Customer Reviews

Labyrinth

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In 1971, author Bill Pronzini was only 27 when he wrote The Snatch, building on a shorter and different version of the story that appeared in the May 1969 issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine under the same title. With the publication of this book, one of detective fiction's great characters was born with full fledged power and authenticity. If you have not yet read the Nameless Detective novels by Mr. Pronzini, you have a major treat ahead of you. Many of these are now out-of-print, so be sure to check your library for holdings in near-by cities.

The Nameless Detective is referred to that way because Mr. Pronzini never supplies a name until Twospot, the prior book in the series, when police lieutenant Frank Hastings tells what his poker playing friends call Nameless, employing a first name. But it's never acknowledged by Nameless that this is his name . . . so it's probably a nickname. That name is not then used again until much later in the series. You can learn about why Nameless has no name in an author's note in Case File, which comes later in the series.

Mr. Pronzini presents a world in which people take evil actions to further selfish interests, and many innocents struggle because of that selfishness. The police and private investigators suffer along with the victims, for evil-doing has painful consequences for everyone. Mr. Pronzini's plots are complex, yet he provides plenty of clues to help you identify the evil-doer on your own. Despite the transparency of many of the early plots, he successfully uses plot complications to keep the action interesting and fresh. Beginning with Labyrinth, the plots become less simple.

But the reason to read the books is because of the character development for the Nameless Detective. Nameless is a former police officer in San Francisco who collects pulp fiction about tough private detectives. Overcome by the evil he sees as a police officer and drawn to the complex imagery of the strong, silent hero who rights wrongs, Nameless tries to live that role as a private detective. But he has trouble getting clients, and operating as a one-man shop causes him to lead a lonely existence. In his personal life, his career keeps women at a distance. Like a medieval knight errant, he sticks to his vows and pursues doing the right thing . . . even when it doesn't pay. At the same time, he's very aware of art, culture and popular trends. And he doesn't like much of what he sees. He's in his 50's, could stand to lose some weight and is really messy.

The books are also written in a more sophisticated version of the pulp fiction style, employing a better writing style and greater range through language and plot. The whole experience is like looking at an image in a series of mirrors that reflect into infinity.

These books are a must for those who love the noir style and the modern fans of tough detectives with a heart of gold like Spenser . . . and can live without the wise cracks and repartee.

Labyrinth is Mr. Pronzini's most elaborate plot, and one that will probably keep you fascinated up until the last few pages. It starts simply enough. Nameless is called in by his friend, police lieutenant Eberhardt, when a dead woman's purse contains Nameless's business card. Nameless has never met her, and cannot make a connection. Next, Nameless is hired to track and protect a disturbed man, Martin Talbot, who may be harmed by the husband of a woman who died when Talbot's car collided with theirs after Talbot fell asleep at the wheel. Despite keeping a close tail, things go horribly wrong. Convinced that Talbot needs his help, Nameless tries to figure out what really happened. In the process, he learns that the son of the woman Talbot killed was engaged to the young woman who had his card. What could this mean? From there, the connections between the Cardings and Talbot's family quickly multiply.

Most people will not be able to unravel this mystery. It contains a lot of unexpected elements and delicious complexity. From an amateur sleuth reader's point of view, this book is a delight for that reason.

The book has another appeal, which is trying to make some sense of all the synchronicity in the story. I found it haunting and intriguing at the same time. Mr. Pronzini wisely leaves it up to you to assign meaning to the connections.

After you finish this fascinating tale, take a little time to consider what strange coincidences might mean in your life. Are they from the hand of Providence? Or is it just randomness?

Eberhardt, Nameless's police friend calls him to a crime scene. Does he know the victim? He never saw her in his life. Why then is his business card in her possesion? Nameless hasn't an answer but the question nags at him even though he has another case to keep him occupied.

Nothing can go smoothly for Nameless. His twenty-four hour surveillance job ends up with a murder but the suspect didn't commit the crime but is charged anyway. Nameless does some more digging and before he knows it three more murders occur all of which point to him and the orginal victim. How will Nameless be able to unravel this labyrinth of mayhem and murder as he moves through its corridors.

Labyrinth takes us through that valley called coincidence, syncronicity and intuition. How is it that unrelated incidents of foul play are linked together in a haphazard way. Nameless tries to use his cold logic to bring the pieces of the puzzle together but finds himself frustrated at every turn. He is forced to think outside the box if he is ever to solve these series of crime. Like Nameless, you too will find yourself looking for the "connections" which makes this work of Pronzini's more fun and challenging.

A girl is found murdered and in her purse is the business card of the "nameless" detective. A man is involved in a vehicular death; his sister hires nameless to keep an eye on him. Coincidence, I don't think so. The two incidents will connect two families in a 'dance macabre' from which no one (including nameless) will come away unscathed. (Sounds like the beginning of a "Shadow" story on old-time radio, doesn't it.)

No one, especially cops, likes to have to depend on coincidence to tell them how a murder played out. But in this case, without it, we'd never find out the truth or the reason behind it. By the end of this story, six people have been murdered, two others are in facilities for the criminally insane, and nameless has twice been facing a gun and close to death. Into this mixture add a suicide, a murder that looked like a suicide, murder for greed and murder for cover-up. Everything you'd find in a labyrinth except for the minotaur (though the publisher St.Martin's Press does public St. Martin's Minotaur).

Good addition to the series.
NOTE: in the last book we found out that nameless has a first name: Bill
in this one at least three different people refer to him as Italian. Could his last name be Pronzini? Hope not.

Zeb Kantrowitz

One of the oldest gambits in PI fiction is the dead body that turns up with the detective's business card in a pocket. Pronzini breathes new life into that scenario with "Labyrinth." Nameless has no idea who the dead girl is -- how did she get his card? This book has tons of action and excitement; thank goodness it's short enough to devour in one or two sittings. Fans of the PI genre have got to check out Nameless. The books are best read in order, so it's a major shame that they're out of print -- but they are certainly worth tracking down.

Pronzini has created the rare detective who is honest, ethical, and actually has excellent relationships with the police as his detective works within those relationships. Pronzini is masterful at setting a scene, whether it be driving through the fog or building suspense. His characters are real, and his dialogue is excellent. In this book, he has taken a plot device which can destroy credibility in other books, and brilliantly made it part of solution. This is a true detective novel in the very best sense and an excellent read.