There's a Hippie on the Highway

Frank Terrell #5

by James Hadley Chase

It seemed like a good idea at the time to ex-paratroop sergeant Harry Mitchell, home after three years in the deadly jungles of Vietnam. Head south to Florida, get a summer job, soak up some sun, relax a bit. But when he got to Paradise City he found himself drawn into a lethal set-up where dumped corpses, smuggling operations, over-ambitious cops, hired killers and a sexy little double-crosser called Nina combined to make life very unhealthy. It was just as well for Harry Mitchell that he'd learned to look after himself in Vietnam...

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Novels, British Literature, Noir

160 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

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

[W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Mitchell returns from the Vietnam jungles to Paradise City,Florida.He finds a job,hoping to relax a bit.But he has a criminal Mexican boss and his double crossing daughter to contend with.

He'll still need all the skills acquired in Vietnam for survival in this urban jungle.He'll come across a smuggling operation,corpses and hired killers.

Non-stop,violent action.

[Ionuț Anastasiu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stele.
Primul lucru care atrage atenția asupra acestui roman publicat de James Hadley Chase în 1970 este, fără îndoială, titlul destul de bizar. Mă gândeam pe parcursul lecturii că scriitorul britanic s-a debarasat destul de rapid de ideea conținută de titlu (tinerii drogați și nespălați ce colindă prin America doar pentru a provoca scandaluri și a-i agresa într-un mod extrem de brutal pe cei cu care se întâlnesc) și a dat narațiunii o cu totul altă direcție, însă, surpriză, uimitorul James Hadley Chase nu se dezminte și reușește din nou în final să își lase perplex cititorul, în condițiile în care deznodământul părea să fie destul de previzibil și mai puțin întunecat decât în majoritatea cărților sale.
Harry Mitchell, un tânăr ce tocmai s-a întors acasă după ce a fost combatant timp de trei ani în războiul din Vietnam, cutreieră America în căutarea unui job pentru o durată de doar două luni, după care plănuiește să se întoarcă la New York. Iată cum privește Harry lumea în care trăiește acum, odată revenit din jungla vietnameză: "Era glaciară… Epoca de piatră… Epoca de bronz… şi acum, Epoca violenţei. Şi de violenţă nu se poate scăpa: s-ar zice că e pretutindeni".
Întâmplarea face ca el să intervină în apărarea lui Randy Roache, un chitarist despre al cărui talent nu știm foarte multe și, împreună cu acesta, să se îndrepte spre ficționalul oraș al bogaților Paradise City, loc emblematic pentru opera lui James Hadley Chase. Randy lucrează ca barman la un complex de lux și i-a făcut rost noului său prieten de un job de salvamar. Pentru a ajunge la Paradise City, cei doi fac autostopul, fapt care le va aduce o foarte mare surpriză. Și nu dintre cele mai agreabile. Lectură plăcută!

[Crime Addict Sifat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. It might take some time to catch the rhythm of the story. It is a story of an ex-paratrooper who looked forward to have a peaceful time in Paradise City. But when he got there, he is drawn into a lethal set-up where dumped corpses, smuggling operations, hired killers, over-ambitious cops and a nymphomaniac double-crosser called Nina tend to make his life HELL! The twist and turns are very unexpected and after reading the first chapter I was so impressed by the writing style and storyline that I finished this book on the second day.

[Zinat · Rating 3 out of 5]

ষাট সত্তরের দশকের আমেরিকান ক্রাইম থ্রিলার- এই জনরার কোন বই এর আগে পড়া হয়ে ওঠে নি। তাই নতুন কিছু- ভেবে বেশ আগ্রহ নিয়েই বইটা শুরু করলাম। কিন্তু আদতে অত্যন্ত দুর্বল প্লটের একটা বই। নায়ক সদ্য ভিয়েতনাম যুদ্ধ ফেরত আমেরিকান প্যারাট্রুপার হ্যারি। এতটুকু পড়েই যদি কেউ ভেবে বসে ব্যাপারটা এরিক মারিয়া রেমার্কের "দ্য রোড ব্যাক" গোছের ক্লাসিক কিছু, তবে অত্যন্ত ভুল। হ্যারি হলিউডি নায়ক পল নিউম্যানের মত সুদর্শন, অলিম্পিকে ব্রোঞ্জ পাওয়া সাঁতারু। চাকরি কিংবা মেয়েমানুষ- কোনটা যোটাতেই তার খুব একটা পরিশ্রম করতে হয় না। মারামারিতেও সে ওস্তাদ, বিচার বুদ্ধিতেও কম যায় না। কিন্তু এহেন নায়ক থাকার পরেও প্লট খুব একটা জমে ওঠে নি। হাইওয়েতে খুনের ব্যাপারটা দুর্দান্ত, কিন্তু শেষ পর্যন্ত অনেক প্লটহোল সহ হঠাত শেষ হয়ে যাওয়া একটা বই।
কিছু কিছু বই আছে যেগুলো শুধু বিক্রির জন্যই লেখা হয়, এটাও ঠিক তেমন। ভিয়েতনাম কিউবার দুর্নাম, হিপিদের প্রতি বিরক্তি, আর আমেরিকান স্বাধীনচেতা মেয়েদের বিষয়ে কটুক্তি- সব মিলে বইটা যেন ট্রাম্পের আমেরিকার মনমানসিকতা কেই তুলে ধরে। এক কথায় বলতে গেলে নট মাই টাইপ জাতীয় একটা বই

[Paul Lothane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent work of fiction. Hadley Chase at his brutal best, including mystery of why a man is tortured, with his foot held in a fire. Chase is so popular in Africa for decades

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

JHC is almost like a genre in his own right. Although the covers invariably include a scantily clad woman holding a revolver, the books are actually amazingly well written. He has a style that is incredibly gripping. Had he been around today I think he would have been in the same league as James Patterson.

This is classic Hadley Chase and a rip-roaring adventure from start to finish.

As pulp fiction goes, which this undoubtedly is, this is amongst the best in the genre. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you appreciate fast-paced thrillers from this period (60s and 70s) then you're sure to enjoy this.

[Sweta Rani · Rating 4 out of 5]

JHC writes to be read and evokes an interest till the end. A fast fiction that goes with the pace, never bores one and is timeless. His every character in every novel depicts strength, beauty, skill, quaint and subtle all-in one fold apt to the flow of narration. The rhythm never breaks.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predictable story line yet interesting till the end!

[আহসানুল শোভন · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is simply impossible to avoid picking up a JHC novel with such a title. And, sure enough, it's everything you would expect. Tightly and expertly layered story, with a lot of action and suspense. The one thing I'll give JHC on his work is that he has the essence of the times permeate his books--if not the place. This is a book that screams early seventies but, as usual, gets things about the US wrong (although it doesn't matter, I've started to make a list). This time it's everyone drinking coffee out of "cartons." Does Chase mean paper cups, or Dixie cups? I think so. Why was this author so stubborn that he didn't bother to ask someone what they were called? Oh, well, that has become part of the charm of JHC books--getting the details just off a bit as to make you notice, although not in an awkward or off putting way. Oh, and, yes, he gets just about everything to do with being in the army in Vietnam wrong, from three year tours for draftees to parachute jumps (I don't think there were any). Maybe he's thinking of the French and Dien Bien Phu??? One thing I like is how he offsets the gruesomeness with comedy. Earlier, he used dwarf jokes in The Way the Cookie Crumbles, which would probably get him in trouble today. But here it's a comic scene between Det. Lepski (the Paradise City police boys make a reappearance) and his wife, Carroll. John Ford always said you do this in the movies--offset a moment of high tension or drama with a joke. Ford was right, and it works, here, too.

[Ravi Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A roller coaster of actions and suspense! Started reading in the morning and finished in the evening. Just in two sittings! Good story, overall!

[Varun Vasudevan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's to JCH's credit that he can keep the reader gripped despite an ordinary plot. Harry Mitchel, a 70's version of Jack Reacher, delivers few moments of interest to be considered on par with other JCH's leads and this is a character who should have seen more action. Ditto with Nina, who was hardly the volatile Nymphomaniac as described on the cover.

The Hippie set-up helped create a taut eerie background but for me, it was the Paradise City Cops who saved the day.

[Mark Vickers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is just another masterpiece from the maestro, edge of your seat, nail biting, adventure packed thriller about Harry Mitchell an ex army paratrooper who goes on vacation, hitch hiking and winds up as the fall guy for the brutal torture and murder of one man smuggling in cigars from Cuba.....

[Al-amin Zanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"By the end the Army ran away....Me to that's my target"

[Bharath · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book to read while traveling. I liked the character description, but the first 30 to 40 pages in the book were just fillers. This is my first James Hadley Chase book.

[Mujahid]

nothing actually

[Sneh Pradhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first James Hadley Chase , and yes it's quite a good leaf from the pulp fiction annals of the 60s and 70s !!! Glad I didn't judge the book by its sleazy cover , though !!

[Vchandri · Rating 3 out of 5]

a simple thriller

[Dhiraj Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical trip Hammer Chase. Thought the ending was a bit too quick with easy escape for the protagonist but nevertheless enjoyed reading this one.

[Andy Raptis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book written at a time when Charlie Manson and his buddies had given a bad name to the hippie generation.
Although the main plot doesn't involve hippies, they have a prominent role in the first part of the story and the downbeat finale.
Once you finish reading you will probably be ready to grab your preferred piece of hardware and start shooting at the long-haired scum as if they're a pack of stray kangaroos!

[Deepika Viswanath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed my attention when I read it long time ago. The author mixes in thriller, adventure and double cross in this story set in Miami. Hippies, a mysterious woman and a body in caravan...what could go more wrong?

Recommend this vintage thriller for mystery fans! James Hadley Chase is masterful at keeping you at your toes with his thrilling writing style.

[Volition1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the main character, the introduction was pretty promising, but the story turned out to be... mediocre. Well, but i don't have any certain emotion after reading the book, hence it didn't really captivate me.
Overall the book is worth reading when you're bored at quarantine.

[jaroiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skvělá klasická Chasova detektivka. Pořád u mě vede jeho Dvojitý pohřeb, ale tahle bude asi druhá.

[Umar Hanazuwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hide and seek game...

[Akter Parvez · Rating 3 out of 5]

মাসুদ রানা সিরিজের 276 নং গল্প 'মৃত্যুফাঁদ লেখা হয়েছে এই গল্প থেকে। খুব বেশী জটিলতা নেই কাহিনীতে। সোজা সাপ্টা অপরাধের গল্প। নিঃসন্দেহে চেজের সেরা কাজগুলির ভেতর পরবে না।

[Kakha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohh, my awfully favorite book! This novel is perfect, incomparable. Mr. J. H. Chase has only been to the United States a few times, but how shockingly powerful he conveys the unique and magnificent atmosphere of this great country! This is certainly beyond words and it's great! You have to read this book (and many, many other books by the author too, of course) and feel it yourself.
This is another story from the cycle of works about the legendary fictional city – Paradise City. Yes, this is also one of the books about the glorious police captain of Paradise City, Frank Terrell, and the reader will probably be very happy to meet this unforgettable person again. The main character of the story, Harry, recently demobilized from the army and goes to work in Paradise City. On the way, he meets one guitarist and also becomes the owner of a car with a trailer. But sometimes terrible trouble awaits very close and imperceptibly. As it turned out, inside the trailer lies the corpse of an unknown man, in a wig and with a burned leg. Go figure this awful problem now... Harry has to handle it.

[Κώστας · Rating 3 out of 5]

ΒΙΠΕΡ Νο. 485
ΟΙ ΛΥΚΟΙ

[Gregory Olivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. One of my favorite novels by Chase

[Dianna Mezzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read it about a year ago
and i still cant forget all the emotions and opinions
about this case