Customer Reviews

Spook (A Nameless Detective novel)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Seldom does a wonderful series like that of the Nameless Detective suddenly add an exciting character who makes you anxious for the next book. If you've liked any of the books in this series, you must read this one . . . because it is the beginning of much potential for the future.

Nameless is back (and called "Bill"). He's in the process of moving towards retirement . . . beginning with semi-retirement. To facilitate the changes, he's taken his former assistant, Tamara, as his partner. They need to hire a new operative to help handle the street work that Nameless did in the past. After considering two potential men, Tamara insists that they hire Jake Runyon, a silent-as-the-grave ex-cop, ex-detective who looks like he's just lost his last friend.

Jake turns out to be the kind of dandy character that Raymond Chandler would have been glad to write about. He loves the grime of the streets and the challenge of the chase. He's smart, tough, focused and self-contained. But he hurts, and his work is his therapy. You'll enjoy learning about him.

The action in the book centers on the murder of a street person named Spook who talks to ghosts. I especially enjoyed the way that several people contributed to identifying Spook. It's imaginative problem solving at its best.

Each of the detectives has personal issues that develop in interesting ways. Bill is having trouble deciding how to wind down his work and deal with his need to be a lone wolf. Tamara is shaken to the core when her boyfriend decides to move to Philadelphia and proposes marriage. Jake is looking to make a connection with his estranged son while grieving for his lost love.

I don't want to say any more because the prose and story line are so smooth and balanced. You should be able to enjoy the development without interruption from me.

Fans of Marcia Muller (Mr. Pronzini's wife) will be delighted to see that Bill and Sharon McCone end up working together on a case. It's neat!

After you finish this wonderful novel, I suggest that you think about what you will regret if you don't change your ways. How can you begin making the necessary changes?

The Nameless Detective is clearly starting to feel his age in this one. The gritty, rundown parts of the city are starting to depress him. So are the seedy and hopeless people he often has to deal with. This particular case involves the senseless and brutal murder of a homeless man named Spook. But instead of handling the case himself, as he has done for many years, Nameless has now enlisted the help of two assistants.

One of his helpers is an assertive and streetwise black woman named Tamara who has become a full partner in Nameless's detective agency. In keeping with Tamara's promotion, several sections of the book are now seen through Tamara's eyes exclusively. Nameless has also hired an assistant named Jake Runyon, whose personal problems are reminiscent of the problems that Nameless himself has experienced in the past. Runyon, too, now has several sections of the book turned over to him.

This is a somewhat startling change from previous Nameless novels, which were told through a first-person narrator who refused to reveal his own name. That meant everything that happened in previous novels was seen through the eyes and mind of this anonymous detective. Not so with this one.

Like his other Nameless novels, however, Pronzini's hand is still the guiding force behind this long-lived series. And once again, he has filled the story with an interesting assortment of colorful characters with names like Pinkeye, Big Dog, and Lightfoot. He also includes a black classical cellist named Horace. And speaking of names, one of the surprises in this story is that Pronzini finally, subtly, and quietly reveals the name of Nameless.

Typical of Pronzini's other novels, Spook has a number of interesting subplots that always add unexpected twists and turns to the story. One of the subplots in Spook includes both Nameless and another P.I. named Sharon McCone. What's interesting is that Sharon McCone is the lead character in another popular detective series, this one written by Pronzini's own real-life wife, Marcia Muller. So in this instance we have two fictional characters from two different P.I. series, and they're both working together on the same fictional case. It's kind of like having the Lone Ranger and Hopalong Cassidy working together to solve a bank heist.

Pronzini is clearly one of the old-time masters of the hard-boiled P.I. genre. All of his characters are exceptionally well drawn, real, and true-to-life. His descriptions are brief, stark, and easy to visualize. And his well-structured, solid, and suspenseful framework will keep you turning the pages, long after you should have turned out the light.

The saddest part of Spook is the realization that an excellent series is coming to an end. Don't miss this one. It's still Pronzini at his best.

Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com

Bill Pronzini has in the Nameless Detective created a fihure who unlike many similar series protagonists ages as the series progresses and in this book he is 61 years old and on the verge of semi-retirement .To this end he and his streetwise young black partner Tamara engage another operative ,the troubled Jake Runyon .Runyan is still in a state of depression following the death through cancer of his second wife and has returned to San Francisco to try and rebuild a relationship with his gay son from whom he is estranged .
The man case concerns the death of a harmless street person ,Spook ,who is murdered in the entryway to a low rent film company whose proproetor engages the agency to trace his identity .
The bulk of the investigative work is undertaken by Runyan who , after encounters with the more violent and psychotic aspects of the homeless world ,in thr form of the vicious " Big Dog " traces the origins of the killing to an incident some 20 years previously in which 3 people were gunnned down in a remote Clifornia town .This not only points up the true identity of the deceased Spook but enables his slayer to be traced .
This is polished and proficient in its unravelling but is not the only starnd to the book -there is a sub -plot which sees Nameless co-operating with Sharon McCone ( a creation of the authors wife ,Marcia Muller ) in acase exposing City corruption .
Much of the book is taken up with the personal problems of Tamara whose relationship with cellist boyfriend Horace is in trouble ,and with Runyan' s situation as he tries to rebuild his life
There is an air of transition hanging over the book and it seems to be that Pronzini is about to retire his character and maybe start a new series cenred on Tamara and Jake

Its a mellow and thoughtful book shot through with realistic compasssion and seems to point the way to a new development in the career of its prolific and reliable author

Satisfying as a mystery and a well wrought and compassionate study of lives in transition

I really am enjoying getting into this series. Perhaps I am going about it in the wrong way, seeing as how I am starting with the last couple of books, rather than the first. But so far this has had zero impact on my ability to become engrossed with Pronzini and his gift at turning a tale. `'Spook' and `Bleeders' are the only two I have read thus far. `Bleeders' was just great because of his quiet and unexpected ending. ` Spook' is on the other hand even simpler than `Bleeders' in a lot of ways. And I like that. It's sort of a counter measure against all of the cookie cutter thrillers dealing with tired serial killer plots. `'Spook' does let the reader down a little because it feels like Pronzini is slowly winding down his series here. It's my own fault for not starting in the beginning. It does have a little less character development or conflict than I would have liked, but hey, this is the 28th book.

All I have really to say that this was a fun book to read. If you have read too many mysteries and thrillers like I have, I think that you will really enjoy getting into Pronzini. I am really looking forwards to the first couple in this series and expect to find a character kind of like Block's early Matthew Scudder.

Despite rumors that Pronzini's Nameless detective may be no more, Spook proves this wonderful character still has a lot of life in him. In fact, this story, written in a new style, opens the door for the series, thankfully, to go on and on and on.
Pronzini is a master, no, a grand master of the genre and certainly deserves a lot more recognition than he has received.
Spook is a taut story with excellent character development, and takes a serious look at issues in today's social environment.

Definitely a don't-put-it-down read.

What better way to start 2003 off than with a brand new Nameless Detective novel, especially since we all thought his last book was the end of the series. In "Spook", Nameless, along with his soon-to-be partner Tamara and new field operative Jake Runyon, are trying to track down the identity of a murdered homeless man. Interspersed throughout the story are personal episodes of all three main characters. Nameless, one of the world's most socially shy butterflies, is persuaded to attend a Christmas charity event with of all people his old friend Sharon McCone and in the bargain saves her from losing a case. Tamara is faced with a huge decision: her boyfriend is pressuring her to marry him and move back east but she isn't sure she wants to give up a job she loves. Jake is still brooding over the death of his wife and the antagonism of his son. All this gives a new and warm twist to the usual Nameless books. To further add to the twist, Nameless's real name is slipped into the story several times! "Spook" is one of Pronzini's best!

I love the Nameless series, and this review won't bore you by giving you the plot (again).

The mystery itself is intriguing, but what I did not like about this book is the narrative breakdown to 3 parts--Nameless, Tamara and the new guy, Jake Runyon. The strength of the Nameless series is Nameless himself: his thought process, his brooding. You lose some of that with this book.

Tamara is a bore. She's supposed to be so intelligent, with good business instincts, a computer hacker extraordaire. If I were a client contacting this agency for detective work, her bad attitude and nasty mouth would be enough to send me elsewhere. And I don't see how she could develop any working relationships with other agencies--she comes across as quite a b***h.

I get the feeling Runyon (or should we call him Eeyore) is being groomed by Pronzini to take over the Nameless spot when Nameless (okay, Bill) retires. Quite frankly, I'm frustated with the whole daddy scene.

This is not the Nameless we know and love. Dump the kid (Emily), fire Tamara, and get another woman for Jake...

A homeless bum is found dead in the doorway of a company. Like many nameless denizens of the street he will be chalked up as another John Doe to be buried in a pauper's grave. The owner of the company decides this man shouldn't be forgotten. He calls on Nameless to investigate the death. His mission is simple, identify the name of the corpse, see that the family is notified, and do it in three days.
Welcome back Nameless. A case that appears so simple and clear cut leads our favorite hero into the realms of murder and the world of the homeless. This time Nameless is not going at it alone. Now semi-retired our hero makes Tamara his partner in the business and hires a full-time operative named Jake. The lone "Wolf" now has a team that frees him up to be the husband to Kerry and father to Emily. Nameless is settling down. At least we think he his.
Pronzini has introduced new blood into his old character who recognizes his limitations and is willing to allow others to take the lead. You see a mellow detective who takes on a mentoring/management role rather than being out there taking action on the streets. Such a change makes an interesting take on a detective that we think that we know so well.
I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story as it exposed the good, bad and ugly side of homelessness. You gain an insight about what makes people fall apart to the point of being destructive to themselves and others. Each main character tells the story from his and her point of view which make the story more interesting.
The major criticism that I have of Pronzini is his stereotyping of Tamara and Jake. Tamara is depicted as a loud mouth ignorant Black woman who can't get her love life together. Her attitude and dialogue is so stereotypical to the point of being unbelievable. Jake comes across as a younger version of Nameless. His personality is also too macho and wooden in his intereactions with others.
Other than those two challenges the book is a good read. You will even find Nameless's name. Good Luck.

As a newcomer to Pronzini's Nameless Detective, my reaction may differ from serious fans, but overall I found this work very enjoyable. The plot seemed rather thin & straightforward to me, but the characterizations (though to a degree stereotypical) were engaging as were the characters themselves. In this work the author divides the chapters among 3 characters' activities (which he lists at the start of the chapters)--I can't fault someone for trying out a different approach. I thought it worked out okay--and it may be indicative of a shift in the author's intentions for future novels as well. I did very much enjoy his inclusion of a cross-over (similar to TV between two similar program series--there was just one on CSI (part 1) and Without a Trace (part 2) recently. This cross-over subplot was with his wife Marcia Muller's protagonist Sharon McCone including most of her supporting cast as well. Muller also sometimes includes references and appearances of Nameless in her books. I think I've read all of them--they're great IMHO. That's why I picked up this Pronzini--who dedicated this book to her. By the way, they've written three terrific books (Duo (Five Star First Edition Mystery Series), Double : a "Nameless Detective" Sharon McCone Mystery, &
Beyond the Grave (Pronzini, Bill)) and edited several story collections (e.g. She Won the West and Witches' Brew: Horror and Supernatural Stories by Women (Macmillan midnight library)) together.

I love the Nameless Detective series. Started with a copy of Shackles,years back, loved it, found the first novel Snatch, and have read every single novel up to/through Spook (Nightcrawlers will be found and started soon.)

This is not prime Namesless. Pronini has semi-retired his Nameless Detective, bought in a new Op and tries to do a three part running narrative (with Bill, Jake and Tamara). Very poor decision, Pronzini. The strong single person narrative of Nameless, was the strength of the other novels; to "split off" the action and have Bill (aka Author) sitting in the narartive background to me was a major disppointment.

I'll read Nightcrawlers next. But Bill, as in Bill Pronzini, don't do the split chapter narrative again, and if you must, two people mazimum. Nameless is a great character, if he wants Jake to take over, let him. But no more Nameless as Consultant; doesn't work for me.