James Hadley Chase - No Orchids For Miss Blandish

Although James Hadley Chase can be described as a hack writer, his thrillers are always entertaining and highly readable, even if they are not particularly literary. He occupies an important place in the history of crime fiction thanks to his violent debut novel, No Orchids for Miss Blandish.

Set in an American world of Prohibition-era gangsters, the novel follows the kidnapping of the wealthy Miss Blandish by the ruthless Grissom gang. The story develops effectively, although I think Chase could have benefited from trimming some of the narrative.

What elevates the novel above many conventional crime thrillers is the disturbing relationship between the victim and her psychotic captor, Slim Grissom. Chase explores the lasting psychological trauma suffered by Miss Blandish, creating a far darker and more unsettling novel than its pulp reputation might suggest.

The novel was influential enough to inspire George Orwell's famous essay Raffles and Miss Blandish, in which he examined the changing nature of popular crime fiction. It was also adapted into the underrated 1971 gangster film The Grissom Gang, which is well worth seeking out.

Bruin Crimeworks did a fine, evocative cover artwork for this edition.