The Dutton GIrl: A John Nolan detective novel (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781734438406)

In January 1915, John Nolan's life could be no worse. A poorly paid private detective living in New York City in a tenement flat without water or a bathroom, he is a recent immigrant from Ireland who only wants to earn enough money to bring his fiancée over from Ireland. When the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer is kidnapped from her Manhattan apartment, the police can't find her. And when a $50,000 ransom is demanded, the girl's father fears she'll be killed if he pays - or if he doesn't. Finding her quickly is critical, so Nolan is hired. As the story proceeds, it takes in police bribery, Sing Sing prison, the Black Hand, racist stevedores on the waterfront, a biplane pursuit of the kidnapper, Matisse, German submarines, a gun battle in the Tenderloin, Enrico Caruso, and finally a deadly chase on the tracks beneath Grand Central Terminal when the identity of the person behind the kidnapping - as well as the fate of the girl - is revealed.

REVIEWS for THE DUTTON GIRL

"Deftly entertaining . . . Certain to be an immediate and popular addition to both the personal reading list of dedicated mystery buffs and community library mystery/suspense collections." - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW"

"The author does a fantastic job at intertwining historical facts through this story. . . Progresses at a steady pace, giving just the right amount of clues and action to keep you entertained . . . Interesting and believable." - READER VIEWS"

"(John Nolan has) the quiet, self-possessed demeanor of a star detective with an understated talent for his craft and an appealing habit for being right when others are wrong. His slow, methodical investigation is fun to witness . . . Competently crafted, with a bevy of suspicious characters and a pleasing variety of bum leads . . . However, the most compelling aspect of the book is not who took a spoiled heiress or even Nolan himself, but, rather, how rich, poor, and working-class New Yorkers lived and interacted in the World War I era." - MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW