Shackles

There are not many books I reread but this is absolutely one of them. The plot is tight, dialogue crisp and sense of place makes you reach for a blanket. Written in first person, you experience the thoughts and emotions of `Nameless.' Although out of print and somewhat difficult to find-I recommend used.addall.com-it is worth every effort. It is truly haunting and well deserving of the ranking of Excellent.

I had read a bit of Bill Pronzini, but not one his "nameless detective" series until I picked up "Shackles." This is one great story, divided into two parts. Nameless is abducted by an old enemy, blindfolded, taken to a remote cabin in the Sierras in November, and there chained--though with some food and heat--to die slowly during the long winter months. In diary fashion Pronzini records the physical and emotional trials that "nameless" endures before he finally hits upon the way to freedom. The second part of the book is how "nameless" goes about tracking down the bad guy. With sparse but hard-hitting prose, the reader can identify with the painstaking steps used to eventually find the would-be killer. This is one mystery which can stand a rereading for the tautness of the prose style and the empathy one has with the protagonist. Read it!

"Shackles" is the best novel I've yet read in Bill Pronzini's "Nameless" detective series. Some of the "Nameless" novels tend to be a bit by-the-numbers, but the plot here is truly ingenious. Namless is kidnapped and chained in a remote mountain cabin and left to slowly starve to death. His escape and search for the man who imprisioned him make for some of the best detective fiction ever. As a bonus, Nameless becomes introspective during his imprisonment and confesses much about his childhood and how he became who he is. This book is a MUST read for P.I. fiction fans.

I have been reading all of the Nameless Detective series in order, and this is definitely the high point so far. In fact, I would rank it in the top 10 crime novels of all time. That's how good it is -- a true tour de force of suspense by a master author. Nameless is abducted by an unknown assailant who takes him to a remote mountain cabin in the middle of winter. Nameless is shackled and left to die. I don't think I'm spoiling anything when I say that he does not perish (after all, there are at least 10 more books in the series), but how he gets out and what happens when he does are utterly fascinating. Most of the book takes place in Nameless' head -- his thoughts while imprisoned. We learn so much about his character and past. I can't recommend this book highly enough, though this is really a series that needs to be read in order (don't forget his short story collection, CASE FILE). It'll take you a while to make it up to SHACKLES, but it's worth the trip!

The Nameless Detective book titled Shackles is the very best in the collection by Bill Pronzini. When Nameless is abducted and taken to a mountain cabin where he is shackled and left alone for many weeks, he shows amazing resourcefulness in getting through the experience. All of Pronzini's Nameless books are treasures, but this one is certainly a notch above them all.