Every Little Crook and Nanny

Every Little Crook and Nanny

Published by Signet 1974

 

It’s clear from the cover copy that Signet was trying to sell this novel as another hard hitting crime story in the vein of Hunter’s 87^th Precinct series. Even going so far as to mention the series and Hunters pseudonym above his own name. With descriptors like “A price had to be paid- in gold or blood…” and “Violence! Vengeance! Intrigue! Betrayal! ” readers would be forgiven for expecting some kind of cross between The Godfather and The Executioner. Providing they can over get this egregious bit of bait and switch, anyone giving this book a chance will discover a wonderfully written and very funny farce.

 

The set-up is simple. The Nanny employed by mafioso Carmine Ganucci discovers her charge has been kidnapped while her boss is on vacation in Italy. In an effort to solve the problem before Ganucci finds out, Nanny contacts low-level flunky Benny Napkins for help. Benny’s scheme to quickly raise the ransom money triggers one miscommunication after another, until everyone in Ganucci’s gang is unintentionally working at cross-purposes. Instead of a string of dominoes falling, this endless series of accidental sabotage is like the wrong pieces of a puzzle being jammed together.

 

Hunter adopts an interesting style for this book, almost Runyonesque, but without Runyon’s excessive gangster patois. Characters say each other’s full names a lot, and have whole conversations without ever realizing they’re talking about different topics. One’s tolerance for this Who’s-On-First dialogue will probably determine how much they enjoy this book. I found it to be a lot of fun and highly recommend it.

The Only Girl in the Game

The Only Girl in the Game by John D. MacDonald
Published by Gold Medal 1960

This behind-the-scenes drama set in a Las Vegas casino could have easily become soapy melodrama in a lesser writer’s hands, but here is turned into a tense and absorbing tale of love and greed.

Though filled with a large number of characters, each with their own story, the central narrative involves hotel manager Hugh Darren, entertainer Betty Dawson, and oil-rich Texan Homer Galloway and their conflict with casino manager Max Hanes. Hugh and Betty are involved, but their relationship is threatened by the controlling and underhanded tactics of Hanes. Galloway has returned to the casino determined to win back the small fortune that he lost on his last visit, putting him at odds with Hanes as well. The various narrative strands circle and bump into each other until braiding together for a brutal finale.

 If the plot sounds standard the execution is anything but. MacDonald increases the tension gradually by backing his characters slowly into their individual corners. And then he goes and breaks your heart a little.

This is the good stuff. MacDonald’s prose is gorgeous and his dialogue sings. This is the first of his novels I’ve read, and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. But in the plus column, since he was a prolific author I now have a whole new list of books to look forward to.