Snatch

In this compendium volume, kidnappings link two exceptional crime novels, "Snatched" and "Safekeeping," by Mcdonald (1937–2008), best known for his Fletch and Flynn series. In "Snatched," an incompetent thug named Spike seizes eight-year-old Toby Rinaldi, the precocious son of a foreign dignitary stationed in New York City. The folks funding Spike want to manipulate Toby’s father into killing a U.N. resolution. In "Safekeeping," an orphan of aristocratic heritage, eight-year-old Robby Burnes, travels during WWII from London to Manhattan, where he’s placed in the care of cynical journalist Thadeus Lowry. While searching for his school one morning, Robby falls into the wrong hands. Both novels showcase Mcdonald’s wit, but it’s the latter that really shows his versatility. Mcdonald gleefully mixes Dickensian characters and Charles Lederer–style dialogue (Lowry explains that New York apartments are “a few rooms for which [people] pay endlessly, but never come to possess”). This omnibus will please fans and casual readers alike who want to see the range that Mcdonald was capable of beyond his most famous creations. [em](Feb.) [/em]