Bones: A Nameless Detective Mystery

In 1971, author Bill Pronzini was 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 The Snatch, one of detective fiction's great characters was born with full fledged power and authenticity. If you have not yet read the 25 plus 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, several books prior 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 in Nightshades. In Double, fictional detective Sharon McCone supplies her own nickname for Nameless. You can learn about why Nameless has no name in an author's note in Case File, a collection of short stories that precedes this book 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 became less simple. In many cases, there are locked room mysteries.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. Beginning with Hoodwink, he has a love interest, Kerry Wade, who is the daughter of two ex-pulp authors. 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 also skeptical about technology, and doesn't want to become a snooper using electronic gadgets. He's a proud Italian in his 50's, could stand to lose some weight, and is really messy. So there's an element of Don Quixote here, too.The books

Michael Kiskadon hires Nameless to find out the truth about his father's suicide in 1949. Kiskadon was only four years old in 1949, and he had always been told that his father had died in Korea. Michael's father was Harmon Crane, who had been a popular pulp magazine author before graduating to slicker magazines and novels. Before the suicide, Harmon Crane had been despondent and drinking heavily for several weeks. A suicide note was found at the scene. With these few clues, Nameless sets out to get some answers.Eberhardt and Nameless are partners in this story since Eberhardt is now retired from the police department. Eberhardt's girl friend Wanda Jaworski provides enough humor to make the book worthwhile.

"Bones" is one of the best of the "Nameless Detective" mysteries by Bill Pronzini. No one can place the reader in the action quite like Pronzini. Michael Kiskadon hires "Nameless" to investigate the apparent suicide of his father, Harmon Crane, who was a former writer of pulp fiction, a favorite topic of "Nameless" and the author. There are some light moments, especially involving his partner, Eberhardt, his well-endowed girlfriend, Wanda, and "Nameless'" girlfriend, Kerry. This is an excellent addition to an excellent series.

This is one of the best Nameless Detective novels. It's got a fairly high body count, but it also has a great deal of humor. It's rare that books make me laugh out loud, but this one did! Nameless' partner, Eberhardt, is dating a Macy's saleswoman named Wanda whose biggest, er, asset is her enormous chest. Wanda and Nameless' girlfriend, Kerry, clash in a memorable scene set in a dreadful Italian restaurant.Pronzini gives us not one but two locked room murders, a genre this mystery virtuoso has explored before. Nameless' habit of stumbling across freshly dead bodies strains credulity a bit, but if you can suspend your disbelief, sit back and enjoy another fine adventure.