Customer Reviews

Bleeders (Nameless Detective Mystery)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Whether you're a veteran reader of P.I. novels or a neophyte who doesn't know his Hammett from his Chandler, you'll love the latest in Pronzini's "Nameless" series. This writer is a master, a benchmark against whom all the others compare themselves. A craftsman of both plot and language, Pronzini delivers each and every time. And in this way, he's that rarest of things: the sure bet. He knows how to deliver. He doesn't waste a detail or sling an extra word. "Bleeders" shows him at the pinnacle of his powers. Not only is it a fine mystery, thoroughly entertaining and beautifully paced, but his protagonist is entirely real. Nameless has aged and in this outing, he's feeling the weight of his cumulative history, the burden of all the pain and tragedy he's participated in over the course of 20+ books. Why fool with the latest flash-in-the-pan, when the king is still writing stories this engrossing and rewarding?

From the moment one reads the dedication of this Nameless mystery, one realizes what a special book BLEEDERS is. Bill Pronzini dedicates BLEEDERS to himself "without whom this series would never have been written."

As in the recent Nameless mysteries, Nameless is showing his age and his maturity. He is realizing that, while his work is important to him, there is more to life than merely running his PI agency. He is married now, of course, and he has an adopted daughter he acquired in the previous novel. His family responsibilities are becoming more and more important to him.

The plotline of this story involves a grifting scheme that leads to murders. It nearly costs Nameless his life, too. As with all Pronzini works, the book moves far beyond the mystery genre and addresses serious moral themes. As always, Pronzini is a moralistic writer in the best senses of the term.

The plot works fabulously, and the characters seem realistic. The interaction between everyone on stage couldn't work better. In the end, Nameless realizes his name is Daddy. It is bestowed on him by his adopted daughter, and he decides to make certain major life changes.

While it is suggested throughout the work that BLEEDERS may mark the end of this long-running series, I hope the series continues. Bill Pronzini, in my opinion, is the finest mystery writer of his generation. The influence of this series will long be felt in the mystery genre. His Nameless character may now be Daddy to a little girl, yet he has always been the father of the private detectives created by those of us who have begun our writing careers in recent years.

A gun is placed on the back of your head. Click, nothing happens. You know that you're dead. Click again, and you're still breathing. The weapon misfired and you've been given another chance for life. Now what do you do with it?

Nameless has faced death many times in the past but when he barely escapes from this episode of death he is forced to re-evaluate his relationships (with wife and daughter) and his professional life. Let's face it, at age sixty you can't do the things that you used to and still come out alive. Now what?

Bleeders explores the changes Nameless has to go through in reordering the priorities in his life. The catalyst for this is a failed scam attempt on his client. Her crank head husband attempts to extort $75,000 from her. Nameless intervenes and recovers the money. Unfortunately he is unable to return it to his client who is found dead. On finding the body, Nameless is beaten and has the money taken from him.

Thus begins a series of events that leads Nameless into the bottom dregs of society. Angry, he is determined to have justice done for his client as he goes on his determined search for the man who nearly killed him. We witness a detective who explores all of the angles and finds that he shares just as much in common with these bleeders than he is willing to admit.

Pronzini does a good job in presenting us with a Nameless who for the first time in his life has to step back and say is this worth it? As an old man of sixty with a wife and child can he still afford to play this tough detective game which can result in far more than beatings? The answer to that question as you move through the undercurrents of criminal activity will surprise you. Once again, Nameless is a far complex character than we would have ever thought. Enjoy this great thriller.

Bill Pronzini is by far my favorite mystery writer. Every time I hear that he has a new Nameless Detective novel coming out, I get excited in anticipation of reading it. "Bleeders" is the 27th novel in the series. Nameless helps his client Carolyn Dain recover $75,000 that her husband, Jay Cohalan, has obtained from scamming her. When he goes to return the money, he is met by a bald man who takes the money from him and tries to kill him. Luckily for Nameless, the gun jams and he is spared. He later finds his client dead on her bed from a gunshot wound. He begins his quest in pursuit of the bald man. "Bleeders" has a strong plot, and Pronzini is a master at placing the reader at the scene of the action. Nameless and Kerry, his wife, now have an adopted daughter, Emily (from "Crazybone"). That storyline is heart-warming and adds a dimension to the series that had not been there before. I noticed that the novel was dedicated to Bill Pronzini, and that there were references made to Nameless' possible retirement. I really hope that Nameless has at least a few more cases left in him. If not, thank you, Bill Pronzini for providing me with many hours of enjoyable reading!

Another good, solid book from a real pro. As always the pace is fast and the characters are interesting.

Dear fellow Pronzini fans - yes, Bleeders is the last Nameless story. I had the good fortune to meet Pronzini at a book-signing event last summer, and he told us this book would be the end of the series. He said he felt he had taken Nameless as far as he could. I too am unhappy about this but I'm grateful for the exciting ride he's given us in all the books he's written. Bleeders is exceptional and a fitting end to the series. I dearly hope Pronzini will keep writing other novels. I can't imagine what I'd do if he didn't.

Pronzini is always strong, but this one is special. It starts as a good, solid read, with the nameless detective outsmarting some lowlifes who fully deserve their fate, but then takes a darker, more emotional turn that is pitch-perfect and completely convincing. Too often in this genre such changes are overdone, turning the story into something sentimental and self-indulgent -- but Pronzini gets it right. He has a very subtle touch everywhere, from the hero's interactions with his child to his own night terrors. And the suprising ending that one of the other reviewers hated (probably because it does not provide a spasm of cleansing violence) succeeds fully.

Isn't it time that Pronzini is "rediscovered"?

I have read a couple of other books by Pronzini, but none in the "Nameless Dectective" series. This new one, "Bleeders", is apparently going to be the final effort in this group. It is a quick, interesting read, done by a veteran who knows how to hook us. Now I will have to go back and catch up on the earlier life of the main character. If you like Robert B. Parker or Lawrence Block, you will also like Pronzini.

This is a very fine detective novel. It's a bit of a throw back in that it is in essence an old time gumshoe private eye tracking down an elusive quarry. The manner in which Pronzini unfolds his plot here is unexpected in a very satisfying way, while at the same time sophisticated in its delivery. The author that comes to mind most similar in style to this book is Lawrence Block and his Matthew Scudder series before it started to fall apart. Both Pronzini and Block have the gift of being able to create a scenario that is bigger in scope than your run of the mill end of the world contemporary thriller. These authors do this while presenting the reader with a simple elegant story. Bleeders is very satisfying indeed.

What amazes me most about Bleeders is that this is the twenty-something book in the series. It is obvious that Pronzini has complete control of his medium here. He is not selling you a half-hearted effort based on past success. I don't think that I have picked up one of his nameless detective novels before. I plan on reading them all now. Unlike every other author of a mystery series I have yet to come across one that has sustained such a firm grasp on excellence as Pronzini has with Bleeders. Maybe you could say that about Ed McBain and his 87th precinct books. Most authors fall into predictable story lines that would pale in comparison to the earlier work. If Pronzini has fallen from his high horse, if even a little, his first nameless detective novels must be something else.

Hey, pick up this book, you will enjoy it.

Yes, this is another nice entry in the famous "Nameless" detective series, and that is the mild recommendation intended.
The reader gets the impression from this story that the author
is tired of writing about his great creation, so the action
seems slower than in the past, and the "nameless" detective
is deliberately plagued by self-doubt and worry that slow down
both him and this story.
We have to wonder whether the prolific author intends to quit
this series, and he is deliberately leading up to that point,
or whether he is genuinely tired of the series, and this book
merely reflects that lessening interest.
This story just doesn't quite measure up to the earlier incarnations of "nameless," and we have to feel bad about that.
Nameless has been a friend to the detective-story-reader for
quite a few years now, and he has led us through many an adventure and kept us entertained.
If a reader is just sampling this series, some of the earlier
stories are highly recommended.
Here, we have a mildly entertaining story with a familiar
character, and we hope a revived "Nameless" will re-appear
in a more envigorated state shortly.
A nice story here that won't take much time or attention.