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Summary
Summary
"Nameless" had seen enough death in his years; spending his time watching someone drive to several funerals a day, funerals for people he didn't know, was more than he could take. And he had a non-professional problem of his own: his relationship with his wife, Kerry, had hit a wall and nothing he did got him over it and to the other side. There was one possibility, one thing he'd done (or not done), but knowing that didn't seem to help
Also not helping was the mood in the office. Tamara had something eating at her and Jake well, Jake needed a case so he could stop thinking about what was happening with his son. It was a mournful time for everyone.
Then the bits and pieces began to fall into place: The funerals James Troxell was attending were all for women who had died violently. Was he responsible? One woman thought so, thought Troxell had killed her sister, and her insistence was becoming a problem.
Too many deaths, too many roads leading nowhere, too many crimes and secrets and fears were coming together as heavy as the fog rolling over the Bay. Too many answers were needed before there'd be sunshine again for anyone and the mourning could stop.
"
Author Notes
Bill Pronzini was born in Petaluma, California on April 13, 1943. His first novel, The Stalker, was published in 1971. He is best known for his creation of the Nameless Detective Mystery series, as well as several westerns and novels of dark suspense. He has been a full time writer since 1969. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories.
He has won numerous awards including three Shamus Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Mystery Writers of America. His book Snowbound received the Grand Prix de la Litterature Policiere, as the best crime novel published in France in 1988. Pronzini has established himself as a master of the Western novel as well as earning a name for himself in the dark fiction genre.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
The 30th outing for Pronzini's legendary Nameless Detective (after 2005's Nightcrawlers) exhibits many of the strengths of his earlier adventures. Unfortunately, it also suffers from some of the diffuse softness of recent books about the San Francisco PI, especially when it dwells on the private lives of Nameless and his two colleagues. The Nameless books of old were noteworthy for their compressed sadness and anger and for the sharpness of their hero's tradecraft. Those qualities are present to some degree in Nameless's current case involving a wealthy financial consultant, James Troxell, who suddenly starts attending the funerals of women, all strangers who died violently. And Shamus-winner Pronzini can still whip up a descriptive storm in just a few words. "The Good Life, with all its attendant perks," Nameless muses on a visit to Troxell's expensive home. "Unless possibly, for some private reason, you were starting to come apart at the seams." That's the Nameless we know and love, not the sitcom father and baffled husband he's too often seen as here. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Happy faces are in short supply once more as the Nameless Detective sets out on his 30th walk on the dark side (Nightcrawlers, 2005, etc.). Good guys, bad guys, virtually everyone in the cast is to some extent eponymous. James Troxell, the husband of Nameless's client, has taken to attending funerals--three of them, all women, all victims of violent crimes. He's clearly depressed, but what, Mrs. Troxell wonders, could have been the trigger? He's just not the man he was even a few weeks ago: "It's as if he's . . . going away." Within the family, Nameless's partner Tamara is also suffering, this time from man trouble. A "Dear Tamara" phone call from a heretofore faithful lover has colored her deep indigo. Nameless's field investigator Jake Runyon and Nameless himself are also mourning parties near and dear. Complications in the Troxell case grow to encompass not only inexplicable behavior but brutal murder, spreading ripples of pain. But Nameless and company stubbornly remain focused, cracking the Troxell case and a variety of satellites stemming from it. The only faces that won't be sad are those of fans of plotting and narrative drive, who'll rejoice in a case that's close to flawless. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When Nameless made his assistant, Tamara, a partner in his detective agency and hired Jake, a new operative, he genuinely felt he was moving toward retirement. But business has increased, and Nameless finds himself reluctant to give up the work that has defined him for so long, even though he has recently become a husband and father. His current case involves a wealthy financial planner who attends the funerals of strangers, walks deserted beaches at night, and makes solitary visits to a secret rental apartment. His wife is worried and hires the firm to investigate. While tailing the subject, Jake, the new operative, meets a young woman with a startling resemblance to his late wife. She is mourning her sister, the victim of an unknown killer. Meanwhile Tamara is licking her wounds after getting dumped by her longtime lover, and Nameless doesn't understand his wife's aloofness toward him and their daughter. Pronzini's series becomes more layered and complex with each entry. This time the primary characters are all in one stage or another of mourning, but the only one who recognizes it is the initial subject of the investigation. He is also the only one who understands the timeless omnipresence of grief. It may fade into the shadows, but it never leaves, dogging one's every step. A dark, foreboding entry in a classic series. --Wes Lukowsky Copyright 2006 Booklist
Library Journal Review
By now, the "Nameless Detective" (first name: Bill) is as well known to fans as a best friend. We know about the problems with his marriage, his guilt over losing his old partner to suicide, and his absolute devotion to his work as a San Francisco private detective, along with his partners Tamara and Jake. This time, Bill has been asked by a friend to investigate the strange behavior of her husband. Usually a normal, hard-driving businessman, he has been showing an irrational interest in violent crimes in the city and has even attended several funerals of the victims. Jake meets the sister of one of the victims, and she reminds him of his late wife, who died of cancer. Nick Sullivan has the characterizations down pat; he wisely refrains from taking the falsetto route in voicing female characters, but he does imbue them with distinct personalities, especially the volatile Tamara. Humor, pathos, solid stories, spot-on dialog, and a fascinating glimpse into the workings of a private detective agency have carried Pronzini's "Nameless" books to the top of the charts; this one will also find a lofty perch in all public libraries.-Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.