In a Vain Shadow

James Hadley Chase is probably the best know synonym of René Lodge Brabazon Raymond, an English writer also known by other pen names, including James L. Docherty, Raymond Marshall, R. Raymond, and Ambrose Grant. He is one of the best known thriller writers of all time. He was influenced by American crime writes and writers of hardboiled pulp fiction, but he rarely visited the United States and the books are based on knowledge acquired by reading and using reference materials. He has written some 90 books, almost half of which have been made into movies.
It read, “Bodyguard required. Ex-Commando preferred. Good prospects and pay for the right man.” Frank Mitchell was out of a job, had all the qualifications, and that’s how he ended up guarding the body of Sarek, a black-market dealer of smuggled diamonds. But what really caught Frank's attention was the body of Rita, Sarek's wife, who had been waiting a long time for the foolproof plan get rid of her husband... and Frank walks in at the right moment...