Vanished

Like Belva Plain in Whispers (p. 326), Steel soft-pedals gauzy romance in a fairly tightly plotted story - set mainly in 1930's Manhattan and about a lady wildly unlucky in love who's forced to deal with crime - in this case, kidnapping. Like Plain's battered wife, Marielle once loved unwisely. Charles Delauney (fiery green eyes) and Marielle (her eyes were deep blue sapphires ) had met in 1926 in Paris, then went on to make a gloriously happy marriage - until that moment when tragedy overtook their small son in a drowning accident, as well as their unborn child aa the pregnant Marielle attempted a rescue. Suffering from Charles's accusations and blame, Marielle ended up spending some years in a sanitarium. Now, back again in Manhattan, Marielle is the protected, secure wife of rich businessman Malcolm Patterson, a smooth gent who does a good bit of business with Nazi Germany, and her joy in an otherwise restricted life is four-year-old Teddy. It is the sight of Teddy that sends expatriate Charles (who returns from the Spanish Civil War and meets Marielle in the park) into a wild rage - and when, horribly, Teddy is kidnapped, into the slammer aa a suspect. Throughout Marielle's ordeal - with terrible reminders of the Lindbergh case - FBI agent John Taylor offers a strong shoulder (and more); a feisty newspaper woman turns up important clues; a mobster named Louis the Lover turns up a heart of gold; and the rosy respectability of Malcolm's circle takes on a new hue. There will be a trial, a last-minute rescue, and, at the close, Steel trots out a nice man for Marielle. As for Teddy, not to worry. Okay, worry a little.... The smashing duds and digs are still there - plus the subject's predictable pull. (Kirkus Reviews)