Dragonfire

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, four 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. You can learn about why Nameless has no name in an author's note in Case File, which comes next 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, three books prior in the series, the plots become less simple. Beginning with Hoodwink, two books prior in the series, locked room mysteries became important.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 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 are also written in a more sophisticated version of the pulp fiction style, employing a better writing style and greater range through language and

Pronzini's nameless detective is by his own admission very much in his own likeness. Nameless is a big Italian who drinks beer, smokes a lot and collects pulp magazines. Pronzini claims that his hero also has the author's same personality and values. Nameless is Pronzini if Pronzini was a private detective.Nameless verges on becoming the vigilante while working on this case, but he catches himself in time. He also operates outside the law by practicing without a license, witholding evidence, breaking and entering, and failing to report a homicide.

The Nameless Detective has lost his license and his lady; his friend on the police force, Eberhardt, has been dumped -- his wife left him for another man. How could things get worse? Well, a gunman attacks them and they both get shot. Eb lands in a coma, Nameless takes a bullet in his left arm. As his friend lies unconscious in the hospital, Nameless investigates the crime, which leads him to the narrow alleyways of San Francisco's Chinatown. Lots of great local color in this one; Nameless fans won't be disappointed.