Pronzini, Bill – NIGHTCRAWLERS

[LJ Roberts]

NIGHTCRAWLERS (Private Investigators-San Francisco-Cont) – G+ Pronzini, Bill – 32^nd in
"Nameless" series
Forge, 2005-Hardcover

Nameless, who is now referred to by his name of Bill, is now the semi-retired partner of the agency. Bill has been called to the deathbed of an acquaintance, Russ Dancer, who gives Bill a package to be given to his mother-in-law after Russ dies. Jake Runyon is tracking down the men who is severely beating gay men, including the partner of Jake's estranged son. Tamara, the third person in the agency, while looking for a deadbeat dad, is kidnapped and taken to a trailer in the woods along with a young girl. It's up to Bill and Jake to find her.

Interesting characters, and excellent dialogue and sense of place hallmark Pronzini's writing. It is understandable, as "Nameless" gets older, that he can't do as he once did and that Pronzini bring other characters into the agency, but it does dilute the focus. But by taking away the mystique of "Nameless" and telling the various stories of each of the partners, this latest entry doesn't have the same introspection or tension of previous books. That's not to say it's not a good book. It's fast paced and each sub-story is interesting in it's own right. It's not Pronzini at his best, but it's still better than good.