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A Coffin From Hong Kong
It was the easiest three grand Nelson Ryan had ever made - but suddenly he realized he was being played for a sucker. A telephone call, seemingly innocent enough, led him to the murder of a Chinese call-girl who'd talked too much. It also pitched him straight into the teeming, sordid night life of colourful Hong Kong. From now on, Ryan would stick at nothing to get the killer who'd crossed him up...
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First published January 1, 1962
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About the author
James Hadley Chase
639 books1,007 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 - 30 of 86 reviews
November 2, 2021
"A Coffin From Hong Kong" is a 1962 private eye thriller, penned by Chase (as he was known by his most popular pseudonym) after twenty-three years of writing. For once, the title of the book has a lot to do with the story.
Ryan Nelson is the private eye here and he was used it appears for just this one novel. Chase never has just one series he pursued, but has a number of private eyes he wrote about, generally never more than for a couple of books out of the 90 he published. Set in "Pasadena City" and Hong Kong, Chase once again showed his geographical difficulties with America by setting Pasadena on the beach. It's not.
Smoothly written, easy to read, Chase offers the reader a terrific little mystery that never gets dull. It all starts with a mysterious call to watch someone's wife, but when the house turns out to be deserted, Nelson realizes he's been set up. Racing back to his office, he finds a beautiful Chinese woman in his client's chair, but with a hole in her chest, no identity, no clue. Of course, the police like him for the killing.
None of this makes much sense, but when it's found that the woman came from Hong Kong with her husband's coffin, Nelson knows some answers lie there in this exotic locale. Chase does a masterful job of bringing Hong Kong to life as Nelson chases the clues through the dark alleys and the jet set resorts. The Hong Kong he portrays is not all gleaming towers, but is filled with refugees from Communist China struggling to get by without means of support, houses of ill repute, and sinister people.
All in all, a very successful novel.
Ryan Nelson is the private eye here and he was used it appears for just this one novel. Chase never has just one series he pursued, but has a number of private eyes he wrote about, generally never more than for a couple of books out of the 90 he published. Set in "Pasadena City" and Hong Kong, Chase once again showed his geographical difficulties with America by setting Pasadena on the beach. It's not.
Smoothly written, easy to read, Chase offers the reader a terrific little mystery that never gets dull. It all starts with a mysterious call to watch someone's wife, but when the house turns out to be deserted, Nelson realizes he's been set up. Racing back to his office, he finds a beautiful Chinese woman in his client's chair, but with a hole in her chest, no identity, no clue. Of course, the police like him for the killing.
None of this makes much sense, but when it's found that the woman came from Hong Kong with her husband's coffin, Nelson knows some answers lie there in this exotic locale. Chase does a masterful job of bringing Hong Kong to life as Nelson chases the clues through the dark alleys and the jet set resorts. The Hong Kong he portrays is not all gleaming towers, but is filled with refugees from Communist China struggling to get by without means of support, houses of ill repute, and sinister people.
All in all, a very successful novel.
June 14, 2020
Free cheese...
September 3, 2020
Private eye Nelson Ryan is trying to solve the murder of a Chinese call girl,only to realise that he could be framed for that murder himself.
He has to visit Hong Kong to set things straight,and then things get really interesting.It is a thrill packed book,the plot is more complex and multilayered compared to the typical Hadley Chase thriller.
But the way Chinese people are referred to as "chinks" is rather off-putting.
Still,this is Chase at his best.The action moves briskly and it is unputdownable.
4.5 stars
He has to visit Hong Kong to set things straight,and then things get really interesting.It is a thrill packed book,the plot is more complex and multilayered compared to the typical Hadley Chase thriller.
But the way Chinese people are referred to as "chinks" is rather off-putting.
Still,this is Chase at his best.The action moves briskly and it is unputdownable.
4.5 stars
February 19, 2024
Un adevărat roman polițist de tip old school în care suspansul este la el acasă, nu lipsesc replicile amuzante, chiar cinice și eroul nu rămâne la final cu nicio altă satisfacție în afară de faptul că a reușit să rezolve cazul extrem de complicat, căci femeia care părea să fie aleasa a dispărut de mult timp din viața lui. Nu trebuie uitată nici atmosfera orientală atât de bine descrisă, ce contribuie din plin la reușita cărții. Singurul regret are legătură cu faptul că James Hadley Chase nu și-a delectat cititorii și cu alte cazuri ale simpaticului detectiv particular Nelson Ryan, al cărui prenume i-a fost pus în onoarea celebrului amiral.
Intriga romanului nu este neapărat sută la sută originală și o lectură atentă poate să intuiască destul de bine identitatea criminalului cu mult înainte ca ea să fie dezvăluită în final. Cu toate acestea, rapiditatea cu care se succedă răsturnările de situație nu are cum să nu te ia prin surprindere.
Nelson Ryan este de cinci ani detectiv particular în Pasadena City, dar afacerea sa nu este deloc prosperă. Iată însă că el primește un telefon enigmatic de la un afacerist care îl angajează să-i urmărească soția întrucât o suspectează de infidelitate. Totul este însă foarte suspect și Nelson va descoperi că angajarea sa nu este altceva decât o manevră diabolică de a pregăti uciderea unei chinezoaice. Și nu oriunde, ci tocmai în biroul lui Nelson. Zarurile au fost aruncate, la fel și viața tihnită a detectivului. Lectură plăcută!
Intriga romanului nu este neapărat sută la sută originală și o lectură atentă poate să intuiască destul de bine identitatea criminalului cu mult înainte ca ea să fie dezvăluită în final. Cu toate acestea, rapiditatea cu care se succedă răsturnările de situație nu are cum să nu te ia prin surprindere.
Nelson Ryan este de cinci ani detectiv particular în Pasadena City, dar afacerea sa nu este deloc prosperă. Iată însă că el primește un telefon enigmatic de la un afacerist care îl angajează să-i urmărească soția întrucât o suspectează de infidelitate. Totul este însă foarte suspect și Nelson va descoperi că angajarea sa nu este altceva decât o manevră diabolică de a pregăti uciderea unei chinezoaice. Și nu oriunde, ci tocmai în biroul lui Nelson. Zarurile au fost aruncate, la fel și viața tihnită a detectivului. Lectură plăcută!
January 4, 2012
This book "A coffin from Hong Kong" is quite mysterious and leaves the reader to sit in edge till he finishes the book. James give hints then and there leaving readers to make conjuncture and atlast ends up to new edge. Only at the end part of the book it makes sense to the title .
May 13, 2017
Good story, full of thriller and suspense.
It was the simplest £3,000 Nelson Ryan had ever constructed - however abruptly he understood he was being played for a sucker. A phone call, apparently sufficiently honest, drove him to the murder of a Chinese call-young lady who talked excessively. It additionally pitched him straight into the overflowing, corrupt night life of bright Hong Kong.
Starting now and into the foreseeable future, Ryan would stick at nothing to get the executioner who'd crossed him up.
It was the simplest £3,000 Nelson Ryan had ever constructed - however abruptly he understood he was being played for a sucker. A phone call, apparently sufficiently honest, drove him to the murder of a Chinese call-young lady who talked excessively. It additionally pitched him straight into the overflowing, corrupt night life of bright Hong Kong.
Starting now and into the foreseeable future, Ryan would stick at nothing to get the executioner who'd crossed him up.
March 3, 2022
Nelson Ryan received a call from an unknown man who offered him £300 to keep an eye on his wife. Ryan wanted to meet the man but the caller had commitments that he could not get out of so the job was taken as per the 'phone call.
It sounded a simple case to Ryan but it turned out to be far from that as when he returned to his office he discovered a dead Chinese lady in his chair and he realised that he had been set up. The cops investigated and Ryan eventually managed to convince them that he was out on business at the time of the lady's death so he could not have been involved. His neighbour in the office next door collaborated his story as to time of leaving and not returning so the cops allowed him to continue with his business.
He perhaps wished he hadn't because no sooner has he got his freedom than he got called to investigate the death of a man in Hong Kong by the man's estranged father who wanted to know the truth about his son. At first reluctant to go to Hong Kong, the retainer fee persuaded him that he may as well go, so he was soon flying to Hong Kong, armed with minimum information, to investigate the mysterious death.
This was the start of his problems as he got inveigled into a variety of situations over which he had no control; his life was threatened, he met a variety of women - some of whom he was fond of some of whom he was suspicious of. Often their information conflicted with each other and left him bewildered and he also fell foul of the local police who were not sure what his role in the whole affair was. But his perseverance paid off and he was eventually able to work out exactly what had happened - and there was plenty - and to satisfy the local police before they allowed him to fly back to England and report to his client.
Back home he followed up the leads he had gathered in Hong Kong for although much of the affair had been cleared up, there were a couple of loose ends that need further investigation back home. And in a surprising turn of events, with more difficulty he revealed the truth of what had really happened.
'A Coffin from Hong Kong' is typical James Hadley Chase with plenty of action and particularly good descriptions of Hong Kong but it just lacked that little bit extra to put it in the top bracket of his thrillers.
It sounded a simple case to Ryan but it turned out to be far from that as when he returned to his office he discovered a dead Chinese lady in his chair and he realised that he had been set up. The cops investigated and Ryan eventually managed to convince them that he was out on business at the time of the lady's death so he could not have been involved. His neighbour in the office next door collaborated his story as to time of leaving and not returning so the cops allowed him to continue with his business.
He perhaps wished he hadn't because no sooner has he got his freedom than he got called to investigate the death of a man in Hong Kong by the man's estranged father who wanted to know the truth about his son. At first reluctant to go to Hong Kong, the retainer fee persuaded him that he may as well go, so he was soon flying to Hong Kong, armed with minimum information, to investigate the mysterious death.
This was the start of his problems as he got inveigled into a variety of situations over which he had no control; his life was threatened, he met a variety of women - some of whom he was fond of some of whom he was suspicious of. Often their information conflicted with each other and left him bewildered and he also fell foul of the local police who were not sure what his role in the whole affair was. But his perseverance paid off and he was eventually able to work out exactly what had happened - and there was plenty - and to satisfy the local police before they allowed him to fly back to England and report to his client.
Back home he followed up the leads he had gathered in Hong Kong for although much of the affair had been cleared up, there were a couple of loose ends that need further investigation back home. And in a surprising turn of events, with more difficulty he revealed the truth of what had really happened.
'A Coffin from Hong Kong' is typical James Hadley Chase with plenty of action and particularly good descriptions of Hong Kong but it just lacked that little bit extra to put it in the top bracket of his thrillers.
April 24, 2012
Last time when I was reading this book….(lol) it was around 2:30am, everyone asleep and there was I holding the copy of ‘A Coffin From Hong Kong’, in kitchen, reading it. Such is most of the CHASE books, it will hold you like a rock solid magnet. Lets leave all those and talk about this…
Here Nelson Ryan, a almost broke private detective (obviously even the protagonist) receives an anonymous phone-call asking to spy some notorious wife (the client, as usual her husband) for a lump-sum 300 bucks. He agrees to do so…and so ends the first few pages. Then starts the real roller-coaster ride, when Ryan realizes that he was double-crossed. The grip tightens when Ryan goes to Hong Kong…. And then it is roller-coaster X 2.
There is not much of a literary value in this (as usual in most of CHASE) but never think twice before going through it.
However, (sorry JHC) the books have a small amount of flaw. When average poms couldn’t resist raising their voices against, screening displeasure against Chinese, how could then JHC hold his breath for so long. And there it was, JHC described Hong Kong that bad that even Alcatraz would be as a good holiday spot. It should have been edited as Hong Kong plays a vital part in the book. I can surely say that Hong Kong would be (at present) few hundred times better than Pasadena City…
October 3, 2012
Great novel. Couldn't put it down.
September 12, 2020
Amazing story...quite griping...read the first book of james Hadley chase. Surely looking forward to read more his books...the character of Nelson ryan is too good..
May 11, 2012
Well, you can understand my excitement..... one of my first JHC novels :)
August 14, 2019
Awesome work. Thrilling. Now I remember this work with all the demonstrations going on in Hong Kong now!!
January 16, 2023
This is my 3rd Hadley Chase novel the second one I read so far this year and in all honesty, it was worth the time I spent reading it.
Nothing in this world could have made me guess correctly that it was the "Shamus" office neighbor that was the architect of the murder trap that was about to send him to prison assuming his detective instinct did not kick in when it did.
How about Jefferson's son who staged his death and somehow manage to put his Chinese wife and ex-lover, Janet West, who is now his father's secretary in on the plan? A coffin ⚰️ from Hong Kong from the first page to the last is full of surprises which made the novel so addictive to those fortunate enough to read it.
Nothing in this world could have made me guess correctly that it was the "Shamus" office neighbor that was the architect of the murder trap that was about to send him to prison assuming his detective instinct did not kick in when it did.
How about Jefferson's son who staged his death and somehow manage to put his Chinese wife and ex-lover, Janet West, who is now his father's secretary in on the plan? A coffin ⚰️ from Hong Kong from the first page to the last is full of surprises which made the novel so addictive to those fortunate enough to read it.
January 24, 2022
An exciting and thrilling journey which takes us from US to Hong Kong packed with action and detective work!
May 11, 2012
It was the easiest three grand Nelson Ryan had ever made - but suddenly he realized he was being played for a sucker. A telephone call, seemingly innocent enough, led him to the murder of a Chinese call-girl who'd talked too much. It also pitched him straight into the teeming, sordid night life of colourful Hong Kong. From now on, Ryan would stick at nothing to get the killer who'd crossed him up..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 22, 2015I'd completely forgotten about this book until I found it among my books yesterday. The only thing I remember from it is the recipe of chicken cooked in clay. I guess that was the most impressive thing about it.
March 21, 2013
An interesting read. It didn't really hold my attention. Definitely not the best Hardley Chase book.
August 28, 2013
Not bad, typical james hadley Chase detective story/thriller
July 30, 2022
This is quite a book. I loved it. It was much exciting during the second half, couldn't keep it down.
December 15, 2020
Alright. James Hadley Chase novels are addictive reading. But he is also an audacious "borrower" from other detective and thriller writers. And A Coffin from Hong Kong proves it. Throw in a little Maltese Falcon and Big Sleep, add in a touch of I, the Jury, and don't forget to put in some flavor from Eric Ambler's Passage of Arms, while topping things off with some neat atmosphere from World of Suzie Wong, and voila! You've got yourself quite a little thriller. And that's just in the first chapter or so!!! And guess what? I don't care. I still liked it. Because Chase still puts his own stamp on things. From the West Coast to Hong Kong and back again. A nice ride in this book. But there are these little glitches. Americans don't eat "meat pies." I'm not sure I even know what one is. Is it a pot pie? All sorts of small syntax oddities and a messed up gangster similes. But it's okay. This is fun reading, even if I feel guilty about it. Now, for the next one!
March 13, 2015
Μόλις το πρώτο βιβλίο που διαβάζω από αυτόν τον κλασικό συγγραφέα αστυνομικών μυθιστορημάτων, έμεινα απόλυτα ευχαριστημένος και στο μέλλον θα προμηθευτώ και άλλα δικά του βιβλία, μιας και θέλω να διαβάσω περισσότερα από αυτόν τον συγγραφέα.
Πρωταγωνιστής του βιβλίου είναι ένας ιδιωτικός ντετέκτιβ, ο Νέλσον Ράιαν, που τώρα τελευταία οι δουλειές του δεν πάνε καλά, όμως μια μέρα δέχεται ένα παράξενο τηλεφώνημα από έναν τύπο, ο οποίος είναι παντρεμένος και επειδή λείπει συχνά πυκνά για ταξίδια, θέλει να μαθαίνει τι κάνει η γυναίκα ενόσω αυτός λείπει. Και γρήγορα-γρήγορα ο Νέλσον Ράιαν δέχεται και 300 δολάρια, τα πιο εύκολα της ζωής του. Όμως τελικά αποδεικνύεται μούφα η δουλειά, αλλά τα λεφτά τα παίρνει. Όμως όταν γυρνάει στο γραφείο του, βλέπει μια νεκρή όμορφη Κινέζα στην καρέκλα του! Και μετά από διάφορα γεγονότα, ταξιδεύει στην Ασία, και συγκεκριμένα στο Χονγκ Κονγκ, για να ξεδιαλύνει το μυστήριο.
Εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο και ενδιαφέρον μυθιστόρημα, με μπόλικο μυστήριο, δράση, κυνηγητά, φόνους και πολλές εκπλήξεις στο τέλος. Και μου άρεσε που το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της ιστορίας διαδραματίστηκε στο πολύβουο Χονγκ Κονγκ με τους λογής - λογής Κινέζους, ξέρετε, κούληδες, ταξιτζήδες, προαγωγούς, μικροεγκληματίες, φτωχούς κλπ, τους τουρίστες, τις πόρνες, τους εμπόρους ναρκωτικών, τους πολύβουους δρόμους, τα στενά και σκοτεινά σοκάκια, τα παραμελημένα ξενοδοχεία και κτίρια αλλά και τα ακριβά ξενοδοχεία και τα κτίρια γεμάτα επιγραφές νέον, τις εξωτικές παραλίες και τα πανέμορφα δάση... Πολύ ωραίες περιγραφές όλων αυτών και πολύ καλή ατμόσφαιρα.
Πραγματικά πολύ ενδιαφέρον αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα το οποίο διαβάζεται πολύ γρήγορα. Σίγουρα το προτείνω. Δεν ξέρω αν είναι πολύ σπάνιο, πάντως είναι μόλις το 3ο βιβλίο της σειράς ΒΙΠΕΡ!
Πρωταγωνιστής του βιβλίου είναι ένας ιδιωτικός ντετέκτιβ, ο Νέλσον Ράιαν, που τώρα τελευταία οι δουλειές του δεν πάνε καλά, όμως μια μέρα δέχεται ένα παράξενο τηλεφώνημα από έναν τύπο, ο οποίος είναι παντρεμένος και επειδή λείπει συχνά πυκνά για ταξίδια, θέλει να μαθαίνει τι κάνει η γυναίκα ενόσω αυτός λείπει. Και γρήγορα-γρήγορα ο Νέλσον Ράιαν δέχεται και 300 δολάρια, τα πιο εύκολα της ζωής του. Όμως τελικά αποδεικνύεται μούφα η δουλειά, αλλά τα λεφτά τα παίρνει. Όμως όταν γυρνάει στο γραφείο του, βλέπει μια νεκρή όμορφη Κινέζα στην καρέκλα του! Και μετά από διάφορα γεγονότα, ταξιδεύει στην Ασία, και συγκεκριμένα στο Χονγκ Κονγκ, για να ξεδιαλύνει το μυστήριο.
Εξαιρετικά καλογραμμένο και ενδιαφέρον μυθιστόρημα, με μπόλικο μυστήριο, δράση, κυνηγητά, φόνους και πολλές εκπλήξεις στο τέλος. Και μου άρεσε που το μεγαλύτερο μέρος της ιστορίας διαδραματίστηκε στο πολύβουο Χονγκ Κονγκ με τους λογής - λογής Κινέζους, ξέρετε, κούληδες, ταξιτζήδες, προαγωγούς, μικροεγκληματίες, φτωχούς κλπ, τους τουρίστες, τις πόρνες, τους εμπόρους ναρκωτικών, τους πολύβουους δρόμους, τα στενά και σκοτεινά σοκάκια, τα παραμελημένα ξενοδοχεία και κτίρια αλλά και τα ακριβά ξενοδοχεία και τα κτίρια γεμάτα επιγραφές νέον, τις εξωτικές παραλίες και τα πανέμορφα δάση... Πολύ ωραίες περιγραφές όλων αυτών και πολύ καλή ατμόσφαιρα.
Πραγματικά πολύ ενδιαφέρον αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα το οποίο διαβάζεται πολύ γρήγορα. Σίγουρα το προτείνω. Δεν ξέρω αν είναι πολύ σπάνιο, πάντως είναι μόλις το 3ο βιβλίο της σειράς ΒΙΠΕΡ!
October 27, 2015
It's my first Chase's book that I read. English is non-native languages for me but to read A coffin from Hong Kong wasn't difficult. Sometimes I used dictionary but not frequently. I liked the plot and protagonist's image and also I liked the place where story is taking place (Hong Kong). I've never been in Hong Kong and any place in Asia and this story gives me axcellent opportunity to discover Vietnam and life and people 50 years ago.
November 13, 2007
smuggling can be an interesting business,but if u find a dead body in your container...........
August 16, 2013
A good detective
September 12, 2017
this was my first James Hadley Chase novel. written at a very languid pace the mystery unravels in the final pages. till then it was a whodunit. classic stuff. will read more of his books.
April 4, 2018
I am not a fan of thriller but this book kept me engaged till the last page.
October 28, 2018
Another classic JHC mystery
January 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews