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Every Little Crook and Nanny
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.
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.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1972
45 people are currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Ed McBain
715 books672 followers"Ed McBain" is one of the pen names of American author and screenwriter Salvatore Albert Lombino (1926-2005), who legally adopted the name
Evan Hunter
in 1952.
While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.
While successful and well known as Evan Hunter, he was even better known as Ed McBain, a name he used for most of his crime fiction, beginning in 1956.
He also used the pen names John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, Dean Hudson, Evan Hunter, and Richard Marsten.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 5, 2013
Rating: 3* of five
The Book Description: "Carmine Ganucci was a retired soft drinks magnate with a nice estate in Larchmont and influence in, well, certain circles. Which was precisely why Nanny Poole, the English governess he had hired to look after his 10 year old son, had no desire to let him know that little Lewis had been kidnapped. Since he was vacationing in Capri at the time, it wouldn't be too hard to keep him in the dark. Provided, of course, the kid returned, safe and sound, before his parents did. So she asked Benny Napkins, who used to be very big in linens and garbage, to help raise the $50,000 ransom...a search that sets off the funniest and most unlikely chain of events since the mob went "respectable". Evan Hunter conducts a merry romp through the labyrinth of disorganized crime with some of the funniest characters you can ever imagine." -- Judy Smith, via Amazon.com
My Review: Screwball, zany, madcap...all those 1930s words we don't use anymore (and what a shame that is!) are perfect for this book. It oughta be a movie! (Ignore the 1972 filmed version, it's flaccid and drear.)
What makes this extra-special fun to read is that the book's by Evan Hunter, aka Ed McBain the grimmeister von 87th Precinct-platz! It's not obvious while reading the book that it was created by the same mind that makes the tender-souled among us wince and cringe with the violence of the procedurals.
I can't give it more than three stars, however, because it's pretty thin stuff. It's not well developed as a caper, and it's got pretty stock characters. But listen, if you were expecting War and Peace then it's you that got off the bus at the wrong stop. This is Entertainmentville, not Snoburbia.
So, to read or not to read, that is the question. Do you need to chuckle for a few hours? Are you interested in the fish-out-of-water plot? Do you like stories where Right doesn't equal goody-goody? Here ya go. Dessert is served.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Book Description: "Carmine Ganucci was a retired soft drinks magnate with a nice estate in Larchmont and influence in, well, certain circles. Which was precisely why Nanny Poole, the English governess he had hired to look after his 10 year old son, had no desire to let him know that little Lewis had been kidnapped. Since he was vacationing in Capri at the time, it wouldn't be too hard to keep him in the dark. Provided, of course, the kid returned, safe and sound, before his parents did. So she asked Benny Napkins, who used to be very big in linens and garbage, to help raise the $50,000 ransom...a search that sets off the funniest and most unlikely chain of events since the mob went "respectable". Evan Hunter conducts a merry romp through the labyrinth of disorganized crime with some of the funniest characters you can ever imagine." -- Judy Smith, via Amazon.com
My Review: Screwball, zany, madcap...all those 1930s words we don't use anymore (and what a shame that is!) are perfect for this book. It oughta be a movie! (Ignore the 1972 filmed version, it's flaccid and drear.)
What makes this extra-special fun to read is that the book's by Evan Hunter, aka Ed McBain the grimmeister von 87th Precinct-platz! It's not obvious while reading the book that it was created by the same mind that makes the tender-souled among us wince and cringe with the violence of the procedurals.
I can't give it more than three stars, however, because it's pretty thin stuff. It's not well developed as a caper, and it's got pretty stock characters. But listen, if you were expecting War and Peace then it's you that got off the bus at the wrong stop. This is Entertainmentville, not Snoburbia.
So, to read or not to read, that is the question. Do you need to chuckle for a few hours? Are you interested in the fish-out-of-water plot? Do you like stories where Right doesn't equal goody-goody? Here ya go. Dessert is served.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
August 11, 2025
Gradevole lettura, buon umorismo e incastri incalzanti.
February 23, 2024
Sice je to lehké oddechové čtení, ale aby byl čtenář pořád ve střehu až do konce, kde se co jak zvrtne... Vtipné, ale od Evana Huntera jsem nečekala úplně takovou frašku. Moje nejoblíbenější kniha pod tímto McBainovým pseudonymem - Cizoložství - tak zůstala nepokořena.
June 21, 2022
Encontre este libro por casualidad y me lleve una sorpresa agradable. Una historia cómica desde el comienzo que hace una historia ligera para leer
May 31, 2018
My mother shared this book with me when I was maybe twelve or thirteen, so I was happy to discover a copy in a used bookstore. (1972 edition, different from the one shown.) The premise is that a kidnapper too dumb to know better abducts the son of the local Mafia don, and a series of underworld bumblers attempts to get the kid back before papa returns from vacation in Italy. Although my copy bills itself as a hard-boiled thriller ("a sensational novel that takes you from New York to Sicily and through illegal trafficking in drugs, sex, gold and counterfeit dollars.... A price had to be paid--in gold or in blood....") in fact, it's a spoof with a cast of utterly corrupt characters, a Runyon-esque tone, and enough plot twists to keep give you paper cuts as you whip through the pages. This one doesn't seem to be well-known, but it's a lot of fun.
April 21, 2018
Always humorous, always believable, a joy to read. What else is there to say? McBain never disappoints. Been reading his books for years, will continue to do so.
June 15, 2025
To zřejmě někdo Evanu Hunterovi (alias Ed McBainovi) někdo řekl, že jako jo, 87 revír je super, ale že by určitě nedokázal napsat vyloženě humoristickou kriminálku. A Evan Hunter řekl: „podrž mi pivo“.
Spousta malých darebáků je román Donalda Westlakea, který nenapsal Donald Westlake. Je to příběh zločineckého chaosu, kdy je každá kapitola věnovaná jedné postavě, které se zaplétají do únosu malého kluka, aby každý z nich přidával do toho zmatku své tiky a libůstky. Máme tu japonského zabijáka, jehož nejvíc uspokojuje vyrážení dveří. Máme tu šilhavého padělatele, jehož zrakový defekt se bohužel přenáší i do jeho výrobků. Máme tu literárního kritika, který se dal na zločineckou dráhu… bohužel jeho vyděračské dopisy jsou tak sofistikované, že jim nikdo nerozumí. Máme tu práskače, jehož donášení je tak známé, že mu lidi odmítají říct i jaké je počasí. A spoustu dalších fascinujících figur.
Pravda, je to poměrně jednoduché, spousta věcí by se mohla víc rozehrát, spousta postavy by mohla víc zazářit. Tohle máte přečteno tak do dvou hodin. Na druhou stranu tu není téměř nic zbytečného a ve finále se daří dost úspěšně veškeré motivy provázat. Podobně jako Westlakea, i tady vyplývá většina humoru z toho, jak postavy bazírují na maličkostech, jak reagují co nejseriózněji na co nejpodivnější situace. Když se třeba snaží co nejefektivněji složit telegram, aby nemuseli příliš platit. Nebo jak trvají na tom, že je přece úplně normální nosit přes obličej nataženou punčochu.
Sice si nemyslím, že je to nejlepší kniha Evana Huntera… ale má k tomu blízko.
Spousta malých darebáků je román Donalda Westlakea, který nenapsal Donald Westlake. Je to příběh zločineckého chaosu, kdy je každá kapitola věnovaná jedné postavě, které se zaplétají do únosu malého kluka, aby každý z nich přidával do toho zmatku své tiky a libůstky. Máme tu japonského zabijáka, jehož nejvíc uspokojuje vyrážení dveří. Máme tu šilhavého padělatele, jehož zrakový defekt se bohužel přenáší i do jeho výrobků. Máme tu literárního kritika, který se dal na zločineckou dráhu… bohužel jeho vyděračské dopisy jsou tak sofistikované, že jim nikdo nerozumí. Máme tu práskače, jehož donášení je tak známé, že mu lidi odmítají říct i jaké je počasí. A spoustu dalších fascinujících figur.
Pravda, je to poměrně jednoduché, spousta věcí by se mohla víc rozehrát, spousta postavy by mohla víc zazářit. Tohle máte přečteno tak do dvou hodin. Na druhou stranu tu není téměř nic zbytečného a ve finále se daří dost úspěšně veškeré motivy provázat. Podobně jako Westlakea, i tady vyplývá většina humoru z toho, jak postavy bazírují na maličkostech, jak reagují co nejseriózněji na co nejpodivnější situace. Když se třeba snaží co nejefektivněji složit telegram, aby nemuseli příliš platit. Nebo jak trvají na tom, že je přece úplně normální nosit přes obličej nataženou punčochu.
Sice si nemyslím, že je to nejlepší kniha Evana Huntera… ale má k tomu blízko.
November 21, 2018
I would rate “Every Little Crook and Nanny”, by Evan Hunter, a four out of five stars. This book’s genre is crime/mystery, and it has two-hundred and twenty-nine pages. The main characters are Mr. Ganucci, Nanny, Benny Napkins, Snitch, and “The Corsican Brothers”. The book describes a kidnapping, shady dealings with the mafia, and a fifty-thousand dollar ransom that needs to be paid. Benny Napkins is drawn into Nanny’s shenanigans and using his former illegal connections to help accumulate the ransoms demands. Now, Benny Napkins and Nanny will have to distract a mafia leader and meet the demands of a ransom.
My overall impression of this story is that it has extensive character development and plot, especially considering it’s age. The book shows the character backgrounds, which draw connections to their actions in the future. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for interesting characters and rather old-fashioned themes presented in text. Snitch was my favorite character, simply because of his numerous incompetence. If I could change anything, I’d change Mr. Gannucci's involvement in the story; I believe he should have remained in-the-dark so to speak. My favorite part of the book is when Mr. Gannucci's Son is found; the annoying kidnapper is caught. All in all, this book is a masterpiece of somewhat old-fashioned writing.
My overall impression of this story is that it has extensive character development and plot, especially considering it’s age. The book shows the character backgrounds, which draw connections to their actions in the future. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for interesting characters and rather old-fashioned themes presented in text. Snitch was my favorite character, simply because of his numerous incompetence. If I could change anything, I’d change Mr. Gannucci's involvement in the story; I believe he should have remained in-the-dark so to speak. My favorite part of the book is when Mr. Gannucci's Son is found; the annoying kidnapper is caught. All in all, this book is a masterpiece of somewhat old-fashioned writing.
October 23, 2023
not canon Runyan
I love a good New York hoodlum story but this one didn't quite do it for me. It has a clever format, but I didn't find the characters fully developed. I've enjoyed many Ed McBain books. If you would like to try one, read one of the Matthew Hope or 87th Precinct stories.
I love a good New York hoodlum story but this one didn't quite do it for me. It has a clever format, but I didn't find the characters fully developed. I've enjoyed many Ed McBain books. If you would like to try one, read one of the Matthew Hope or 87th Precinct stories.
August 2, 2019
Milliyet yayınları 75'te yayinlamis. Mizah serisinde. "dadı BABA'yı arıyor" adıyla. Çeviri dili eski ve ağır, ama kitap eglenceli.
January 5, 2020
Fun read!
June 13, 2020
Read in 1972. Typical Evan Hunter crime novel.
November 23, 2021
Old school humor
A little dated, but an amusing romp about what happens when amateurs take up kidnapping, and henchmen try to keep the crime family boss out of the loop.
A little dated, but an amusing romp about what happens when amateurs take up kidnapping, and henchmen try to keep the crime family boss out of the loop.
February 21, 2023
More a gangland farce than a thriller - great fun. My 82nd Mc Bain book
May 6, 2023
A campish madcap romp. Entertaining in a tongue in cheek way.
October 28, 2021
Nanny attempts to thwart a kidnap of a mobster son. Along the way she gets involved with every type of dim witted criminal. 30 years ago I found this very funny, even the photograph that went with each character per chapter. Humour doesn't always travel well over the ages, so who knows what the kids of today would make of it
May 23, 2021
This tale of the kidnapping of a mobster’s son was not what I was expecting. It is told as a series of vignettes, each one focused on a different person connected to the story. Most of the characters demonstrate massive incompetence and/or eccentric behavior to the point of being caricatures. Each chapter begins with a black and white photo of the starring character, and at first I thought it was some sort of movie tie-in, but apparently these are just the author’s (or his publishers’) acquaintances who agreed to pose for him. There is a comedic movie loosely based on the book, but judging from a quick perusal on imdb, there have been major alterations to the plot. I didn’t find this laugh-out-loud funny, but I suppose it was mildly amusing.
June 10, 2013
When I decided to read this creased, worn paperback, which came out of a box in my friend's garage, little did I realize that I was about to begin one of the most enjoyable, fiercely funny little novels that I've read in quite a while. Author Evan Hunter (AKA Ed McBain) is well-known as a quality writer, but he was also very prolific. No doubt many of his titles have fallen out of print. I wonder how many treasures like this exist only on the shelves of used book stores these days.
A frustrated intellectual kidnaps a boy, not realizing that it is the son of a major crime boss who is overseas on vacation. When the panic stricken nanny asks a low-level hood to help her get the boy back before her boss returns, a series of comic misunderstandings and misguided attempts to profit from the situation ensues, drawing in a number of eccentric characters. If you can get your hands on this book, read it. You'll enjoy it.
A frustrated intellectual kidnaps a boy, not realizing that it is the son of a major crime boss who is overseas on vacation. When the panic stricken nanny asks a low-level hood to help her get the boy back before her boss returns, a series of comic misunderstandings and misguided attempts to profit from the situation ensues, drawing in a number of eccentric characters. If you can get your hands on this book, read it. You'll enjoy it.
April 7, 2014
When I decided to read this creased, worn paperback, which came out of a box in my friend's garage, little did I realize that I was about to begin one of the most enjoyable, fiercely funny little novels that I've read in quite a while. Author Evan Hunter (AKA Ed McBain) is well-known as a quality writer, but he was also very prolific. No doubt many of his titles have fallen out of print. I wonder how many treasures like this exist only on the shelves of used book stores these days.
A frustrated intellectual kidnaps a boy, not realizing that it is the son of a major crime boss who is overseas on vacation. When the panic stricken nanny asks a low-level hood to help her get the boy back before her boss returns, a series of comic misunderstandings and misguided attempts to profit from the situation ensues, drawing in a number of eccentric characters. If you can get your hands on this book, read it. You'll enjoy it.
A frustrated intellectual kidnaps a boy, not realizing that it is the son of a major crime boss who is overseas on vacation. When the panic stricken nanny asks a low-level hood to help her get the boy back before her boss returns, a series of comic misunderstandings and misguided attempts to profit from the situation ensues, drawing in a number of eccentric characters. If you can get your hands on this book, read it. You'll enjoy it.
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July 12, 2008I remember reading this when I was about 10 or 11. Thought it was so fun; need to read it again!
March 4, 2015
Humour allo stato puro! Libro divertentissimo su una sgangherata banda di malavitosi newyorkesi alle prese con la ricerca del figlio rapito del loro capo Carmine Ganucci.
January 27, 2017
Slapstick caper --a real hoot!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews