Fancy Anders goes undercover at an aircraft plant to solve the murder of Rosie the Riveter in the first of three thrilling mysteries by Road to Perdition creator Max Allan Collins, with stunning illustrations by award-winning artist Fay Dalton.

Fall 1942. When her Hollywood private detective daddy is called back to uniform, Fancy Anders is issued orders of her own – answer the phone, make referrals, and keep the place dusted. But the 24-year-old Barnard grad – whose hobbies include shooting, flying and jujitsu – isn’t having any.

At Amalgamated Aircraft, a young female worker chosen to pose for patriotic photos and posters has met with a suspicious “accidental death.” Fancy takes the victim’s place on the swing shift, fitting in well with co-workers very much not from high society circles. With the occasional reluctant help of LAPD homicide cop Rick Hinder, Fancy takes a hammer to the head of a saboteur, sniffs out an enemy within, and sets out to prevent an assassination attempt on President Roosevelt, scheduled to tour the plant and greet the women who work long, hard hours for the war effort.

Portraying the times vividly with his usual historical accuracy, Mystery Writers of America grandmaster Max Allan Collins creates a compelling new series protagonist both indelibly of her time, and far ahead of it. Lavishly illustrated by James Bond artist, Fay Dalton.


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All artwork (c) copyright Fay Dalton, 2021. All rights reserved.


MAX ALLAN COLLINS, a three-time winner of the PWA “Shamus” Award, writes the Nathan Heller historical thrillers. His graphic novel Road to Perdition became an Academy Award-winning Tom Hanks film. His produced screenplays include Mommy and The Last Lullaby, based on his Quarry novels, also the basis of a recent Cinemax series. He has developed a dozen Mike Hammer novels from Mickey Spillane’s files and (with wife Barbara Collins) writes the award-winning Antiques mystery series. He has scripted the Dick Tracy comic strip, Batman, and co-created Ms. Tree and Wild Dog. His New York Times and USA Today bestsellers include Saving Private Ryan, American Gangster, Air Force One, and several CSI titles.

FAY DALTON is a London-based illustrator best known for The Folio Society’s James Bond series and comic covers for Dynamite and Titan’s Hard Case Crime. Combining traditional drawing and painting methods with digital painting Fay's work is detailed and boasts a vintage quality, reminiscent of the pulp era. She has also worked on advertisement campaigns for Virgin, Agent Provocateur as well as work for Warner Bros and recently Magic the Gathering.

Collins’ prose combines a powerful whodunnit married with a great study of the time (complete with an assassination’s attempt around President Roosevelt), and Dalton’s illustrations effortlessly capture the look and feel of the time.

Fancy Anders Goes to War is fun, fast-paced and entertaining; there is never a dull moment from the time Fancy hits the streets running in her private eye debut.

The novella reads like lightning... [Max Allan Collins is] a master of the quick literary punch.