Boobytrap (Pronzini, Bill) [Hardcover]

Bill Pronzini (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pronzini, Bill | Publication Date: June 25, 1998

The 'Nameless Detective' welcomes the chance for a quiet holiday at Deep Mountain Lake - but also there is recently paroled explosives expert Donald Latimer. No coincidence - for Latimer has devised a plan for revenge against the men who sent him to prison.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

One of the great mysteries of the publishing world is why so many of the terrific "Nameless Detective" books by Bill Pronzini are out of print. At least three--Hardcase, Illusions, and a collection called Spadework--are available, however. And, luckily, Boobytrap has the same clipped, resonant dialogue (a cross between Chandler and David Mamet), the understated but gripping action scenes, and the offhand noir wisdom as the rest of the series, as the always unnamed but rarely outgunned San Francisco private detective accepts a free fishing vacation in a High Sierra cabin and finds himself part of the revenge scheme of a particularly crafty mad bomber. Unlike many series heroes, "Nameless" has aged realistically ("Almost sixty years old and as horny as a teenager," says his ladyfriend), and the suicide of his partner in Illusions still troubles him. "In a way it was good, necessary that I would never forget: all that he was and all that he wasn't were a lesson to me. That was why I'd kept his fishing gear, the one tangible piece of him. It was why I'd never get rid of it. And it was why I'd never use even a single item." No wonder Pronzini has won Shamus Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers Association of America. --Dick Adler

From Publishers Weekly

On a fishing trip to Deep Mountain Lake in the High Sierras, Pronzini's San Francisco-based Nameless Detective pursues a crash course with a psychotic bomber just released from prison and bent on revenge. Nameless, seen last in Illusions (1997), is called Bill here?once?by 12-year-old Chuck Dixon. Chuck and his mother are staying in a cabin near Nameless's, waiting for Chuck's father, an assistant DA in San Francisco, to join them. Readers are privy to the journals of David Michael Latimer, the bomber who has targeted the judge and a lawyer who sent him to jail for bombing attacks on his ex-wife and her lover. Latimer's ingenious boobytraps have killed both men, and his next target, Chuck's dad, isn't aware of the danger he faces. Pronzini gradually draws the principals in his plot together near Deep Mountain Lake, first with the death of the retired local sheriff, which disquiets Nameless, and then with the odd behavior of a few newcomers, who variously spark the PI's suspicions. When one of these unlikely fishermen plans a trip with Chuck, Nameless replaces his fiberglass rod with a metal one. Approaching 60, Nameless is aging with grace and sensitivity and no loss of his macho appeal. Pronzini plays his readers expertly, hooking them with a credible cast and setting his plot line with just the right amount of tension.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; First Edition edition (June 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786705051
• ISBN-13: 978-0786705054
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #874,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another superb entry in this outstanding series, October 28, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Boobytrap (Pronzini, Bill) (Hardcover)

If you haven't met "Nameless" yet, or encountered the work of Bill Pronzini, you are in for a rare treat. Start 'Boobytrap' and you can begin planning how to spend your reading time over the upcoming holidays--by starting from the beginning of this superb series. Pronzini's books are very well-plotted, contain complex and engaging characters, and are written in a fluid but muscular style balanced with refreshing touches of humor. Pronzini does the traditions of the detective genre proud, while still remaining very much his own man. Mystery writing doesn't get much better than this. Kick back and enjoy.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Busman's Vacation, December 3, 2003

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Boobytrap (Pronzini, Bill) (Hardcover)

BoobyTrap is quite different from the usual Nameless Detective novel. Nameless has no client and is simply looking for some rest and relaxation while his new wife, Kerry Wade, is away on business in Houston. The book's development is also unique in the series. The story is dually narrated through the notebooks of newly released felon, Donald Michael Latimer, and through Nameless himself. In addition, you know who the criminal is, what crimes have been done and which are contemplated from near the beginning. So the book becomes a study in how Nameless stumbles onto the danger and deals with it. As such, it's a fine look at detection . . . and its weaknesses. Those who have enjoyed any of the prior Nameless novels will find this offbeat entry an interesting variation on the series.

If you have not yet read any Nameless novels, I strongly suggest that you read Hoodwink, Shackles, Quarry, and Illusions before this one. Although this is a standalone book, it works better in the context of Nameless's character development. Most people who read only this book will probably rate it at four stars because there isn't as much mystery as in most procedurally focused stories. The character development is quite significant though, and needs some background to appreciate.

Nameless is almost 60 now and recovering emotionally from the rocky experiences in Shackles and Illusions. He's enjoying his new marriage to Kerry Wade, but she's still awfully busy with her work at the advertising agency. The two were scheduled for a romantic vacation in Baja California when Kerry has to cancel due to an opportunity to woo a new client for her firm. At odds and ends, she suggests that Nameless go fishing. No one is available to go now, but a friend hooks him up with a mutual acquaintance, San Francisco assistant D.A. Pat Dixon who arranges for Nameless to enjoy a free week at a neighbor's cabin in the high Sierras. Because Dixon is held up on a case, Nameless offers to drive Dixon's family up so they can start their vacation early.

In the background, recently paroled bomber Donald Michael Latimer has decided that he wants revenge against all those who helped put him in prison . . . including the judge, the prosecutors and his ex-wife. And Pat Dixon was one of those prosecutors. The diabolical nature of Latimer's desire for revenge is one of the main attractions of this story. Echoes of the Unabomber will float through your head as you read this taut story.

Fans of the Nameless mystique will be fascinated by his reaction to the fishing opportunity and his past actions (especially in Quarry). You also get a brief peek at the first name that shows up every so often in these novels that refers to Nameless.

Mr. Pronzini's fans will chuckle over the dedication to this book: "For Sharon McCone, Who promises to keep me in the manner to which I'd like to become accustomed." If you didn't realize it, Mr. Pronzini's wife is Marcia Muller, Sharon McCone's creator.

As I finished the novel, I found myself thinking about when killing is ever justified . . . and how effective punishment really is. I suspect that I will be haunted by this story for months to come.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read, November 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Boobytrap (Pronzini, Bill) (Hardcover)

If you haven't met Bill Pronzini's "Nameless Detective", this novel is a good one to start with. Pronzini's writing is clear, and he knows how to keep the reader on the edge of his seat. If you read this one you will soon want to read all his other "Nameless Detective" novels.