Hoodwink

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, two 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. You can learn about why Nameless has no name in an author's note in Case File, which comes later 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 book that precedes this one, the plots become less simple.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. 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 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

As a writer of detective fiction, Bill Pronzini tends to wear his influences on his sleeve, perhaps never more often than in "Hoodwink." This would be true even if he didn't make repeated references in the book to "Mr. Marlowe" and "Mr. Spade." His hero, the redoubtable "Nameless" detective, attempts to solve a puzzling mystery at a pulp convention. Since Nameless is an avid pulp collector, he is in heaven even before he gets to meet some of his favorite authors and bed the bewitching daughter of one of them. The case quickly turns ugly and baffling as the author who has give Nameless his in finds himself accused of murder and Nameless must...ahem...clear his name.Overall, I found this novel to be of average quality for Pronzini, which is to say well above average as a work of detective fiction. Pronzini isn't as quick with a metaphor as his heros "Mr. Chandler" and "Mr. Hammett," and the plot here is a bit too convoluted. Nevertheless, it is a goof read for those of us who love the hardboiled genre.

Bill Pronzini takes on the classic locked room mystery in this entry in his Nameless Detective series. It takes place at a pulp convention -- as Nameless fans know, the PI is an avid collector of old pulp detective magazines. When a man is murdered in the convention hotel, in a locked room, naturally, Nameless is called upon to solve the crime. Then a second locked room murder takes place! The solution isn't 100% satisfying, but I still enjoyed this loving look at the pulp fiction era, as well as Nameless' tender affair with the daughter of two prominent genre writers.