Stolen Away (Paperback)

by Max Allan Collins (Author) "There's somebody I want you to meet," Eliot Ness said. I sat slumped in a hard wooden chair in Eliot's spartan, orderly office in the..." (more)
Key Phrases: contact with the kidnappers, beautiful borough, kidnap ladder, Max Allan, New York, Colonel Lindbergh (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Little did detective Nate Heller realize that following a suspicious-looking platinum blonde, baby-toting beauty through Chicago's LaSalle Street Station would lead him to solve the kidnapping of the son of a small-time bootlegger. He had hoped he might be solving the recent kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. But he does land a detective's position at the Lindbergh estate on Featherbed Lane in New Jersey. In this novel largely based on fact, most characters appear with their true names. While Col. Schwarzkopf is in charge of the local police force working on the case, Heller pursues tips with a variety of cohorts ranging from Dr. John Condon, a professor at Fordham University, to Evalyn Walsh McLean, a Washington socialite. Heller finally ends up at an Illinois farmhouse where Mr. and Mrs. Carl Belliance live with their 6-year-old adopted son, who Heller believes is the Lindbergh child. A shoot-out ensues at the farmhouse, and the true identity of the boy is never learned. Veteran author Collins's ( True Detective ) reconstruction of the Lindbergh case is so believable, one forgets that this is fiction.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
When Charles Lindbergh's baby son is kidnapped, one man searches for the truth against an historical backdrop peopled with such figures as Al Capone, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, and Eliot Ness. Reprint. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 514 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553352334
• ISBN-13: 978-0553352337
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,874,949 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect blend of historical fiction and hard boiled mystery., July 17, 2002

By	Steven R. Harbin (Southeastern USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Stolen Away (Paperback)

This was the first of the "Nate Heller" detective series novels of Collins that I had read, and I must admit that I couldn't put it down. Not only is this tour de force a great mystery and suspense novel, it is also a wonderful historical novel; well researched and informative while grabbing and then not letting go of the reader's interest.

The story of how Chicago policeman Heller becomes involved in the case of the Lindbergh baby kidnapping is plausible enough. Once the wise cracking detective is admitted to the inner circle of the myriad investigators and con men (and women) involved in the infamous 1932 tragedy the excitement begins and continues without let-up. I was not that familiar with the details of the case until I started this novel, but Collins does a wonderful job of making each character (both those of historical record, and those who are fictional blendings of historical characters) belivable and memorable. One strong point of the book is that I finished it feeling that I knew more about the case that I did previously. Collins posts an afterword to the book that explains which parts are fictitious, conjecture, and historical. He also presents a detailed proposed reading list for those interested, along with his comments on the bias or worth of each author. I really appreciated this part of the book.

As for Heller himself, the Chicago lawman grows on you, even though Collins presents him as not always a shining knight, showing him "warts and all." The book is quite long, 593 pages in the paperback edition, including the afterword, but the complexities of the story make it a good read, well worth the time and effort.

A definite 5 stars, this one made me rush out and buy up other books in the Nate Heller series, as well as check out the facts of the historical case that inspired this story. My advice is for anyone who hasn't read this novel to do the same.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Collins' Best Work, May 2, 2001

By	[e-mail] "Simon DelMonte" (Flushing, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stolen Away (Paperback)

This Nate Heller novel is the first to jump from Chicago mobsters to something more as Max Collins sends his PI to New Jersey to investigate the original Crime of the Century, the Lindbergh kidnapping. Along the way, Collins casts serious doubts on the man convicted of the crime, Bruno Haputmann, and offers a fictionalized but believable account of the investigation and the trial. Moreover, Collins also portrays Lindbergh with much less hero worship than the recent biography by Scott Berg. While this is not meant as a work of truth, Collins provides a necessary balance to such books with this novel.

Most of all, though, it's a great read, suspenseful even though the ending is a matter of historical fact. This is a must for Collins fans, and it's great to see it reissued at last.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ten stars are needed for this one., April 9, 2002

By	"steve_731" (Maple Grove, MN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stolen Away (Paperback)

The best entry in the Nate Heller series. Collins Nate Heller novels are recommended for those who like hard boiled period pieces as well as lovers of true crime. There is good detail on the facts and people involved in the Lindberg kidnapping. Like all the Heller novels, Mr. Collins has his own theory on what really happened. His theory here is really wild. A great book.