The Abduction of Nelly Don

By: Patrice Williams Marks

Narrated by: Clay Lomakayu

During the Great Depression, high-profile kidnappings became more and more commonplace. On December 17, 1931, self-made millionaire fashion designer Nell Donnelly becomes the next casualty.

Senator Reed, a family friend, steps in to lead the investigation. Impatient with ineffective police efforts, he is willing to go to extraordinary measures. How extraordinary? How about enlisting the help of two of Kansas City's most notorious crime bosses. This deal with two devils may very well be Reed's downfall. But more importantly, will the involvement of hardened gangsters lead to Nell Donnelly's freedom or her demise?

©2015 Patrice Williams Marks - Circa Publishing (P)2015 Patrice Williams Marks - Circa Publishing

The Abduction of Nelly Don

The Abduction of Nelly Don is my first introduction to Patrice Williams Marks’s work. I thought it was a pretty historical. It is not a long read, but it is full of mystery, suspense, action and adventure. I never knew what would happen in the next scenes.
I had the honor to listen to the audio version of The Abduction of Nelly Don. I enjoyed the narrator’s performance. Clay Lomakyu did a wonderful job bringing this story to life. I, also, enjoyed hearing some sound effects that was added to the audio.
I am giving The Abduction of Nelly Don three and a half stars. I would love to read more by Patrice Williams Marks in the future. I believe other readers who enjoy historical fiction would enjoy this one. It is definitely worth a read.
I received the audio version of this book. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Nicely paced, good book

Where does The Abduction of Nelly Don rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a book I would recommend to a friend. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I listen to books as I am able; this is one that I had a hard time stopping.

What did you like best about this story?

The author does a good job of moving things along at the appropriate pace. Unlike some books, I never felt that I had to "trudge through" any section to get back to the good part of the story.

What does Clay Lomakayu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This is the first that I had heard Clay narrate. I would describe his style in this book as kind of "southern/western". At first I didn't know if I cared for his delivery. However, he had won me over a few chapters in and seemed fitting for this particular book.

Any additional comments?

I received this book for free in return for an unbiased review.

Must listen to Author!

I love the narration of the books it was so enjoyable! The author makes you feel like you are part of the story. Can't wait to read or listen to her other books!

Superb True Crime Novel that Reads Like Fiction.

What made the experience of listening to The Abduction of Nelly Don the most enjoyable?

The riveting plot and the amazing main character Nelly Don. She is a historical character that is very well developed in this story. She is smart, ambitious, and incredibly likable. Another cool feature was the last section which tells what happened to all the characters after the abduction. Nice way to end the story.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, this is a very well written book based on a real historical event. The suspense is artfully built from the story and is evenly sustained throughout.

What does Clay Lomakayu bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr. Lomakayu has a lovely southern drawl which fits this book perfectly. He gives an excellent performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There are a number of tense moments. The actual abduction, the search, Nelly's contemplation of escape in the outhouse, the money drop, and in the final scenes wondering if she will survive.

Any additional comments?

This is a very good book and it is clean. It is appropriate for teenagers even with the tense themes. I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.

The depression with an edge of mystery.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

I stayed interested in this book most of the time. I am not a fan of mystery, but this was a good one. It made me imagine how things were back when. I recommend this to every and can't wait to hear more from the author and narrator!

really good.

a really good read.Likeable vocal performance.
check it out when you get a chance and enjoy.

Total Fictionalization of the Truth

If you just want to read a crime novel I suppose this will do. But while this is admittedly a novelization, the story deviates from the truth in so many substantive facts that I found it almost laughable. As a distant relative of Paul Donnelly (he was not an only child as the author claims) I have researched this story since I became aware of it more than a decade ago. It was big news from the day of the kidnapping in December 1931 through the trial of the kidnappers and widely reported in news papers across the country. The subsequent divorce and remarriages of both Nell and Paul were as well. In this age of the Internet a simple Google search will garner factual results.