JAMES HADLEY CHASE

 He Won't Need It Now

     An old-style gangster novel, appearing somewhat incongruous in today's context. Bill Duffy, a press photographer is thrown out of his regular job in the Tribune, but is approached by a gangster, Morgan, to take pictures of a woman, supposedly his wife, being blackmailed. However, the woman is actually the wayward daughter of a corrupt politician, who has the local police in his pockets. Soon, corpses start tumbling out and the going gets rough for Duffy, as the police, the drug gang lords and almost everybody starts gunning for him.  Duffy tries to set up his own small outfit, to take on the bad guys...and amazingly, manages to find an armored Buick, to help in his gun battles. At this point of time, the distinction between him and the bad guys becomes somewhat blurred. No wonder that he gets shot in the process, with the gangsters catching up with him and strangling him to death at the end....