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My Laugh Comes Last
Farrell Brannigan, President of the National Californian Bank, is an extremely successful man. So when he builds another bank in an up-and-coming town on the Pacific coast, he is given worldwide publicity, and this new bank is hailed as 'the safest bank in the world'. But Brannigan's success came at a price and he made many enemies on his way up the ladder. It seems that one of them is now set on revenge and determined to destroy both the bank and Brannigan himself.
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
32 people are currently reading
778 people want to read
About the author
James Hadley Chase
653 books991 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 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 23, 2021
Make no mistake about it, the male protagonists of James Hadley Chase's 1970s novels are much more gullible than his earlier ones. Larry Lucas of My Laugh Comes Last is the latest installment. Earlier, in the 40s and 50s, a JHC hero might get conned by a woman, but always seemed to have his lingering suspicions and justified paranoia. Those like Larry, however, march right into the buzzsaw until the very last moment and even then can't really bring themselves to see that they've been had. And that is what scheming psycho Glenda Marsh does to Larry. But there is a twist, as there always is in a Chase novel. This time around the hero walks away free and unsullied by crime. His only moral failing is to have fallen for Glenda. Even so, the pile of dead bodies surrounding him at the end, does indicate Larry might have a hard time with the press in the future.
Otherwise, this is a classic noir crime novel. JHC goes back to his roots as a writer with this one. And he compels you to keep turning the pages. I literally couldn't put the book down.
Otherwise, this is a classic noir crime novel. JHC goes back to his roots as a writer with this one. And he compels you to keep turning the pages. I literally couldn't put the book down.
August 12, 2013
Rating - 5/5
If ever there is a 'best of James Hadley Chase' released, this one should make the cut and feature on the cover!
Larry Lucas tells his story in a gripping first person narrative and by the time you are voyeur-ing neck-deep in his troubles, you know that Chase has built Larry in such a way that even as the underdog, he can take the fight to Klaus and his band of hoodlums. And you lick your lips in anticipation...
As the book sweeps into Larry's persistently brilliant/desperate schemes to escape from the maniac Klaus, you realize that every character - Harry, Benny and Joe (and even his harmonica)has been developed with a lot of care and realism.
The final set of pages are a feverish read (if it was not already upto this point!) and as with any thriller worth its salt, Chase saves some of his revelations for the end - right to the last goddamn line of the tale. So don't peep!
If ever there is a 'best of James Hadley Chase' released, this one should make the cut and feature on the cover!
Larry Lucas tells his story in a gripping first person narrative and by the time you are voyeur-ing neck-deep in his troubles, you know that Chase has built Larry in such a way that even as the underdog, he can take the fight to Klaus and his band of hoodlums. And you lick your lips in anticipation...
As the book sweeps into Larry's persistently brilliant/desperate schemes to escape from the maniac Klaus, you realize that every character - Harry, Benny and Joe (and even his harmonica)has been developed with a lot of care and realism.
The final set of pages are a feverish read (if it was not already upto this point!) and as with any thriller worth its salt, Chase saves some of his revelations for the end - right to the last goddamn line of the tale. So don't peep!
November 4, 2024
Ugh another boring blackmail case that ends with a surprise twist. The usual cut and paste thugs, scramble to outwit the villain, big reveal... Chase (or his ghostwriters) could be so lazy.
November 9, 2012
This was a great thriller novel that I have read more than 3-4 times in my life .
The author had given soo much life to this book....that i did enjoyed alot....
The story is bout a guy - Larry Lucas who is a small time worker, he approached by a millionaire -Farell Brannigan & assist him and start a new bank in town, which should be the safest in the world.
Thrilled by the offer,Larry jumps for it, starts minting money and enters high class circles, only to come across a series of problems on the way,involving deception, hypocrisy, treachery, murder, blackmail.
The rest of the story is about how and whether Larry is able to deal with and survive it all.
Cool novel.
Read
August 22, 2019This story about a bank heist is one of Chase's best books,I couldn't put it down.
March 16, 2022
A clever plot that kept one wondering all the way till the end as to who was who and how it would all turn out. I must admit though that I already suspected one of the characters as not being on the up and up. Although I was correct there was yet another curve ball I did not expect.
Very entertaining and a page turner.
Very entertaining and a page turner.
August 25, 2018
Your Typical JHC novel involving a heist with lots of suspense, deceit and murders.
Want to read
July 27, 2020Even though i have read this book 3 times i still want to read it again. JHC can never be predicted.
December 22, 2020
I loved the fast paced way in which this story unfolds. The dialogue was so riveting and I can't wait to pick up another one of the author's books.
January 19, 2021
What can I say!
If you are shielding as I do or in a lockdow, this book will give you a couple of hours of unrelenting entertainment 😉
If you are shielding as I do or in a lockdow, this book will give you a couple of hours of unrelenting entertainment 😉
March 5, 2021
typic JHC
February 24, 2022
Gripping, page turning and fast-paced thriller. There's tension in almost every scene and the twists are out of this world, just plain jaw-dropping. Loved it
July 15, 2023
once i started reading i could not put the book down
great read
great read
March 20, 2017
Awesome read
July 23, 2025
There’s something deeply comforting about the pulp precision of James Hadley Chase when you’re stuck in travel limbo.
My Laugh Comes Last is one of those slick, snake-oil banker thrillers where everyone is either too greedy, too desperate, or too doomed. Enter Larry Lucas—an ambitious young man plucked from obscurity and thrown into the glittery world of high-stakes finance by the enigmatic, mega-rich Farell Brannigan. What follows is a rapid descent into deception, temptation, moral compromise, and a setup that screams: you knew this was going to crash, didn't you?
Chase never minces words or overcomplicates motives—his characters are archetypal, his prose lean, and the action relentless. Yet there’s something deliciously noir about the way ambition gets laced with poison here. Perfect for a stormy monsoon evening when the airport lounge reeks of impatience and overpriced sandwiches.
Reading this while stranded in a hot, overlit terminal felt weirdly apt—like the book knew I was in purgatory. There’s a sticky, inescapable tension in both the plot and that real-world setting that merged into one unforgettable read. Chase doesn’t give you literature; he gives you adrenaline. And when you’re watching lightning fork across a Delhi tarmac, that’s exactly what you need.
A perfectly nasty page-turner for life’s long waits.
My Laugh Comes Last is one of those slick, snake-oil banker thrillers where everyone is either too greedy, too desperate, or too doomed. Enter Larry Lucas—an ambitious young man plucked from obscurity and thrown into the glittery world of high-stakes finance by the enigmatic, mega-rich Farell Brannigan. What follows is a rapid descent into deception, temptation, moral compromise, and a setup that screams: you knew this was going to crash, didn't you?
Chase never minces words or overcomplicates motives—his characters are archetypal, his prose lean, and the action relentless. Yet there’s something deliciously noir about the way ambition gets laced with poison here. Perfect for a stormy monsoon evening when the airport lounge reeks of impatience and overpriced sandwiches.
Reading this while stranded in a hot, overlit terminal felt weirdly apt—like the book knew I was in purgatory. There’s a sticky, inescapable tension in both the plot and that real-world setting that merged into one unforgettable read. Chase doesn’t give you literature; he gives you adrenaline. And when you’re watching lightning fork across a Delhi tarmac, that’s exactly what you need.
A perfectly nasty page-turner for life’s long waits.
January 23, 2021
This is a rather late work of my beloved author, a great master of crime fiction literature. The name of this book alone pleasantly shocked me at the moment when I bought it more than two decades ago... When I brought this book home, I vividly imagined how cool this work could be, that it would be like a lengthy script of the coolest film about crime, about solving this crime, about the struggle of characters, about friendship, about love, about betrayal... Then all this was spinning violently in my head and what I was completely pleased with was that it all came true in a magnificent way! But honestly, I was not surprised by this because I knew the author, I knew what incomparable things he was capable of. By the way, the book also tells about the almost perfect security system of the bank, which the attacker was going to break through with the help of the creator of this system... An outstanding book with an epic, tragic, exciting storyline. It's a pity that I have already read this book and will never again feel the joy of first reading.
October 31, 2015
The first 100 pages deserve a 5/5.
The build-up to this book is one of the best I've read and given the fact that JHC manages to hook readers within 200 pages is simply put, brilliant.
The climax for me is a tad bit stretched and too good to be true.
Overall, I'd recommend it to people just for the way the story leads you on to a climax that could've been better.
For me, Lay Her Among the Lillies is still a favourite.
The build-up to this book is one of the best I've read and given the fact that JHC manages to hook readers within 200 pages is simply put, brilliant.
The climax for me is a tad bit stretched and too good to be true.
Overall, I'd recommend it to people just for the way the story leads you on to a climax that could've been better.
For me, Lay Her Among the Lillies is still a favourite.
October 23, 2008
Ok .. One time read
September 2, 2012
One of the greatest JHC Books !
May 10, 2013
Every Chase thriller has greed, women, blackmail, deceit and murder. Yet, they all are different. This too is a typical Chase thriller. Good for a quick-read.
August 28, 2013
Top notch!
August 10, 2015
Rapine e ricatti non sono il mio forte e inoltre molte cose le avevo capite! Comunque carino.... Autore da riprovare :)
July 31, 2014
Brilliant thriller!
July 18, 2021
A sensational book. Very fast paced with loads of twists and turns.
April 10, 2024
James Hadley Chase is best at keeping a story in suspense. Nice for a quick read.
Read
August 31, 2007goodies lol
Read
January 21, 2017I read this book thirty five years ago it was my first James Hadley Chase novel..After reading it I have became addicted to chase novels...even now I can enjoy it...surprisingly i even remembered the characters name...I read it years ago during a Christmas holiday
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews