Just a Matter of Time

by James Hadley Chase

An old lady's will seems to be causing quite a stir. Suddenly everyone wants to get in on the action, everyone that is, including a master forger, a hospital nurse, a young delinquent, a bank executive and, to make matters worse, a professional killer. With such ingredients, a showdown seems inevitable and James Hadley Chase adds enough suspense to keep you guessing right up to the very last page.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Novels, Crime, Noir

226 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1972

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

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had JHC imparted some of the pace of the final chapter to the preceding ones, Just a Matter of Time might have come off as one of his better stories. As is, however, the first seven chapters simply drag themselves out in the creation of what is certainly Chase's most complex criminal caper to date (1972). That said, it all goes into the presentation of a literary farce. An entire set of utterly irredeemable characters, including even the intended victim, Mrs. Morley-Johnson, all end up right back at Square One, or, as Chase persists in calling it, Square A. (Another thing, by the way, for this book and a few preceding it JHC latches on to a beat term, "dig it," except that he keeps using it incorrectly, writing "dig for it," over and over, as in "When Gerald listened to the music, he would really dig for it.") The last chapter does do a lot to remedy the disappointment of the earlier ones, albeit not quite enough. All in all, a sort of mediocre JHC work.

[Bilyana Gercheva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Една от най-добрите истории на Чейс.

[Mujahid · Rating 5 out of 5]

let me finish first.

[Gregory Olivier]

This was one of my favorites.

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to stop saying this is my favourite Chase novel at some point, I guess.

[Κώστας · Rating 5 out of 5]

Βιπερ Νο 1698
Τίτλος: Θέμα χρόνου
Μετάφραση: Τασσώ Καββαδία

Ο Chase έσπασε πάλι το ταβάνι! Πέντε αστέρια.

Αυτή η ιστορία γράφτηκε το 1972.
Ο πρύτανης του θρίλερ ξεκίνησε το ρεσιτάλ του το 1939.
Άρα πρόκειται για την πιό ώριμη εποχή του.
Τούτος δω με έχει κακομάθει. Έκτοτε ψάχνω μόνο για βιβλία,ταινίες ή σειρές που να έχουν κάποια από τα χαρακτηριστικά του.
Έχω ξαναγράψει για τα κάλλη του αλλά δεν θα κουραστώ. Ας εστιάσω:

+ cul de sac (Το αδιέξοδο. Έχω αναφερθεί πολλές φορές στο παρελθόν. Πρόκειται για τη σπεσιαλιτέ του).

+ η γρήγορη διάπλαση. Σε μισή σελίδα έχει περιγράψει πλήρη χαρακτήρα. Αυτό απλά δεν υπάρχει αλλού.

+ Το όμορφο κάδρο. Ξεκινάνε όλα τόσο ωραία, τόσο απαλά. Οι εμπλεκόμενοι δε θέλουν ούτε να σκοτώσουν ούτε να κάνουν τη ληστεία του αιώνα ούτε να προκαλέσουν το δημόσιο αίσθημα. Μια μικροκλοπή, μια απάτη, έναν εκβιασμό, μια πλαστογραφία κάτι εύκολο βρε παιδιά να πιάσουμε την καλή και να την κάνουμε. Όλα στην εντέλεια, όλα τα σκεφτήκαμε και τα οργανώσαμε. Τι διάλο θα στραβώσει πάλι;

+ Ανυπαρξία απυρόβλητου. ("όλοι είμαστε αναλώσιμοι"- έτερος εγώ κύκλος 3 επεισόδιο 7). Πολύ σπουδαίο αυτό.

+ όλοι εναντίον όλων. Τι; δεν υπάρχουν συμμαχίες; Πωώς...υπάρχουν. Μέχρι αποδείξεως του εναντίου.(γέλια)

+ Αστυνομία; Η αστυνομία έχει τη θέση που τής αρμόζει: ακολουθεί τα γεγονότα δεν τα προκαλεί. Μια τρανή διαφορά από τα αστυνομικά του σωρού που μας εκθειάζουν τις αρετές ή/και τα σακατιλίκια των μπάτσων όπου, αυτόκλητα, μάς κατσικώνονται* ως πρωταγωνιστές. Για τον συγγραφέα είναι οι κότες με τα χρυσά αυγά αφού γεννάνε νέα βιβλία (χ-λογίες) ενώ για μένα τον αναγνώστη μού γεννάνε υπνηλίες. Ναι κυρίες και κύριοι. Δεν με ενδιαφέρει η ζωή του επιθεωρητή τριμπίλη ή όπως διάλο τον λένε. Η αστυνομία είναι ο θεατής όχι ο πρωταγωνιστής, καπίτο;
Ο James Chase το γνωρίζει. Με κακόμαθε σε αδιάκοπη πλοκή, θηλειά, ταφή. Χωρίς ανάσα.

+Περιπλοκές. Ασταμάτητες σκέψεις για εύρεση παραλλαγών. Ασταμάτητες πράξεις για τροποποίηση της ροής. Από διαφορετική οπτική κάθε φορά, την οπτική του προσώπου που είναι στο πλάνο τη συγκεκριμένη στιγμή. Προσπαθώντας να πετύχει το σκοπό του ή/και να σώσει το τομάρι του.

+ Τελείωμα σοκ! Ζει κανείς; Ναι; Για πόσο; Αστυνομία εκεί; η αστυνομία ζει; (χα, χα, χα)

Έχω διαβάσει δεκάδες αστυνομικά, ψυχολογικά θρίλερ, μυστηρίου κι αγωνίας. Τα περισσότερα τα παρέθεσα εδώ. Όμως τα έργα του Τσαίηζ είναι αξεπέραστα. Νάναι καλά εκεί που είναι (1906-1985), δεν πιάνεται.

*Κατσικώνομαι= Στρογγυλοκάθομαι, δε λέω να φύγω και τους γράφω όλους στα μπeλeρίνια μου.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a Matter of Time feels like a loaded gun placed on a glass table—and from page one, you know it’s going off. The story revolves around Sheldon Garritty, a successful ad man, polished, respectable, but aching for excitement. That craving arrives in the form of Lucille, a dangerously attractive woman with a soft voice and a serpent's smile.

She wants help. He gives it. And then she wants more. And more.

And before he knows it, Garritty’s playing chauffeur on a one-way trip to hell—blackmail, fraud, cover-ups, and murder all following like shadows in heels. But he’s too deep, too dazzled, and too foolish to stop. Because, let’s face it, when Chase writes a femme fatale, you fall for her too—even when you know she’s poison in lipstick.

This novel has all the classic Chase ingredients:
✔️ A good man making one bad decision.
✔️ A woman who knows exactly how to use him.
✔️ A plot that snowballs from flirty to fatal in five chapters flat.
✔️ And an ending that hurts. Not melodramatic. Just… final.

But what makes Just a Matter of Time different is the slow-boil psychological tension. It doesn’t rush. It creeps. You keep flipping pages because you know something awful’s coming—and Chase makes you wait for it, just like his doomed protagonist.

I picked up this one at a sleepy book stall in Digha—sand on my shoes, breeze in my hair, and the book cover already faded by the sun. I remember reading the first chapter while sipping nimbu soda and thinking, “Nah, I’ve seen this setup before.” But then I missed lunch. And then I read till dusk. And when I finally closed the book, I said out loud, “Man, he did it again.” Chase tricked me into trusting a bad idea—and loving it.

Garritty felt eerily familiar. That guy you know who’s got a picture-perfect life but is always on the edge of burning it all down for a thrill. We’ve all met a Sheldon Garritty. Some of us have been him, at least for a moment.

In essence, Just a Matter of Time is a masterclass in noir seduction and slow collapse. It’s a story about choices—stupid ones—and how one little “yes” can open a door you’ll never walk out of. Chase doesn't scream his message; he whispers it, with a smile and a clock ticking behind him.

[Jabir Kabir · Rating 4 out of 5]

In just a matter of time, I went through the lines of James Hadley's "Just a Matter of Time" and believe me, it's a 4-star book for me.

It all revolves around Morely-Johnson, an old half-blind lonely widow who's worth 30 million dollars and just about bidding farewell to the third planet in the solar system.

Since she misplaced her companion-help to the cold hands of death, she's looking for her replacement. The old lady trusts her bank and account manager to find a suitable replacement for her, preferably, a woman in her fifties- younger than Morely-Johnson.

Mr Pafferson on the other hand is her account manager and likewise, her financial advisor who often deals with all her investments and money.

Miss Sheila Oldill is in her thirties, and because she exuded a magnetic sensuality that was like a hundred-watt lamp flimsily concealed by a Cashmere shawl, she managed to draw his attention. Thankfully, when it comes to women, Mr Patterson is weaker than a patient struggling to grasp his last breath of Oxygen.

Now, Miss Sheila is a companion help to the old lady. Their bond is so strong because her father was once a colleague of Miss Johnson, and both were top-class violinists.

Miss Johnson has no regard for her nephew (Gerald Hammeat) because of his uniqueness when it comes to life, honour and dignity; he has none! So, she scribed her will of who and who are to inherit her fortunes in case she succumbs to the coldness of death. Gerald- her only relative- isn't going to inherit even a dollar. Sheila and Gerald are lovers and living together, whilst Sheila is a Nurse, Gerald does nothing!

Mr Bromhead, her chauffeur is an immaculate gentleman in his fifties and has an uncleaned record as a master of forgery. When he learnt about the Will of Miss Johnson, he formulated a plan and looked for both Sheila and Gerald to help him forge Gerald's name in the Will so that they'll share his million dollars between them, but first they have to get the attention of Mr Patterson. Fortunately, Patterson and Sheila became intimate. She recorded their intercourse in a tape to blackmail him in case he plan to betray them.

Now, with Gerald's death as a result of a fire accident because of the recklessness of Bromhead, What will happen to their plan? Will Patterson cooperate? Will they succeed? Will the old lady know? it's just a matter of time.

[Olutosin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't help but wonder why people who are considered by many to be lucky allow themselves to suddenly become unlucky all because of their unsatisfiable cravings; simply put greed.
Someone like Patterson, a well-built handsome young man, with a steady income as an assistant bank executive with the prospect of rising as high as to become a bank president one day, despite all his full potential of a greater future, allows himself to become nothing but a man with a cloud of disaster hanging over him all because of his greed and lustful desires. In a matter of time, the tape will be played and his perfect life shall be destroyed.

There are also characters like Miss Oddly, Bromhead, Hardly, Hanks, and the unfortunate nephew. All of these people have one thing in common greed. Though the nephew was greedy only for the woman he thought belonged to him, who in reality is far far above his personality in whims and beauty.
So was the chauffeur who is a professional forgger and an ex-convict. His greediness was wanting more than his share of the fortune he knew nothing about. As a result, he became the master planner and gradually destroy the life of those stupid enough to buy into his idea.

What an interesting novel!

Being greedy is a free ticket to doom so will old man say to us while we were young.

[Ram · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://v-ram-online.blogspot.in/2017/...

[Privy · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very nice book

[Prashanth · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the thriller that doesn’t have too many deaths and some good(not horrible) villains.

[NIRALI UPADHYAY · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short and sweet

[Azeez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Ishaya Tumba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best always

[Aaradhana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I particularly liked the style of narration and writing. It is a story which clearly conveys the reality that what you get is what you actually deserve.

But I was completely disappointed with the abrupt ending. The narration had initially set few expectations and I believed that it would be satisfied at the end. It is clearly not a book which will urge you to complete.

A read worth once, it is completely fine even if you don't !

[Seun Odukoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really good - even though it contains the usual plot elements. Some bum who's too greedy, some ambitious criminal, a wealthy widow, an opportunist and yet another ambitious person - this time a detective. All thrown together in a pot of murder and intrigue.

Great read.

[Salihu · Rating 1 out of 5]

not that interesting

[Al-amin Zanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Bromhead a forger and blackmailer as soon as the old woman listen to her tape the banker is losing his job bcos before his mouth is uncontrol when he is enjoying with his nice on the bed"

[Chinmay Hota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just A Matter of Time will keep you engaged with the last minute reversals to the flow of events. Characters are three dimensional. Loved it.

[Shuaib · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read while travelling