Book Summary

Hit and Run (1958), written under the pen name Raymond Marshall, unfolds as a tense, fast-paced thriller. The story follows Chester Ches Scott, an advertising man who becomes entangled with his bosss younger wife, Lucille Aitkin, after his boss, George Aitkin, is injured and confined to his home. Lucille seduces Ches and manipulates him into covering upor becoming complicit ina murder, pulling him deeper into a web of deception and crime. As tension escalates, Ches finds himself fighting to reclaim control over his life as suspense builds toward an unexpected final twist. This novel is often regarded as one of Chases most psychologically compelling tales under the Raymond Marshall alias.

Readers frequently remark on its gripping momentum and vivid character dynamics. One reviewer described it as a slow burn that becomes impossible to put down, propelled by a layered psychological portrait of Chesand culminating in a satisfying, dramatic conclusion.

About the Author

Born Ren Lodge Brabazon Raymond (19061985) in London, James Hadley Chase was an incredibly prolific thriller writer, producing nearly 90 novels under various pseudonymsmost notably James Hadley Chase and Raymond Marshall. During World War II, he served as a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force and co-edited the RAF Journal, later publishing stories in collections like Slipstream.

Chases novels are known for their breakneck pacing, unexpected twists, and morally complex charactersoften trapped by their own ambitions or romantic entanglements. He gained especially strong popularity in France (where over 30 of his books were adapted into films) and other international markets, even though he didnt receive as much success in the United States