The Abduction of Nelly Don
Set in Kansas during the Depression, this is a novelisation of the true story of Nelly Donnelly, a successful garment manufacturer. The book is divided into titled scenes rather than chapters – snapshots of moments during the abduction and imprisonment of, and the hunt for, the missing businesswoman. Kansas is overrun by corruption and organised crime. When a demand for Nelly’s release is delivered, Senator Reed involves himself in the case, contacting underworld bosses who have an army of men who will get information through fair means and foul. Nelly’s semi-estranged husband sends the factory workers home on full pay on the condition they search for their missing employer.
The kidnappers are soon identified. They have very different personalities, which are well depicted; the reader is shown Nelly’s thoughts and hopes, attempt to escape, and her determination, but in contrast, there is the ruthlessness of the leader of the gang, the low intelligence of the second member, and the insularity of the third – a dangerous mix.
The use of section titles brings immediacy to the tale; they preclude the need for explanations. The use of mocked-up pictures of the ransom notes is less successful.
There is a fine line between writing biography and fictionalising actual events. That line is occasionally blurred here. Period slang adds authenticity, but verges on pastiche at times. There are some odd moments which seem to be taken from official documents but do not quite work: Nelly’s thoughts read more as memories written after the fact, and the author occasionally steps in with her own knowledge, when it could have fitted better into an appendix with the useful biographical notes.
The cover has been well-designed and suits the theme and genre. With a well-paced plot, mounting tension, and a surprising (real) twist at the end, this is a good book, competently written.
E-edition reviewed
