Jackpot

In his first case after Shackles, "Nameless" is hired to find out why a young man who won $200,000 at a Reno slot machine would commit suicide. With his usual masterly touch, Pronzini has given us an inventive story of overcoming one's past and the effect of greed. The mystery really takes second place in the story and it's a little weak. But the look at "Nameless" still recovering from being held captive and at Eberhardt overcoming past relationships were enough to keep me reading. It's also nice to see a character that deals realistically with his age--he's not young, but he's still tough. This is a short, quick read, but imminently satisfying.

Jackpot is the first regular Nameless Detective book following Shackles, in which Nameless's character was fundamentally changed. Nameless is now impatient and willing to stretch the law in the interests of justice. In this new persona, he often plays a vigilante role.In earlier books, Nameless has taken on the Japanese Yakuza and criminal tongs in Chinatown. It was inevitable that one of the books would relate to the "Mob." In the wake of his Shackles adventure, Nameless is being sought after for as a resource for a motion picture based on his experiences. Nameless wants nothing to do with it. A young woman then hires him to look into the suicide of her brother. The young man had just hit a large jackpot in Nevada, but soon lost it. In fact, he was trying to borrow money just before he killed himself. Nameless finds out about the true nature of the jackpot, and follows a trail involving those who had been hounding the brother. In the process, he finds that other people are in danger, and takes action to help them. As Nameless pursues this investigation, there is almost a police procedural aspect to the case. The detection part is very nicely done.Mr. Pronzini also continues the theme of Shackles . . . how we are all powerless in many ways. In this case, it is the power of the Mob versus the individual. Some may find the confrontation with the Arthur Welker to be over done, but for me it added a chilling element not unlike the classic early villains of Ian Fleming. As those who interviewed Nazi war criminals found, the mind of evil doers can be overly complacent and confident in their views. Mr. Pronzini does a wonderful job of describing the areas around Lake Tahoe in ways to emphasize the corrupting influence of the gambling trade there. As I finished the book, I was reminded of the old adage that curiosity killed the cat.

The "Nameless Detective" Private Detective series is not the best such series out there, but it is always dependable. "Jackpot" is no exception to the rule. As the book opens, Nameless is still recovering psycologically from the events of the previous book, "Shackles," (the best of the series) in which he was chained and left to die in a mountain cabin. This time out, he investigates the suicide of a young woman's brother that came on the heels of the brother winning and losing a huge fortune in a casino. Of course, Nameless's investigation proves there was a lot more to the story. Much of the action takes place in Nevada, which is a refrsehing change of scenery from Nameless's native San Francisco. The plot moves along quickly and reaches a satisfying conclusion, except for one flaw. The scene in which Nameless confronts a big time mobster simply doesn't ring plausible. Otherwise, it is a fine entry in this always dependable series.