[.uk] Savages: A Nameless Detective Novel

Two mysteries in one book:
This another installment in Bill Pronzini's Nameless Detective series, called that because the lead detective's name is not divulged. The books typically take place in the San Francisco Bay area, and this one is no exception. In this one, there are actually two main story-lines, with shifting protagonists and points of view. In one, the lead detective is hired by a former client, Celeste Ogden, to investigate the death of her sister, that the police ruled as accidental. Celeste is adamant that her authoritarian, controlling, bullying, successful-businessman brother-in-law killed his wife, or had her killed, and disguised it as an accident. Can Nameless deliver the needed evidence? In a completely separate story-line, Jake Runyon, a lead investigator for Nameless, goes to serve a subpoena on a young man in a rural area, is the first one to discover a murder victim on the farm where the young man and his family live, gets bopped on the head with a two-by-four, and winds up in the middle of not only a murder mystery, but also involved in the investigation of a series of arson cases, as well as a passel of small-town politics and feuds. There are also two smaller story-lines, that get less "text-time". Nameless has a wife, Kerry, who is recovering from treatment for cancer, and we get to witness her striving to regain some sense of normalcy. Meanwhile, Tamara is the smart, somewhat acerbic officer manager and investigator for Nameless, and she is recovering from a broken heart, as her long-time boyfriend, and possible future husband, has left her. Bill Pronzini's writing is always crisp and action-packed, and Savages is another example of that. I have not read all of his Nameless Detective novels, nor have I been reading them in order, but this is the first one I have read with the multiple story-lines and protagonists. He handles it well, and the reader really gets two good mysteries, but the personal subplots. It appears that Nameless might be edging toward eventually retirement, as a detective, and Jake Runyon makes for a very good focal character. By the way, I was surprised to see that Nameless is no longer entirely nameless, as he now has a first name, that the Jake Runyon character divulges. I will not reveal it here; why spoil a good, decades-long mystery? I am not sure if this is the best (semi-)Nameless Detective book, but it certainly ranks right up there, among the half dozen or so of these books I have read. It is definitely a good mystery-detective story, with just enough personal side-story to make every character seem quite real. -- Chris McCallister, author of Coming Full Circle

Nameless No Longer:
Nameless has wandered far from his origins. He now has a first name, a wife, a young partner, and an employee. In this novel, he almost becomes a secondary character. Of the two cases here, the one which receives the most attention and is the more interesting is the arson and murder case involving the employee, Jake Runyon. Nameless' case takes a clear second place and is not satisfactorily resolved. We get a lot about his wife's health and his partner's lack of a love life. The writing is, as always, excellent, but I was a lot happier with the series when Nameless was still nameless and on his own.

The Agency Saga Continues:
What's worse than a disgruntled client? A disgruntled client who comes back for more investigation of the same person. That's what Nameless faces when former, unhappy client Celeste Ogden insists she wants to hire Nameless again to find out how her brother-in-law killed Ogden's sister, Nancy Mathias. Mathias died of a fall home alone while her husband was out of town with a good alibi. In the background, Kerry is recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous lump and is receiving radiation therapy. But it's a relief in one way because at least Nameless knows what's bothering her, a subject of much concern in Mourners where her stand-offish behavior had him worried. Questions about her family background have also been answered. The agency is doing well. While Nameless has been withdrawn to help Kerry, a new part-time employee, Alex Chavez, has joined the firm. Tamara Corbin, his young partner, and Jake Runyon, the sad-eyed widower, work hard to grow the business. The book has another major plot which involves Jake delivering a subpoena and taking on more than he anticipated in the process. I like Jake as a character and the stories where he operates on his own are always good ones. Jake is a noir, depressed San Francisco version of Spenser with an equal sense of standing up for the underdogs in life. I wonder if one of the future novels will be all about Jake. I would like that. Remember that darkness lies in the heart of humans as you read this novel. It's a wonderful throwback to the 1930s noir detective stories, but dressed up on today's issues and language. Very nice! I found the book to be less compelling than Mourners (which is one of the best books in the series) so don't expect anything quite that good here.

Savages:
"Savages" is the 31st Nameless Detective novel by Bill Pronzini who is my favorite mystery writer working today. This is the 4th novel in which Nameless (whom we now know is named Bill) narrates in first person where he is the focal character, and chapters involving Tamara, his partner, and Jake Runyon, his operative are told in third person. There are 2 main story lines in "Savages". Jake Runyon goes to northern California to serve a subpoena to Jerry Belsize. When he arrives no one is at home. He finds a Latino man dead hanging from the rafters in the barn at the Belsize farm. Then someone hits him over the head with a blunt object knocking him senseless. Runyon learns that someone is setting fires all over the area. Balsize's girlfriend, Sandra Parnell, claims she doesn't know where Belsize is. Runyon's investigation is thwarted by an over eager cop named Kelso. Is Jerry Belsize alive? Did he murder the Latino man? Is he setting the fires? Runyon finally gets answers to all these questions. Nameless is asked by Celeste Ogden to prove that her brother-in-law killed her sister, Nancy Ring Mathias. Nameless had once investigated Brandon Mathias before he married Nancy but found nothing to incriminate him. Nameless continues to investigate when Tamara finds something interesting in Nancy's diary. Nameless and his wife Kerry are having to deal with her breast cancer. "Savages" is a strong entry in this long running series and is highly recommended.

Nameless, Still Going Strong After All These Years:
Nameless is the star character in this book. He did a background check on Brandon Mathias, but couldn't find any dirt to prove that he was a diabolical man that Celeste Ogden's sister Nancy will marry. But, now, Nancy is dead, and Celeste is positive that it is Mathias's fault. Celeste gets Nameless to investigate this murder, even though the police are sure that it was an accidental death as Mathias was out of town the night of the supposed death. While this is happening, one of the agents for Nameless' San Francisco agency, Jack Runyon, serves a subpoena and is immediately entangled in a savage murder and arson case. After 30 years and 31 novels, Bill Pronzini has given the reader a chance to experience the life of Nameless, an unforgettable character who has solved a slew of murder cases while learning what it takes to be a family man by gaining a wife and daughter. Savages is a great book to add to the series, and every page is sure to draw the reader in with every sentence.