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Last edited by OnFrATa
November 12, 2023 | History
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James Hadley Chase

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.

Photo of James Hadley Chase

British writer (1906–1985)

Born 24 December 1906
Died 06 February 1985

472 works Add another?

  • Cover of: No Orchids for Miss Blandish

    First published in 1939 — 14 editions
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  • Cover of: The Fast Buck

    First published in 1952 — 9 editions
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  • Cover of: Figure it out for yourself.

    First published in 1950 — 7 editions
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  • Cover of: Have this One on Me

    First published in 1967 — 7 editions
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  • Cover of: Hit and Run

    First published in 1958 — 7 editions
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  • Cover of: Hit them where it hurts
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    First published in 1984 — 7 editions
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  • Cover of: This Way for a Shroud
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    Cover of edition svideteleinebude00chas First published in 1953 — 7 editions
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  • Cover of: Cade

    First published in 1966 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: Goldfish have no hiding place
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    First published in 1974 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: Hand Me a Fig - Leaf

    First published in 1981 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: The way the cookie crumbles.

    First published in 1965 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: You have yourself a deal
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    Cover of edition youhaveyourselfd0000chas First published in 1966 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: An ace up my sleeve
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    First published in 1971 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: Why Pick on Me?

    First published in 2022 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: The dead stay dumb
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    First published in 1939 — 6 editions
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  • Cover of: The world in my pocket

    First published in 1959 — 5 editions
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  • Cover of: You're lonely when you're dead

    First published in 1948 — 5 editions
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  • Cover of: An Ear to the Ground

    First published in 1968 — 5 editions
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  • Cover of: Make the corpse walk
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    First published in 1946 — 5 editions
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  • Cover of: Mission to Venice
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    Cover of edition missiyavvenetsiy00dzhe First published in 1954 — 5 editions
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Photo of James Hadley Chase

British writer (1906–1985)

Born 24 December 1906
Died 06 February 1985

Subjects

Fiction in English, Fiction, thrillers, suspense, Translations into Russian, Suspense, Fiction, thrillers, general, Fiction, suspense, English Detective and mystery stories, 1950s, Fiction, mystery & detective, general, Detective and mystery stories, American Detective and mystery stories, 1940s, Romance, Fiction, Fiction, crime, Crime, fiction, Fiction, romance, general, Private investigators, fiction, Criminals, fiction, Large type books, Detective and mystery stories, English, Fiction, thrillers, espionage, collectionID:Sleazy_pulp, Detective and mystery stories, American, Extortion

Places

Nevada, USA, Cannes (France), Hollywood (USA), Orchid City (California), Siena (Italy), Venice (Italy)

People

Jack Kerman, Paula Bensinger, Steve Harmas, Vic Malloy, Don Micklem, Ben Delaney, Butch, Celie, Charles Forest, Chester Scott, Chet Carson, Chet Sladen, Claire Dolan, Clive Thurston, Conrad, Cora Brant, Cornelius Gorman, Corrigan, Dave Fenner, Della Wertham, Denny, Dillon, Eve, Floyd Delaney, Floyd Jackson

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Alternative names

  • René Lodge Brabazon Raymond
  • R. Raymond
  • James Hadley Chase
  • James L. Dochery
  • Raymond Marshall
  • Ambrose Grant
  • JAMES HADLEY CHASE
  • James Hadley CHASE
  • Hadley Chase (James)
  • James Hadley.- CHASE
  • Chase Hadley James.

History

Download catalog record: RDF / JSON
November 12, 2023 Edited by OnFrATa merge authors
September 30, 2020 Edited by MARC Bot add ISNI
May 18, 2017 Edited by MARC Bot merge authors
March 31, 2017 Edited by MARC Bot add VIAF and wikidata ID
April 1, 2008 Created by an anonymous user initial import