Savages

Nameless Detective #31

by Bill Pronzini

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.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Detective

304 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

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

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I give in.

In spite of my preference for the lone private eye, and my dislike—at least in mystery novels—of multiple narrative points of view and an emphasis on the evolving personal lives the investigators, I finally decided to overcome my prejudices and accept the changes in one of my favorite long-running series, the adventures of Bill Pronzini’s Nameless Detective.

After all, I’ve liked the series through almost three dozen books, and even though there are now four detectives in Nameless’ firm now instead of one (three of whom get their own chapters and their own points of view), and even though the narrative takes frequent trips into the health and relationship problems of the regular characters, Pronzini still knows how to tell a tale, and the two separate mysteries that unfold in Savages are ingenious and well executed.

Each develops from a humdrum beginning. In one, Nameless goes to see a former client who is still suspicious of her sister’s ex-husband (a case Nameless thought he had put behind him), and in the other, his principal legman Jake travels to a small California town to deliver a subpoena in a routine robbery case. In spite of such commonplace beginnings, however, both Nameless and Jake are soon face-to-face with a distinctly uncommon murder.

This is an enjoyable mystery for anyone. Even better for someone who doesn’t share the prejudices I listed above.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pronzini does it again! I could just write Ditto for these books as I love this series and this author. I started reading Pronzini about 2000 or so, and the library I was working for had his earliest books. I thought I had read straight through the series, but when I checked on GRs, I discovered I skipped a couple. There are some differences in this book as there are several cases to be solved. Nameless is not working full-time, but he takes on a case to prove that a woman's sister was killed by her husband. It is a clever resolution. The new team member in the agency, Jake gets involved in a case that takes him out of San Francisco. I listened to many of the audio versions of these, and they are well done.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a list of all the books (in order) Happy Reading.

1971 The Snatch Random House
1973 The Vanished Random House
1973 Undercurrents Random House
1977 Blowback Ramdom House
1978 Twospot Putman
1980 Laybrinth St. Martin's Press
1980 A Killing In Xanadu Waves Press
1981 Hoodwinked St. Martin's Press
1982 Scattershot St. Martin's Press
1982 Dragonfire St. Martin's Press
1983 Bindlestiff St. Martin's Press
1983 Casefile St. Martin's Press
1984 Quicksilver St. Martin's Press
1984 Nightshades St. Martin's Press
1984 Double St. Martin's Press
1985 Bones St. Martin's Press
1985 Grave Yard Plots St. Martin's Press
1886 Dreadfall St. Martin's Press
1988 Shackles St. Martin's Press
1988 Small Fellonies St. Martin's Press
1990 Jackpot Delacorte
1991 Breakdown Delacorte
1992 Quarry Delacorte
1992 Epitaths Delacorte
1993 Demons Delacorte
1995 Hardcase Delacorte
1996 Spadework Crippen & Landru
1996 Sentinels Carroll & Graf
1997 Illusions Carroll & Graf
1998 Boobytrap Carroll & Graf
1999 Sluths Five Star
1999 Duo Five Star
2000 Crazybones Carroll & Graf
2002 Bleeders Carroll & Graf
2003 Spook Carroll & Graf
2003 Scenarios Five Star
2005 Nightcrawlers Forge
2006 Mourners Forge
2007 Savages Forge
2008 Feaver Forge
2009 Schemers Forge
2010 Betrayers Forge
2011 Camouflage Forge
2012 Hellbox Forge
2012 Kinsmen Cemetery Dance
2012 Femme Cemetery Dance
2013 Nemesis Forge

[The Shayne-Train · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's just amazing reading this series through start to finish. The first one was written before I was born (and I'm pretty old), this one was written in mid 00's, and there's more to come. Decades worth of not only character-building, but maturing of the author, and maturing of the world.

[Barry Martin Vass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Bill Pronzini has written dozens of the Nameless Detective stories, and they all leave you thoughtful of the world around you. Savages revolves around two separate cases: in San Francisco, Nameless is approached by a wealthy woman who is convinced that her sister was murdered by her scheming, sociopathic husband. Problem is: there's no proof, not even a motive. Nameless reluctantly takes the case and begins investigating. Further north in California, Jake Runyon is looking to deliver a subpoena when he comes upon a dead body at a remote farm and is knocked unconscious. After being released from the hospital, Runyon finds himself knee-deep in a mystery that is desperate to be solved: who is setting fire to local buildings? The Nameless series is minimalistic detective fiction at a very high level; the writing keeps you invested in the story, and the brevity makes you think. Here's an example: "Awkward moment. I managed not to squirm. She was practiced at getting her way, and this whole conversation had been carefully manipulated with alternating prods of pathos, praise, and subtle demand. Even so, I couldn't blame her. Her hatred of her brother-in-law may have been misguided, but both her grief and conviction were genuine."

[Lukasz Pruski · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Other marks were visible on the wrists and arms. Rodent bites. That was what he'd been trying to fight off in his delirium... rats, mice, attracted by the blood, making sharp-toothed forays in the dark."

Well, I've had it for late installments in Pronzini's famous series about the detective who should be called "Unnamed" rather than "Nameless." I am not interested in the soap-opera-style continuity of events in the lives of Kerry, Tamara, Jack Runyon, and other companions of Mr. Unnamed. The early books in the series had more of the "one off" flavor, which I definitely prefer. Alas, they are more difficult to find.

Mr. Unnamed has a repeat client: four years ago he was hired by a woman whose sister had been planning to marry a rising software industry executive. The woman requested a detailed background check on the guy whom she considered ruthless, pathologically ambitious, and interested only in her sister's money. At that time the detective did not find any dark spots in the man's past, and the couple got married. Now, however, the woman's sister died in a fall, and she is convinced that the husband did it.

Meanwhile Jack Runyon - the "Nameless" novels seem to become more about him - is trying to deliver a subpoena to a man in a small town in Northern California. While the subpoena target is nowhere to be found Mr. Runyon discovers a dead man hung from a crossbeam in a barn.

The two threads proceed in parallel and perhaps the most interesting mystery for the reader is whether they will merge at the end. There are some pretty lame scenes in the novel, for instance the bad comedy of two cops interrogating Runyon: the reader can't be sure whether the comedic elements have been intended by the author or are inadvertent results of his sloppy prose. Deputy Kelso is a caricature of a policeman. On the other hand, the denouement is quite surprising and I very much like the last page of the novel.

Considering that the novel was published in 2007 it is hard not to like the following passage:

"Profits up fifteen percent [...], expansion plans in the works, looks like they're going public pretty soon. Another Donald Trump in the making."

But, all in all, this is not a very good novel, and it is hard to recommend.

Two-and-a-quarter stars.

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I randomly picked this book up at the library while I was waiting for the book I requested to come in. I had never heard of the series but it was a passable detective novel. It felt a bit strange that the book followed two completely separate investigations. I anticipated the conclusion of one of them. It wasn't mind blowing but I don't regret listening to it. The narrator for the audio book was good.

[Al Stoess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good yarn. Surprising ending that I didn't figure out.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve bounced around in this series, and I’m not convinced that was the best way to read it, but it’s what I’ve done over the years.

As this book begins, “Nameless” faces the horrors of breast cancer. No, not his, but his wife’s. Kerry is recovering nicely, and she’s chafing just a bit under his overly solicitous care. She craves normalcy in her life; he craves more bed rest for her.

My least favorite chapters are the ones in which one of “Nameless”’s investigators, Tamara, whines about her advancing age and regressing love life. You’re 26, for goodness sake, get a grip on your life and experience forward movement; the next great adventure is pages ahead. Alas, not in this book. “Nameless” tasks Tamara with carefully reading the diary of a dead woman. The dead woman’s sister, a nasty, bitter creature named Celeste, (she’s anything but celestial) is convinced the dead woman, who is her sister, died at the hand of her husband. You can read this to see how that turns out.

Meanwhile, recently hired investigator Jake Runyan must deliver a subpoena to a guy in a rural California town. When he gets there, he can’t find the subpoena recipient, but he stumbles onto the body of a guy hanging in a barn. To stop him, a killer cold clocks Runyan, rendering him out of commission and hospitalized briefly.

Both these cases are ok. It’s tough to watch “Nameless” deal with the transition to part-time work and presumably eventually retirement.

[Danny Lamar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much like this author and this series, but I simply don't understand why Tamara's character seems ultra-focused on nothing more than she's horny and is trying to get laid. Do we really have to hear that she's sexually frustrated in every single book? What is the point of doing this with this character? It's been going on so long now. What is the point? Is it supposed to add something to the story that one of the people who works at the agency can't ever seem to find a good lay? I'm sorry if I'm offending anyone but I just don't get it. Otherwise the book was great.

[Gregory Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. First in this series that I read. Would probably read another one. Love the characters but the plot wasn’t anything exciting. Two female lovers committing arson and murder with one of the daughters being a deputy’s daughter. Another with the sister of a dead woman who can’t prove her brother in law killed her so she takes matters into her own hands. Definitely entertained me for a few days.

[Friscomama · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot moved along. There were two unrelated mysteries being handled by the agency, with each case alternating chapters with the other. The switches were not confusing, and sometimes allowed cliffhanger endings for a chapter. It works well in the audio from overdrive.

Try one of the "Nameless Detective" stories and find out if you want to read more of the other forty-two books in the series.

[John Grazide · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bill is taking on less of a role lately, maybe it was just this one. And Tamara's parts seemed to be just filler. The Jake part was the most compelling. Jake was going to deliver a subpoena, pretty routine right? Not so much. He can't find the recipient of the subpoena, but he does find a town in the midst of an arson spree, and an ass of a sheriff. Not bad, but not one of my favorites.

[La'Jacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always Nameless (Bill)solves a crime within a crime by just being himself. With the addition of Runyon, he is another level of Nameless- a little more updated but still Nameless by another name.

I love Tamara too all cause she is strong, scrupulous, resourceful, and yes, a Sista!!!!

Thank you Mr. Pronzini for representing us...POC!!!! Before it was a thing!!!

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well plotted mystery with not a lot of unnecessary details. Not sure I liked going back and forth between stories. Just as I got involved in one plot I had to switch. Not going to pursue this series.

[Michelle Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit flat for me, i was disappointed in the writinng style and although the story had all the right elements of tension, it never quite delivered. It was my first of the series, so maybe going back to the beginning would give it a better chance.

[Harry Addington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great series.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoying this series. Good character development & interesting cases.

[Shila McLemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was skeptical of this book at first. It switched between 2 stories but even 1 would have been guys enough. The ending was quite surprising.

[Milky Foxe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subversive elements of these cases feel like they could be tacked on to any old mystery.

[D. Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another good read. I’m reading this in 2020 and the references to Donald Trump are freaky.

[Sue Gross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two mysteries going on here.
I listened to the CD, pretty good reader

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quotable:

He was so many things, most of them good, a few bemusing, one or two annoying . Like all men, she supposed.

[Cooper Renner · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Page-turner mystery. Entertaining but of no great substance

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 4.5

It's been a long time since Nameless has been a lone-wolf private eye. In the past few years, he's set up his own agency in San Francisco. One of his initial hires, Tamara Corbin, proved herself so adept at running the operation that Bill asked her to be a partner. Ever since, they've experienced great success and even had to hire two more operatives, Jake Runyon and Alex Chavez. At the moment, they are managing the entire case load, as Bill is deeply involved in supporting his wife, Kerry, as she deals with breast cancer. Once her prognosis is in, Bill is able to return to the agency. The truth of the matter is that he is easing toward retirement and only handling a few cases anyway, generally for former clients who specifically request him.

The client is Celeste Nobel, for whom Bill did work several years earlier. She wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome, but realized that Bill was the man she needed to assist her in investigating the suspicious death of her sister, Nancy Mathias. Celeste is a difficult client, haughty and arrogant, but she does humble herself somewhat because she loved her sister. She believes that Nancy's husband has had her killed. Bill goes deep into the history of Brandon Mathias and his business associates, and comes back once again with a conclusion that Celeste does not find acceptable.

In the meantime, Jake Runyon is chasing down another case in a remote place north of San Francisco. It begins with his trying to serve a subpoena on a man named Jerry Belsize and ends with a series of murders and arson. There's a lot of small-town type situations to face, including an obnoxious local law enforcement officer who does everything he can to make things difficult for Jake.

SAVAGES is the 32nd (that's not a typo – thirty-second!) entry in the Nameless Detective series. I am a total fan of the series, and this book is a prime illustration why. The writing is straightforward; the procedural aspects solid. I enjoyed the dual plots unfolding next to each other. The characters change and grow with each new installment, and it feels like you are spending time with people that you've grown to care about. Pronzini did a great job in this one of exploring the more personal and intimate side of Kerry and Bill's relationship; I felt that I got to know both of them at a much deeper level than before.

And just as I do after every Nameless book that I finish, I sit back after reading and wonder how he is able to keep a series so fresh and engaging over such a long period of time. I am sure that I will say that once again when I finish the 50th book in the series (maybe Nameless won't even be around then!) – this series is an amazing accomplishment, and I never want it to end.

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

SAVAGES (PI-Nameless-California-Cont) – VG
Pronzini, Bill – 34th in series
Forge, 2007, US Hardcover – ISBN: 9780765309334
First Sentence: On Friday morning, I took Kerry to the U.C. Med Center for her first follow-up appointment with her radiologist and her oncologist.
*** Bill (aka Nameless) has been hired by Celeste Ogden, a wealthy, proper San Franciscan, to investigate her sister’s death. Although ruled as accidental, Celeste is certain her sister’s husband was responsible for her death. Jake Runyon, one of the agency’s operatives, has gone to a small town in Northern California to serve a summons. Instead, he walks into a barn and finds a man who has been hung and the suspect is the young man he was there to serve.
*** We now know “Nameless’” name and the series has evolved over time, but Pronzini still delivers stories that are suspenseful and take the reader down unexpected paths. The “savages” are those people who can hurt or kill without conscience. The offset to that is Bill dealing with his wife’s recovery from cancer. The balance is a book that is tight and always interesting. There is nothing predictable about this book except the excellent sense of place, dialogue, character development and Pronzini’s always solid writing. I highly recommend “Savages.”

[Christine Trensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son recently discovered Bill Pronzini and has been devouring the books. Truthfully, I have known of him for a long time but have always read his wife's books (Marcia Muller) rather than his! But my son is loving the books so much, I had to see what all the fuss is about, so I chose the earliest one on his shelf and found that I devoured it in two sittings.

What a great writer Pronzini is! There are two main stories here, one surrounding a woman who is convinced that her brother-in-law murdered her sister, and a second investigation regarding a pyromaniac in the California hills. Nameless himself investigates the first one, while one of his operatives, Jake Runyon, investigates the second. Both stories have good twists in them, and one of them has the interesting characteristic of having a nebulous conclusion. Normally those kinds of endings drive me crazy, but Pronzini makes it all work.

There are a few authors who can make me forget everything else I have going on. Alexander McCall Smith is one of them, but after reading this I can see that Pronzini would be another. I am fortunate in that my son has four more Pronzini books all lined up on his shelf, and I will be borrowing them soon! In short, I recommend the book as a very solid P.I. novel, a bit like a police procedural in that multiple stories are taking place.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this book for my mystery book group discussion. I had heard of Bill Pronzini before because he has been writing mysteries for many years,but I have never read or listened to one of his books. He is also married to author Marcia Muller, whose writing I enjoy. Savages, one of the more recent in his Nameless series, is a good detective story, but it wasn't exactly what I expected. Nameless isn't nameless anymore. His name is Bill and he isn't the harboiled detective I thought he would be. In this book there are two cases being investigated. One is being worked on by Bill, his wife Kerry and his partner Tamara. The other case is being investigated by Jake Runyon and he is more like the Nameless I expected. There was a lot of backstory that wasn't revealed, so I guess I'd better read one of the earlier books in the series.

[Sherry]

I loved this book! I read it so fast, I couldn't put it down. The characters are believable and there is a lot of action. I love the stories Bill Pronzini tells. For a long time I have purchased books with his name on them just because his name is on them. Haven't been disappointed yet. I think he is one of the best writers out there. Perfectly honed stories. You will want to read everything he writes. I do.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#31 in the Nameless Detective series.

Nameless Detective is investigating the husband of a woman who died of a fall at the behest of the woman's imperious sister. Jake Runyon travels to deliver a subpoena to Jerry Belsize, discovers a body, and is hit over the head. The police suspect Belsize of the attack and a series of arsons; Jake hangs around to deliver the subpoena. Kerry's cancer is in remission.