Mourners

Mourners is Bill Pronzini's thirtieth entry in the Nameless P.I. series which has a bust in the Pantheon of P.I.s. Nameless (now going by "Bill") is probably in his 60s, married to Kerry, and has an adopted daughter Emily who is growing up too fast. His awkward fatherly "sex talk" with her is a classic scene. Yes, Nameless as a family man reveals a gentler, funnier side -- the result of mellowing age. In this case, the affluent financial consultant James Troxell attends all funerals of women who've died violently (thus the book's title). Naturally Troxell's wife is alarmed and hires Nameless to find out just why this erratic behavior. Nameless soon uncovers a women's brutal murder and her distraught sister. The P.I. firm's other two workers, Tamara Corbin and Jake Runyon, inject the subplots of their personal lives. Tamara is getting over her old boyfriend. Runyon does much of the heavy detective work, and his sections give the story its gritty, hardboiled flavor. The prose remains lean and vivid. I've read enjoyed reading all the titles, and Mourners is as good as any.

The "Nameless" agency team knows about separation and death. "Nameless" friend and partner committed suicide, Jake Runyon's wife died of cancer and Tamara's love has moved to Philadelphia. The agency has been hired, by his wife,to follow James Troxell. Rather than another woman, they find he is attending the funerals of women who have been raped and murdered. At a cemetery, Jake sees a young woman who reminds him of his late wife and who's sister was a victim. What is Troxell's connection to these victims? Pronzini is such a fine writer. He takes, what could be, a basic mystery and layers it with text that deepens and enriches the plot. On the top level, this is a very good mystery. It leads the reader on a fascinating trail finding out exactly what the object character is up to. The sense of place, dialogue and suspense are all very well done. You become involved with all the characters and care about them. Even the minor, and somewhat unlikable, characters are ones you recognize. On a second level is the story of grief and mourning; it's many forms and the impact it has on various people's lives. I can't' say enough about this book. I am ready for the next in the series, and determinedly looking for the ones I'm missing. If you've not read this series, even with a few slight misses, start at the beginning and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!.

"Mourners" is the 30th Nameless Detective novel by my favorite mystery novelist, Bill Pronzini. Lynn Troxell hires the agency to find out why her husband, James, ia acting strangely. Nameless finds out that Troxell is attending funerals of women who died violent deaths and putting flowers on the grave of Erin Dumont, a young woman who was raped and murdered. Is James Troxell a murderer or someone who witnessed Dumont's murder? Jake Runyon, the agency's operative also helps in the investigation. While Nameless works on the Troxell case, Runyon looks for Erin Dumont's murderer to help her sister Risa Niland whom he meets at Erin's grave. The title refers to many people and situations. Troxell is mourning people who died a violent death because he witnessed one as a child and probably also saw Erin Dumont's murder. Jake Runyon continues to mourn the death of his wife Colleen. Tamara Corbin, Nameless' partner, mourns the loss of her relationship with her long-time boyfriend, Horace. Risa Niland mourns her sister's death. Nameless continues to mourn the death of his former partner, Eberhardt. There is also a serious situation for Nameless' wife, Kerry. This situation will have to be dealt with in the next novel. I was a little diaappointed in "Nightcrawlers", but I didn't ralize why until I read "Mourners". In "Nightcrawlers", Tamara and Jake were the focal characters and Nameless played a minor role. In "Mourners" he is back as the central character and that makes this novel a return to form. "Mourners" is highly reecommended.

Bill Pronzini's MOURNERS receives Broadway acting veteran Nick Sullivan's experienced way with drama to spice another 'Nameless Detective' novel of intrigue. Here troubles at home with his wife lead to more troubles at the office, where he sees too much death and attends too many funerals. His sudden revelation that his problems may be interconnected brings with it uncertain knowledge that he may indeed know the killer. All are excellent leisure and study choices.

Bill Pronzini's latest Nameless Detective novel, "Mourners," addresses the grief that consumes men and women who have suffered crushing personal losses. Nameless, an ex-cop whose first name turns out to be Bill, is still mourning the death of his friend and partner, Eberhardt. A woman named Lynn Troxell has hired Bill's San Francisco-based detective agency to follow her husband, James, a successful financial consultant with an unusual death fetish. Three times in two days, Troxell has attended the funerals of women he apparently did not know, all of whom were victims of violent crimes. Lynn senses that something has been bothering James, but she has no idea what it is. She hopes that the private detectives tailing her husband can get to the bottom of his bizarre behavior. Another mourner is field investigator Jake Runyon. His beloved second wife, Colleen, died ten months earlier from ovarian cancer. Jake is inconsolable and buries himself in work because he cannot face being alone with his morbid thoughts. A third mourner is Risa Niland, whose twenty-five year old sister, Erin, was raped and strangled. Risa is distraught over the fact that the police have no witnesses or physical evidence that might lead them to Erin's killer. She is desperate for the murderer to be caught and punished, so that she can move on with her life. Bill Pronzini should teach a master class in how to write sparely. In a time when many bloated books become best sellers, it is a distinct pleasure to read such clean, clear, and effective prose. The author changes points of view, sometimes telling the story in the first person through Bill's eyes, and in other chapters, segueing into the third person. This approach is a bit distracting, although it provides us with a broader perspective than we would have if the book were written entirely in the first or third person. "Mourners" is an involving and suspenseful mystery with a diverse and well-developed cast of characters. In addition to those mentioned earlier, worth noting are Bill's wife Kerry, who harbors a dark secret that she is reluctant to reveal, and Bill's sassy colleague, Tamara, who is deeply hurt and furious when her boyfriend of five years abruptly dumps her over the phone. Pronzini explores grief in all of its forms. People mourn not only for their dead friends and relatives, but also for their crushed hopes and dreams. Despair, frustration, and bitterness may lead them to commit violent acts against others or even themselves. The cliffhanger ending is excellent-one small surprise, but refreshingly free of gimmicky twists and turns. For Pronzini, life is fascinating enough without resorting to artifice to dress it up.