- Author : Bill Pronzini
- Binding : Kindle Edition
- Dewey Decimal Number : 813.54
- Format : Kindle Book
- Label : Forge Books
- List Price : $14.95 (USD)
- Manufacturer : Forge Books
- Number Of Items : 1
- Number Of Pages : 304
- Publication Date : 2007-07-10
- Publisher : Forge Books
- Release Date : 2007-07-10
- Studio : Forge Books
The police said it was an accident, the dead woman's sister said it was murder... and that she knew who did it. Nameless isn't certain, but the more he learns about Nancy Mathias's life, the more inclined he is to accept the likelihood of murder--especially as the players still alive become more and more distasteful. Combine that with the situation Jake Runyon, one of the agency's partners, is facing as he searches for a young man who is either a murderer or a victim, and life at their San Francisco detective agency has everyone on edge.
- Product Description
Customer Reviews:
Customers rated Savages: A Nameless Detective Novel 4.5 stars out of 5.0 based on 9 reviews:Very Good Proz
by Harryo the K (San Diego CA) - 2009-02-03
Savages is a very well written Nameless novel. When Pronzini has a tense scene with a single charactaer (aka Runyon in the hot barn)...he is excellent. But the three-headed (or multiple) story lines detract from the pace. Tamara is his weakest character, and what I do not like at all about her "computer skills" is it allows Pronzini to cheat with his plots by simply having the great god internet database via Tamara proved him with information on a suspect or -viola--a hidden address or past criminal record. Maybe 'modern' PI work, but it weakens the story. Less Tamara, more Runyon...orlet Runyon go off on his own series. Maybe have a big split up with Bill/Nameless. Now you're talking.Nameless, Still Going Strong After All These Years
by Sacramento Book Review (Sacramento, CA) - 2008-12-09
Nameless is the star character in this book. He did a background check on Brandon Mathias, but couldn't find any dirt to prove that he was a diabolical man that Celeste Ogden's sister Nancy will marry. But, now, Nancy is dead, and Celeste is positive that it is Mathias's fault. Celeste gets Nameless to investigate this murder, even though the police are sure that it was an accidental death as Mathias was out of town the night of the supposed death. While this is happening, one of the agents for Nameless' San Francisco agency, Jack Runyon, serves a subpoena and is immediately entangled in a savage murder and arson case. After 30 years and 31 novels, Bill Pronzini has given the reader a chance to experience the life of Nameless, an unforgettable character who has solved a slew of murder cases while learning what it takes to be a family man by gaining a wife and daughter. Savages is a great book to add to the series, and every page is sure to draw the reader in with every sentence.The Agency Saga Continues
by Professor Donald Mitchell (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 97,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - 2008-04-18
What's worse than a disgruntled client? A disgruntled client who comes back for more investigation of the same person. That's what Nameless faces when former, unhappy client Celeste Ogden insists she wants to hire Nameless again to find out how her brother-in-law killed Ogden's sister, Nancy Mathias. Mathias died of a fall home alone while her husband was out of town with a good alibi. In the background, Kerry is recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous lump and is receiving radiation therapy. But it's a relief in one way because at least Nameless knows what's bothering her, a subject of much concern in Mourners where her stand-offish behavior had him worried. Questions about her family background have also been answered. The agency is doing well. While Nameless has been withdrawn to help Kerry, a new part-time employee, Alex Chavez, has joined the firm. Tamara Corbin, his young partner, and Jake Runyon, the sad-eyed widower, work hard to grow the business. The book has another major plot which involves Jake delivering a subpoena and taking on more than he anticipated in the process. I like Jake as a character and the stories where he operates on his own are always good ones. Jake is a noir, depressed San Francisco version of Spenser with an equal sense of standing up for the underdogs in life. I wonder if one of the future novels will be all about Jake. I would like that. Remember that darkness lies in the heart of humans as you read this novel. It's a wonderful throwback to the 1930s noir detective stories, but dressed up on today's issues and language. Very nice! I found the book to be less compelling than Mourners (which is one of the best books in the series) so don't expect anything quite that good here.Savages
by Ricky C. Nelson (Commerce, GA) - 2008-04-07
"Savages" is the 31st Nameless Detective novel by Bill Pronzini who is my favorite mystery writer working today. This is the 4th novel in which Nameless (whom we now know is named Bill) narrates in first person where he is the focal character, and chapters involving Tamara, his partner, and Jake Runyon, his operative are told in third person. There are 2 main story lines in "Savages". Jake Runyon goes to northern California to serve a subpoena to Jerry Belsize. When he arrives no one is at home. He finds a Latino man dead hanging from the rafters in the barn at the Belsize farm. Then someone hits him over the head with a blunt object knocking him senseless. Runyon learns that someone is setting fires all over the area. Balsize's girlfriend, Sandra Parnell, claims she doesn't know where Belsize is. Runyon's investigation is thwarted by an over eager cop named Kelso. Is Jerry Belsize alive? Did he murder the Latino man? Is he setting the fires? Runyon finally gets answers to all these questions. Nameless is asked by Celeste Ogden to prove that her brother-in-law killed her sister, Nancy Ring Mathias. Nameless had once investigated Brandon Mathias before he married Nancy but found nothing to incriminate him. Nameless continues to investigate when Tamara finds something interesting in Nancy's diary. Nameless and his wife Kerry are having to deal with her breast cancer. "Savages" is a strong entry in this long running series and is highly recommended.Nameless No Longer
by Mysteryfan - 2007-12-23
Nameless has wandered far from his origins. He now has a first name, a wife, a young partner, and an employee. In this novel, he almost becomes a secondary character. Of the two cases here, the one which receives the most attention and is the more interesting is the arson and murder case involving the employee, Jake Runyon. Nameless' case takes a clear second place and is not satisfactorily resolved. We get a lot about his wife's health and his partner's lack of a love life. The writing is, as always, excellent, but I was a lot happier with the series when Nameless was still nameless and on his own.
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