Blow Back

First Sentence: Sunday Morning Coming Down... That's the title of a sad popular song by Kris Kristofferson, about a man with no wife and no children and nowhere to go and not much to look forward to on a quiet Sunday morning. "The Nameless Detective" is about to turn 50, and is waiting to learn whether the lesion on his lung is cancer. He receives a call from a old Army buddy who now owns a fishing camp in Northern California Gold country. He is concerned his current group of guests, consisting of five men and one very attractive woman, might lead to violence. Bill doesn't expect becoming involved in another case when he witness a van go off a road only to find the driver, transporting a very valuable Daghastan carpet, has been murdered before the crash and the carpet missing. With Pronzini, you get much more than your standard PI novel. Partly because of his age, "Nameless" is at the introspective point in life where he thinks about his pulp fiction collection and acknowledges they no longer hold the same pleasure they once did, contemplates the soul, his past relationships, his ethics and morality. This adds a depth and richness to the character I enjoyed. I also appreciated the nod Pronzini gave to his friend Colin Wilcox character, Eberhardt. The book has a very solid sense of place. Pronzini not only provides a visual picture of California's Gold Country, but makes a very insightful comment on what has happened to that area today. A solid plot with a surprise is always the trademark of a Pronzini novel. It never feels contrived and he always provides all the clues, if you pay close attention. I was glad he included a brief history of Daghastan carpets as it better integrated that aspect of the story. There is a pulp fiction, noir feel to the book but contains no graphic language and the violence is after the fact. In spite of this being only the fourth book in the series, Pronzini's mastery is apparent. There are a few mystery authors who should be considered required reading of the genre. Pronzini is definitely one. BLOWBACK (Priv Inv-"Nameless"-No. Calif/Bay Area-Cont) - VG Pronzini, Bill - 4th in series Random House, 1977, US Hardcover

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 the fifth book in the series, Twospot, although he begins toying with the reader about this point in Blowback, which is the fourth book in the series. I won't reveal that name here.Mr. Pronzini presents a world in which many men take evil actions to further selfish interests, and many women and children suffer 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 plots, he successfully uses plot complications to keep the action interesting and fresh.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. At the same time, he's troubled by a hacking cough that cigarettes make worse . . . but doesn't really want to know what causes his phlegm to rise. He's been afraid of doctors since he saw them operating on wounded men during World War II.The books are also written in a more sophisticated version of the pulp fiction style, employing greater style 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.In Blowback, Nameless has finally gone to see a doctor and found out that he has a lesion on one of his lungs. Within a few days, a test will reveal whether the lesion is malignant or no