Read between 17th February 2018 and 18th February 2018
Edition Details:
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 168
Publisher: Mastermind Books
ISBN:9788186374391
First Sentence:
The boys, who had come to see Vessi die, were lined up before the bar.
Vessie was given the capital punishment for the murder of Larry Richmond, the president of Mackenzie Fabric Corporation. But Vessie was adamant till the end that he was innocent and he was being framed for the murder. Before going to the gas chamber, he names a guy who he thinks has framed him.
Nick Mason was a reporter who had been given a task of finding out who had framed Vessie. There was some mysterious dame who was willing to pay ten thousand dollars to him for uncovering the secret.
But there was just a small issue.There were many powerful people who had stocks in Mackenzie Fabric Corportation and they believed the investigation would show to the world the skeletons that were hiding in its closet. They had got their fall guy and now didn’t want any one digging up the dirt. They could kill again for making sure no secrets are uncovered.
Was Vessie telling the truth? If so, why was he framed? Was Nick ready to risk his life for ten thousand dollars? Who were these powerful people and how did they plan on stopping Nick?
Major Characters:
Nick Mason : a reporter
Mo Ackie: A pressman
Vessie : The guy who was given chair for murdering James Richmond
James Richmond – President of Mackenzie Corporation
Lu Spencer – Right hand man of James and the guy who according to Vessie was responsible for murder of James
Earl Katz – one of Lu’s henchman
Mardi jackson- Secretary of Lu Spencer
Blondie – Girl friend of Vessie
Colonel Kennedy- A rich guy whom Nick had helped in the past and hence they shared a good rapport
Lee Curtis – Secretary of the company
Lady Here’s Your Wreath was an enjoyable read for me. The book pull you in from the start. There is a guy who’s claiming to be innocent of the murder that he was charged with and then there’s woman who wants Nick to pursue and discover the real killer. Who is the woman ? What does she gain by uncovering the truth? Why was Vessie framed? And who framed him? These are the questions that need answering and the reader keeps on reading to get his answers.
The story has pace and things keep happening that as a reader kept me interested in the book.Nick keeps finding that the more he wants to stay away from the case the more he is pulled into it. This ensures the book is thrilling from start to end. There are enough twists and turns that ensured that i kept turning the pages. Apart from the mystery there is also a track of Nick falling head over heels in love with Mardi Jackson and that was also interesting.
The only slight issue that i had with the book was that i could gauge the big reveal slightly before the author told me. I guessed what it would be but i couldn’t guess why so i had only part of the answer. Also, i didn’t like the way the book ended. I guess chase wanted to show that crime never pays but i wished there was a different ending.
As far as characters are concerned i liked most of them.
Nick Mason as a reporter and lead hero is believable. He is no super hero and knows that. He makes mistakes, he gets scared and nervous but keeps plodding on. This relentlessness is what makes you root for him.
I really liked Mo Ackie’s character. He is fun and weird. I really liked whenever he was in the scene. There is scene between him and Nick when they both had to transfer a corpse and that was a delight to read.
Lu Spencer is shown as this sinister villain but he barely makes appearances. I would have liked if the reader would have shown his acts that had helped him gain such a reputation. On the other hand, there is Earl Katz who is given enough space and i liked him as an antagonist.
There is also this character who is called Blondie and i really liked her. She’s a sex worker but she can really be a ball breaker. I would never want to meet her when she’s in her bad moods. There were times when i thought i wanted to read more about her life. I wanted to know what happened to her and i didn’t like what happened to her character in the book. I guess she kind of deserved it but still.
In conclusion, i would say that i enjoyed reading the book. The big reveal was not much a reveal for me but since i didn’t know the full thing so i can let it slide. Plus there was never a time when i felt bored so that more than made up for it.. I enjoyed it from the start to end. If you like chase then, you’d definitely enjoy reading this one. I would definitely recommend the book.
If you have read Lady where’s your wreath then what did you thought about it? Do tell me in the comments. If you haven’t then you can get it from the following links:
I have read other works of James Hadley chase. You can read my view about them by clicking the following links:
James Hadley Chase
