Carmody's Run

by Bill Pronzini

Carmody--a sometimes detective who also works as a freelance bodyguard and smuggler--operates off the Mediterranean island of Majorca, where he deals with thieves, smugglers, murderers, and other desperate men

Genres: Crime

228 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2013

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

[Karl]

CARMODY is not really a private eye. He is a freelance bodyguard and international dealer in "legal and extralegal services and material." In the course of these stories, Carmody must act as a detective. He has contacts all over the world, but Carmody, an American, works out of an isolated hilltop villa outside of Parma on the island of Majorca. (I believe Pronzini actually lived and worked here for a period of time).

A humourless, well-tanned, lean, almost predatory looks and flat green eyes, he's got a reputation for being hard as a rock. While Carmody is no ones idea of a party animal, he does enjoy his short, thin black cigars and his 911-T Porsche Targa.

Carmody has had a rather interesting publishing history. He first appeared, under the byline of Bill Pronzini, in a novelette in 1970 in the short-lived, digest-sized Adventure. That story, "The $50,000 Bosom", was later expanded into a full-length novel and published as "A Run in Diamonds" in 1973, under the pseudonym of Alex Saxon. He also appeared in three short stories from 1971 to 1975 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine under Pronzini's own byline. Finally, in 1992, Pronzini collected the stories and the novel, fixed them, and reprinted them as "Carmody's Run."

This slipcased hardcover is copy 163 of 250 and is signed by Bill Pronzini.

Nikita Tkachuk (illustrator)

[Helen Fleischer]

his worst character in reworked stories, preface better than book

[Shobha]

Interesting stories. A little too lucky a little too smart to believe detective but what a fun read and what a cool character Carmody. The supporting cast are also well shaped out. The ending was not as punchy (the love angle was totally out of character) but a good fun read. I wish we see more of Carmody from the author.

[Diane]

Love this author’s Nameless series but am new to Carmody. Reminiscent of James Bond/Reacher/ Travis McGee but despite the exotic locales the mysteries/ adventures weren’t well done.