No Orchids for Miss Blandish
Cover Artist: not identifiedBy: Chase, James Hadley pseudonym of Rene Brabazon Raymond
Publisher: Harlequin Books (108)
Place of Publication:Toronto, Canada
Catalog #: Kelley Box 79: PR6035 .A92 N6 1951
Contributor: D. Maroon
General
Era: 1930sAuthor as on Cover: James Hadley Chase
Publication:1951
Original Date: 1939
Setting: urban
Plot Summary
When the Riley gang learns that wealthy socialite Miss Blandish will be wearing an expensive diamond necklace on her birthday, they plan to steal the necklace and ransom it. They decide, however, after killing her boyfriend, to kidnap Miss Blandish since they estimate that her father will pay more for his daughter than the necklace. Through a series of chance meetings, the Grisson gang finds out about their plan, and kidnap the unfortunate Miss Blandish themselves from the Riley gang. Mr. Blandish pays the ransom, but his daughter is never returned. Vicious Slim Grisson, a mentally unbalanced member of the mob, says he must keep her. The Grisson gang then extorts a nightclub from ruthless Toni Rocco, refurbishing and reopening it. Included in the club are locked rooms where Miss Blandish is hidden. Toni Rocco plans revenge on the Grisson gang, finds Miss Blandish and removes her from the hiding spot. But Slim locates her, kills Toni and takes her away. Meanwhile, the police and the detective working on the case have figured it all out, and they go to the club, where a major gun battle ensues. They eventually find and kill Slim and recover Miss Blandish, but unfortunately, after months of torture and drugs, Miss Blandish cannot cope with her new freedom and kills herself.Major Characters
Bailey adult male, short, thickset, fleshy brutal face, restless uneasy black eyes, thin white scar on the side of his jaw, former thief, one of the original kidnappers of Miss Blandish"Old Sam" adult male, elderly, tall and wiry, drove the car when the gangsters picked up Miss Blandish
Frankie Riley adult male, taller and slimmer than Bailey, had a cast in his right eye that made him shifty-looking
Alvin Heine adult male, newspaperman and part-time blackmailer
Eddie Schultz adult male, tall, heavy, big, good-looking, mob bodyguard, member of the Grisson gang
Flynn adult male, little, thin, pointed face, looks like a ferocious rat, bank robber, member of the Grisson gang
Ma Grisson adult female, smart, dangerous, powerful and hideous, everyone fears her, big, grossly fat, lumpy, dyed black hair, huge arms mottled with veins, big white teeth, huge hands, thick nose, head of the Grisson gang
Doc Williams adult male, kept Miss Blandish drugged, member of the Grisson gang
Woppy adult male, fat arms, safe-cracker
Johnny Frisk adult male, elderly, tall, skinny, drink-sodden face, dim, watery eyes, safe man
Slim Grisson adult male, sadistic, not mentally sound, tall, reedy, pasty-faced, vacant glassy eyes, thin nose, member of the Grisson gang
Anna Borg adult female, Riley's girlfriend, then Eddie Schultz's gun moll, fan dancer
Miss Blandish adult female, 24 years old, beautiful, red-gold hair, white skin, long, thin, aristocratic nose, high forehead, daughter of a millionaire
Dave Fenner adult male, 33 years old, former newspaperman, massively built, pugnacious jaw, dark attractively ugly face, private investigator
Captain Charles Brennan adult male, red-faced cop with hard blue eyes, sandy hair with graying temples
John Blandish adult male, middle height, hard, shrewd alert eyes, father of Miss Blandish, millionaire
Paula Dolan adult female, black wavy hair, large blue eyes, good figure, Fenner's secretary
Toni Rocco adult male, tiny, mild-mannered, dark Italian features, cunning, ruthless, vicious mind, former owner of the Paradise Club, numbers collector