сопротивления и предлагают ему неплохие деньги за поиск и убийство некоего Мэллори.
Во время войны одну из ячеек Сопротивления сдал нацистам захваченный в плен член группы Мэллори. После войны пятеро оставшихся в живых членов ячейки узнали о том, что Мэллори может находится в Лондоне. Они приехали отомстить и двое из них погибли во время поисков Мэллори. Оставшиеся трое — Ян, Жанна и Марк — решили больше не играть с судьбой и нанять профессионала. Корридона.
Среди многочисленных «героев» и «злодеев» Чейза, Корридон выделяется редким для автора амплуа «антигерой». Корридон вроде и герой войны, но сейчас занимается преступной деятельностью. Тратит деньги на бескорыстную помощь малознакомой девушке, но берет «заказ на убийство». Правда, собирается кинуть заказчиков, но те заранее расставляют капкан для Корридона. Вот так, в череде взаимного кидалова и проходит роман «Мэллори».
«Мэллори» кажется слегка затянутым. Происходящее в 1946 году — очень динамичное повествование. «Затянутость» в романе возникает из-за того, что Чейз долго рассказывает биографию персонажей — в основном, связанную с событиями Второй мировой.
Роман-то про то, как люди не смогли прийти в себя после войны и продолжают решать вопросы с помощью пистолетов. Не ради денег или каких-то иных благ, а просто они привыкли решать с помощью трофейного «маузера» любые жизненные коллизии. Попался карманник? Маузер. Предал друг? Маузер. Попался сосед невовремя или заметили полицейские? Маузер. Чейз убедительно описывает людей, у которых во время войны накренилась крыша и к мирной жизни они так и не смогли приспособиться.
Корридон, в противовес людям из Сопротивления, после войны освоился и начал зарабатывать. Поэтому он сначала даже не понял, в какую «теплую» компанию его занесло. А потому за пару дней он из «уважаемого дельца» превращается в беглеца, которого отчаянно ищет полиция.
Спойлер — восьмой десяток роману идет, уже можно его тайны раскрыть. Сейчас развязка не вызывает удивления, но для 1950 года — это было очень продвинутая тема с психологией. Всё дело в том, что Мэллори погиб во время войны. Своих друзей сдала нацистам Жанна. У Жанны возникли большие проблемы с головой, она убедила себя и остальных, что Мэллори жив. Начала страдать приступами с помутнениями сознания. Во время этих приступов она сама и убивала своих друзей. В самом конце Корридон всё-таки догадывается, что всю книгу искал призрака, а убийца был всё время рядом.
Детективные приключения в 1946 году. Военные при��лючения во флэшбеках. Редкие для Чейза (да и для того времени в целом) психологические/психиатрические выверты. Вот, а еще говорят, что Чейз писал шаблонно. «Мэллори» — хороший роман. И в биографии Чейза. И среди детективов 20-го века тоже.
8/10
Оригинал отзыва - https://cahier.ru/jhchase-mallory-1950/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2021
This magnificent, beloved novel from the genre of hard-boiled crime fiction was published exactly in the middle of the last century, but it is still very fresh! The novel is just incredibly cool and interesting. However, this has always been the case from the pen of our magnificent writer.
This story is one of two books about the unforgettable protagonist, Martin "Brick Top" Corridon. Yes, there are only two books about this hero, if I'm not mistaken, but they are so bright and great that I remember this character well and forever.
Martin Corridon is hired to eliminate a traitor. And for very serious reasons, Martin cannot refuse this at all. So he has to act, risking his life, to solve the difficult riddle of a dark criminal case.
This story is one of two books about the unforgettable protagonist, Martin "Brick Top" Corridon. Yes, there are only two books about this hero, if I'm not mistaken, but they are so bright and great that I remember this character well and forever.
Martin Corridon is hired to eliminate a traitor. And for very serious reasons, Martin cannot refuse this at all. So he has to act, risking his life, to solve the difficult riddle of a dark criminal case.
July 28, 2021
Martin Corridon is the hero of this suspense triller.He is an ex-military who does odd jobs for his living with out getting in to the attention of the police.He is sought after by 3 war vetrans of the French Resistance group(the one armed harmless Ranleigh ,Jan the hot head with gun and Jeanne an indifferent and unstable girl)who want him to help them avenge the death of their leader Pierre who they believe was caught and killed by the secret police of Nazis due to Brain Mallory who opened his mouth and talked
All 3 of them had suffered brutally at the hands of Nazis.The plot goes further when they try to find Mallory to avenge their boss's death
There is suspense regarding Mallory, read it to know more😊
All 3 of them had suffered brutally at the hands of Nazis.The plot goes further when they try to find Mallory to avenge their boss's death
There is suspense regarding Mallory, read it to know more😊
February 15, 2023
I have read most of the JHC stuff but for some reason over time I had been avoiding this. because of the generic title i guess. I thought Mallory was a girl name and this was another of Chases stories with a "strong female protagonist" like Helga Rolfe and others. How mistaken I was!!!
This is one of the best Chase novels. Definitely in the top 5. It's an awesome post-war suspense /psychological / thriller written in a classic Chase style.
and I'll be hanged if this was not the inspiration behind the movie "Shutter Island" . You can find similar elements, mainly at the ending chapters.
This is one of the best Chase novels. Definitely in the top 5. It's an awesome post-war suspense /psychological / thriller written in a classic Chase style.
and I'll be hanged if this was not the inspiration behind the movie "Shutter Island" . You can find similar elements, mainly at the ending chapters.
June 4, 2021
Story of a dead man hunt driven by a woman with a shattered mind and heart. How a mind can play games with it's own host. How one particular incident can drive a person crazy and blind and dangerous at the same time
September 12, 2020
Σειρά Βίπερ Αστυνομικά 51
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June 26, 2022My favourite
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2023
The good detective on four "stars", but no more. Martin Corridon is a typical character for detective novels. He's severe, but at the same time a bit sentimental.
May 24, 2023
Actual rating: 3,5
September 28, 2023
Excellent captivating plot as always
August 31, 2016
James Hadley Chase is known for his gripping plots. This book was no exception, for it was un-put-down-able!
The characters are developed marvelously, the descriptions are in right proportions, and the story strikes the right chords- all this in spite of the book being a small one. - That, ladies and gentlemen, is James Hadley Chase for you!
The characters are developed marvelously, the descriptions are in right proportions, and the story strikes the right chords- all this in spite of the book being a small one. - That, ladies and gentlemen, is James Hadley Chase for you!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews