Although the plot is rather typical of those times, with jewels stolen from some Raja in India, I suppose it was ok for the time it was written - way back in 1952 !What James Hadley Chase is skilled in, is in the intricate story he weaves around this cliched plot, using his superlative skill in the creation of characters - the psycho killer Baird, the greedy 'fence' Rico, the 'honest' cop Olin (can such a person exist today ?) - although one can generally predict the course of events, his masterly skill keeps one engrossed...