Strangers

Nameless Detective #38

by Bill Pronzini

The latest in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini's acclaimed Nameless Detective Series -- Strangers.

Cody Hatcher is the kind of teenager you don't want your kids hanging with. That's the book on him and it's why the citizens of Mineral Springs have no problem at all believing that he's guilty of three rapes. His mother, Cheryl, an old lover of Nameless's, is also being harassed by vindictive townspeople. It's against such odds that he must work to prove Cody innocent. There are few to help him and plenty to get in his way. It's a classic situation for an iconic private investigator.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Detective

256 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2014

About the author

Mystery Writers of America Awards "Grand Master" 2008
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1999) for Boobytrap
Edgar Awards Best Novel nominee (1998) for A Wasteland of Strangers
Shamus Awards Best Novel nominee (1997) for Sentinels
Shamus Awards "The Eye" (Lifetime achievment award) 1987
Shamus Awards Best Novel winner (1982) for Hoodwink

Married to author Marcia Muller.

Pseudonyms:
Robert Hart Davis (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Jack Foxx
William Jeffrey (collaboration with Jeffrey M. Wallmann)
Alex Saxon

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Prozini is perhaps the most under rated and overlooked mystery writer working today. Every mystery book I have read by Mr. Prozini is a well crafted story populated with characters that seem genuine, true to life and sometimes tragic.
"Strangers" is one book in a series of books featuring the "nameless" detective. In this story, Nameless travels to a remote small town in response to plea for help from an ex-girlfriend to help clear her son from a series of rape charges. Nameless has to deal with small town biases, deep rooted suspicions of outsiders as well as his memories of an old friend and lover.
The story in Strangers is well thought out with twists and turns that at times took me by surprise. Mr. Prozini masterfully illustrates how our current thoughts and memories of the people we have known in our past can cloud our minds about who those people are now, years later. Every character we meet in this story is a deeply drawn and well described interesting character.
"Strangers" is the latest in a excellent series of mystery stories crafted by author Bill Prozini. Hopefully Mr. Prozini and his books won't remain a stranger to people for very long.
Recommended reading!

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

With “Strangers” Bill Pronzini has given the reader of his “Nameless” detective series (Who is slowly being named) quite a unique gift. The amazing thing with this book is we get just “Nameless”. There are no side stories concerning his co-workers Tamara Corbin and Jake Runyon, they play no part in this installment, or even his family wife Kerry or his daughter are barely mentioned. What a treat.

As a “hard boiled” leading character who first came to our attention in “The Snatch” in 1971 Nameless sure has changed over the years. He doesn't smoke, as he had a cancer scare, he doesn't drink, except perhaps a single beer, and he is not seduced by every femme fatal that comes his way. Perhaps that is why others have taken center stage more often than Nameless in the last decade or so.

This installment takes Nameless to a small Nevada town to help an old love interest, whom I seem to recall appeared in a couple of books back in the eighty’s, then disappeared till today. She has a nineteen year old son who is accused of raping three women. Nameless is asked to investigate and discover the truth. Nameless falls sigma to the small town stranger syndrome. Of course his old flame tries to seduce him, yet he resists. The femme fatal here is her son’s large breasted girlfriend, whom Nameless also resists. Everyone else in town hates him with a vehemence that is palpable. And of course someone tries to kill him. Some rather grim stuff, but a welcome addition to the Nameless saga.

After I finished this book, the song that went through my head was the Doors “People are Strange” which begins:
“People are strange when you're a stranger
Faces look ugly when you're alone
Women seem wicked when you're unwanted
Streets are uneven when you're down
When you're strange”

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nameless reluctantly but dutifully goes to Nevada to help an ex-lover's son, Cody, who has been accused of three rapes. From the beginning there's a pervading sense of bleakness and gloom about this mission that's complemented by the town of Mineral Springs' dour residents and the harsh desert environment. Nameless immediately meets a wall of hostility and disdain from the small town. He's not sure if the town's sheriff is part of the problem or an objective and impartial enforcer of the law. He is not even allowed to meet with the accused who has been branded guilty by all concerned on circumstantial evidence. Worse Cody's lawyer doesn't seem qualified. He's not a criminal lawyer and a man who is just going through the motions. Nameless further has to deal with personal attacks on the ex-lover, Cheryl, and the jealousy of one of her suitors. There's money in the town due to gold mines but not much else out here except for some eccentric loners. The plot is no nonsense and fast as Nameless is quickly able to find out what's really going in and in the process earns the respect of the local sheriff. After a job like this one wonders if Nameless will consider retirement. It was a real soul drainer.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the Nameless Detectives darker stories. He travels to Mineral Springs, Nevada, at the request of a former flame in order to try to clear her son of the accusation of rape for which he's been jailed. The community has already decided he's guilty and is persecuting Cheryl, the mother. The sheriff is a hard-nose ex-marine who feels threatened by an outsider and the lawyer for the kid usually practices civil law and is in way over his head. This is a tightly woven mystery that will leave you at the edge until the final resolution.

[Chiara171 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dalla sinossi non pensavo mi sarebbe piaciuto, e invece...
Scrittura fluida, trama interessante anche se non eccelsa, personaggi ed ambientazione solidi.
Una caccia all'assalitore di alcune donne in un paesino minerario del Nevada polveroso, isolato e bigotto, in cui dove langue la trama compensano egregiamente atmosfera, silenzi e dialoghi.
Spero di poter leggere altro di questa serie.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still one of my favorite series. Great character, now an old man who still is solving the case.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one reminded me of Jack Reacher - he could have been substituted for the No Name Detective. Maybe is was the small Nevada town and the damsel in distress that gave me that feeling.

Anyway, it was good. Pronzini is one of the few authors who hasn’t gone to the dogs in his golden years. Limited profanity and no explicit sex are a couple of reasons I’ve been reading him for so many years.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read Bill Pronzini in several years. I thought as long as I was revisiting Sharon McCone, I'd take another look at Nameless. Strangers is Bill Pronzini's latest and it's good.

Nameless now has a first name - Bill - but he's still the weary veteran. He's better-connected to people he loves and thinking about retirement. He accepts a case from an old flame to investigate crimes her son is accused of committing. Pronzini gets the suspicious small town attitude just right. All the details he puts it bolster the atmosphere he creates. The mystery is good - I didn't guess the perpetrator. Good characters and tight writing add up to a good book. Pronzini is good at developing his characters in believable ways. Nameless is familiar but not stale. Guess I'll be catching up with the ones I skipped.

[GlenK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Pronzini’s Nameless Detective series is such a treasure and of such consistent high quality that a less than stellar entry is a surprise. Such is the disappointing “Strangers”, a story that finds Nameless in Mineral Springs, Nevada helping a long-ago old flame whose son is in jail. Unlike many of the series which juggle multiple cases and plot lines, here there is only one. And only Nameless of all the major continuing characters is present. The bleak small town with it’s “you better leave if you know what’s good for you” characters unfortunately doesn’t convince (sort of “Bad Day at Black Rock” but not really). One thing I did like though was the feeling of isolation. Nameless is really alone here and even phone calls with wife, daughter, and agency partner seem as if from another world.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was more depressing than usual. Nameless is hired by a former girlfriend to clear her son of the charge of raping three women. They live in a tiny, rather horrible--ok, Godforsaken--town in Nevada and of course Nameless ends up being shot at but uncovers the reason the son was being framed. But it's not just the town that's Godforsaken; the people in the town are generally in the same condition. Gawd, this ended in a way that is practically wrist-slitting.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook This my first experience with this authors series. So this book is number 43 and 43 years since inception. Having lived about the same years as the author, I acknowledge that "life" and how you perform in it is in a constant flux; well you should be. So I'll try to find earlier works that may be available to me. I did enjoy "Give-a-damn-Jones"

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

First one of these I have read. I almost didn't read it since it seems like another in a long line series. It was a relatively simple plot played out without too much extra, which worked remarkably well. Enjoyable, fast read.

[John R Urry · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can be said about the Nameless Detective series ? Always a good story , never complex , and always a human touch.......... Must admit , missed Jake Runyon in this one..........nice easy read.......

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bill Pronzini reminds me of authors Jack Higgins and Lawrence Sanders because his prose seems so effortless.

[Hapzydeco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic noir story. Bill, aka Nameless, once again meticulously go about his business, which providing solutions to life’s problems.

[retronerd Steinkuehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent story. Great characters. Good surprises along the way. Good triumphs!!!! Yeah!!!!

[Ralynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book it was like reading those old black and white mystery tv shows.

[Mildmannered1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Consistently well narrated, good character and scenery descriptions. I appreciated that Nameless didn't put himself in physical danger like he did in the previous titles in the series. It's just not realistic that a man in his early 60s would physically take down the bad guy.

This one was darker than usual. No one in this small rural town was likeable or trustworthy; they were afraid of the stranger and therefore disliked him; they resented the "big city" detective; they were really short on education. The sheriff, though, redeemed himself as a straight arrow by the end.

I can see Bill getting weary of his career.

[John Grazide · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one as a blast from the past. In both content and story telling.

Bill gets a call from an ex-girlfriend, Cheryl, who needs his help. he hasn't seen Cheryl since Vanished (that's book 2 in the series). She is living in a tiny town in the middle of no where Nevada and her 29 year old son is arrested for three rapes.

So Bill goes to help alone. And this is the fist time in a long time that he is the story teller. No flashes to Tamara, Jake, even Eb. Just Bill. Sure they were mentioned, but Bill is the narrator and it was good to hear only his voice. With only a few left in the series...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this one! I haven't read any others in the series, but I didn't find it necessary. I'll be looking for the others. I think part of liking it was due to familiarity to the places mentioned.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, great characters and setting, I thought the ending was a bit of a letdown - a bit of an add on that wasn't really necessary.

[D. Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read.

[Brett Wallach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Pronzini, but this is just average. The denouement was terrible, and Nameless is too perfect to be believable

[Charlie Eckhaus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Admiring the natural and logical flow of the story right from the beginning Just guessing at good/bad guys at this point and whether the rest of the agency will play a part.
Excellent mood (in seedy settings) and pacing as trouble eventually rears its head and Bill's inklings develop.
I must say this has an exceptional finish raising it to the highest level of the later books in the series (I still have 3 or 4 to go.)
More goings on than I imagined and strong emotional impact.

[Thomas Bruso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Pronzini has released his 39th Nameless Detective novel, “Strangers,” an absorbing, fast-paced crime story.

Semi-retired San Francisco-based private investigator Nameless Detective heads out of town to Mineral Springs, Nev., to investigate a rape and try to exonerate the son of his former lover.

Arriving in Mineral Springs, Nameless is greeted with immediate hostility from the local townsfolk. Unperturbed by the townies’ nasty stares and heckling threats, Nameless, even out of his jurisdiction, continues to probe the locals for information, asking an onslaught of questions of a long list of shady, dangerous characters.

When a bout of home invasions, late-night burglaries and arsons start occurring around town, Nameless sets out on a dark, twisty trail to uncover the truth about what is going on.
During his investigation, Nameless begins to fear for his safety. Someone scares him off his course with threats and real gunshots. But, nothing can deter Nameless from his case.

Fans of the series may be disappointed that Nameless’s friends and co-workers, Tamara and Jake, are missing in action in the latest exploits. This is a minute hurdle and the book is worth your time.

“Strangers” is another riveting work that should not be missed by fans of noir and crime fiction.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a fast read, which translates, to me, that it was very well written. It "flowed". Story was good. This is a true detective story, where he follows the trail, asks lots of questions and makes a conclusion. I like the characters in here. I liked that the kid accused of multiple rapes, is not a nice person. That he's a 19 year old with a big chip on his shoulder. I like that his uncle also has a brutish personality. I also like the fact that the lead cop in this town is like he is.
Nameless goes to the aid of a ex - who he hasn't seen in 20 years. Her son is accused of rapes and she isn't really getting any help. She believes her son is a good kid. Never smokes, drinks, etc. and she knows he couldn't rape.
Nameless starts there, asking questions, which only leads to more questions, until he's got a pretty good idea what happened. But is it enough to get the kid off?
Really liked the story and I've always loved to read the nameless series. Can't wait for the next one.

[Alecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Bill Pronzini's writing, and his "Nameless Detective" series for many years. This one was, as usual, well-written, but the story did not really take off for me. And I think the usual way Pronzini tells his Nameless stories is to break it up with chapters about his assistant, Tamara, and the other PI working for him, Jake Runyon. He also usually has a bit of Nameless's personal life mixed in. But this time, it is straight Nameless (now known as Bill) and a plot about going to a small Nevada town to help out an old girlfriend. Her son has been arrested on rape charges, and she is certain he is innocent.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading the "nameless' detective series forever. Of course now we know his name...Bill Pronzini and his wife Marcia Muller both write the detective novels. Marci Muller is one of the few female private eye writers that has stayed around, along with Laura Lippman-my favorite Baltimore writer.

Love all my private eye stories. Maybe not deep and historical but good to read before sleep and help me sleep all night-no matter how many murders..

[Elizabeth Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nameless, who has finally acquired the name Bill, goes to a small town in Nevada to help an old flame whose son is accused of rape. There are all the usual small town types. Bill solves the mystery but leaves his old friend in a sad state of mind. After coming to her aid, his actions at the end of the book seem rather heartless.

[Cindy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Nameless detective is on the road to help Cheryl, an old flame, whose son has been accused of multiple rapes. He arrives to find the town has pretty much found the son guilty and are not particularly helpful with his investigation. There are different layers to the story with a surprise at the end.