Every Little Crook and Nanny

Book excerpt: A nanny will go to any length to save a kidnapped Mafia prince in this madcap mobster farce by the bestselling author of the 87th Precinct series. Her name is Nanny, and she’s the most cutthroat woman in New York. Prim, slender, and dangerously English, she’s responsible for the care of Lewis Ganucci, a spoiled brat whose father just happens to control the city’s largest crime syndicate. Working on Mr. Ganucci’s sprawling Westchester estate is a dream . . . until Lewis disappears. Mr. Ganucci is vacationing in Capri, and Nanny sees no reason to inform him that she lost his boy. The kidnappers want $50,000, and if she can scrape it together before the boss gets back, she has a shot at staying alive. She recruits a mid-level enforcer, Benny Napkins, to help her get the cash and save the boss’s son, kicking off a chain of events so outrageous and delightful that Nanny will die laughing—if she doesn’t get whacked first. An uproarious story of kidnapping, extortion, and cold-blooded murder, this is Ed McBain at his best. If you love Damon Runyon or a great Robert De Niro comedy, you’ll enjoy this entertaining romp about a mobster on a rampage.