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Rene' Raymond, better
known by his pseudonym, as James
Hadley Chase, was born on 24th December,
1906, in Ealing, London and was educated at King's School,
Rochester, Kent. He left home when he was about eighteen
years of age and worked as a traveling salesman, selling
children's encyclopedias. Later, he joined a wholesale book firm.
Chase took up full time writing, prior to the Second Word War.
During the War, he served with distinction as a Squadron Leader
in the RAF. He moved to France in 1956
and over to Switzerland in 1961, living a secluded life in Corseaux-Sur-Vevey
north of Lake Geneva. His work experience
in the book trade and the RAF stood him in good stead
throughout his writing career
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In fact,
Chase lived a
secluded life, and details of his personal history are not known
very well. He was reported to be a amateur photographer, an opera
enthusiast and a modeler of complicated Mecanno models. He
died on 6th February 1985, at Corseaux,
Switzerland, survived by his wife, Sylvia.
Some other
pseudonyms used by him, during his lifetime were: Raymond
Marshall, Ambrose Grant
and James L.
Docherty.
Tributes:
Chase is one of the very rare thriller writers, capable of always replying intelligently to the question, "What happens next?". He must be considered as one of the greatest story tellers of today, if his inventiveness, his feeling for a situation and absolute personal style are taken into consideration - La Revue de Paris |
The way he builds up a plot, layer upon layer,
is so effective - The Sunday Times
I always enjoy his books... He just keeps me reading - George Macdonald Fraser |
Chase is a born novelist; under his pen, adventures unfold without a hitch; his characters begin to live. - Le Monde Has more claim to be literature than many a literary novel... the author is a born narrator. -Daily Mail |
The thriller maestro of the
generation - Manchester Evening News James Hadley Chase is a thriller writer of masterly ingenuity. Several times you think you know what will happen. Well, you don't - Joseph Taggart
The king of all thriller writers
- Cape Times
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