Stealing Lilliian

by Tony Kenrick

"The plan was for Lasky of U.S. Immigration to nab the four terrorists who had sneaked into the country by introducing them to capture a millionaire's child and then trap them when they tried to collect a ransom. It was a bold plan requiring split-second timing and someone to play the part of the millionaire, his wife, and the daughter. The main mistake was the casting - to play the part of the millionaire was Bunny, a small-time con man; to play the wife - a decorator at Bloomingdale's who already had good reason to want to see Bunny behind bars; and to play the kid, a tough-talking nine-year-old brat named Lillian. When these three get together at a Long Island mansion borrowed for the occasion, the wrong people start staling Lillian."

Genres: Comedy

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Before becoming a full-time writer Tony Kenrick worked as an advertising copywriter in Sydney, Toronto, NYC, San Francisco, and London, 1953-72. On the dust jackets of many of his novels Kenrick claimed the following: "I hated being a lumberjack; those shirts itch something awful. And I was a failure as a boxer, too. I was what's known in the fight game as a crier; whenever I got hit, I'd burst into tears. They'd work on me feverishly between rounds, but they could never stanch the flow. "

Kenrick was never a logger nor a prize-fighter; this is a typical example of his humor, and very typical of the humor found in his books.

Between 1971 - 1996 he wrote seventeen novels.

Reviews

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was laughing so hard reading this in a cafe in Dallas, Tx, I had to leave. It's a comic mystery. Found it at Alibris for $1.99, so finally I can read it again. Gripping plot, inventive characters; recounting of a very special Michigan-Ohio State game is one of a kind--just the first couple of chapters.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: US Immigration tries to flush out terrorists by using a small-time con man, a Bloomingdale decorator, and a 9-year-old brat. Hilarious.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just feel like it flopped right about 3/4 through.