I haven’t read many of Bill Pronzini’s books, although it’s not from a lack of interest. Two of his standalone novels – STEP TO THE GRAVEYARD EASY and THE CRIMES OF JORDAN WISE – rank among my favorite pieces of noirish fiction. That being said, the books I’ve really wanted to read are from the Nameless Detective series. Numerous people (including Bill himself) have said that readers won’t be missing much by joining the series midstream. But, me being a stubborn bugger, I was determined to start at the very beginning…not an easy task considering many of the early books are out of print and command a high price on the secondary market. But as luck would have it, I scored a batch of early Pronzini books from eBay earlier in the year, including a reprint of the first Nameless Detective novel, entitled THE SNATCH. 
Was it worth the wait? Oh yes…yes indeed.
The book begins with Nameless being summoned to the home of Louis Martinetti, a San Francisco investor whose son has been kidnapped and is being held hostage for $300,000. Martinetti, distraught over his son’s disappearance, has decided not to involve the police. Instead, he’s agreed to pay the ransom in return for his son’s immediate release. Martinetti asks Nameless to do a simple task for him – drive to the drop spot and deposit the satchel full of money; in return, he would be paid $1500 for his services. After initially being hesitant, Nameless decides to take the job. Easy money, right?
Wrong.
What follows is a complex “whodunit” in which everyone involved has something to hide. And herein lies the brilliance of Pronzini’s writing. I can’t tell you how many times, especially early on, when I thought to myself “I’ve got this all figured out.” Then the story would unfold a little further and Pronzini would pull the rug out from under me (undoubtedly laughing at my hubris while he did it). No matter how many times I thought I had this story pinned down, Pronzini would pull another fast one on me. We’re not talking about ridiculous twists that don’t follow the storyline or characters’ personalities; by the time the finale rolls around, I was left shaking my head at how well everything tied together and how good the ending was.
The main aspect of Pronzini’s writing that I really enjoy is that he “gets” his noir (how’s that for stating the obvious?). The environments are stark, the characters are flawed, and most important of all, Nameless’s dialogue and demeanor perfectly match what this type of story demands. How does a simple “sure” or “no” make for good dialogue? How does a withdrawn main character with a no-nonsense attitude endear himself to the reader? It’s not something I can explain. It’s just the way it should be when you pick up a good mystery novel. It feels *right*.
One thing I found myself wondering about is whether or not Pronzini had been planning to make the Nameless Detective an ongoing character when he wrote THE SNATCH. From the get-go, Nameless seems as if he’s on the brink -- he appears to have a major lung problem from all of his smoking, he’s borderline penniless (spending his extra money on pulp magazines), he’s on the outs with his girlfriend, and seemingly depressed with his life. It felt as if Nameless might have another book or two in him, but that he wouldn’t be able to keep his head above water for much longer. I look forward to continuing the series so I can see where Pronzini takes the character next.
What’s truly criminal is that this book (and others in the series) is no longer in print. The only way to find a copy is via sites like eBay and Abebooks. Patience will be your best ally if you try to track down a copy of THE SNATCH. I’ve seen them go from $1 all the way up to $100+, with the average price somewhere between $15-20. It’s well worth the effort to find a copy though. THE SNATCH was a great debut to what promises to be an excellent series of mysteries.
(9 out of 10)
Was it worth the wait? Oh yes…yes indeed.
The book begins with Nameless being summoned to the home of Louis Martinetti, a San Francisco investor whose son has been kidnapped and is being held hostage for $300,000. Martinetti, distraught over his son’s disappearance, has decided not to involve the police. Instead, he’s agreed to pay the ransom in return for his son’s immediate release. Martinetti asks Nameless to do a simple task for him – drive to the drop spot and deposit the satchel full of money; in return, he would be paid $1500 for his services. After initially being hesitant, Nameless decides to take the job. Easy money, right?
Wrong.
What follows is a complex “whodunit” in which everyone involved has something to hide. And herein lies the brilliance of Pronzini’s writing. I can’t tell you how many times, especially early on, when I thought to myself “I’ve got this all figured out.” Then the story would unfold a little further and Pronzini would pull the rug out from under me (undoubtedly laughing at my hubris while he did it). No matter how many times I thought I had this story pinned down, Pronzini would pull another fast one on me. We’re not talking about ridiculous twists that don’t follow the storyline or characters’ personalities; by the time the finale rolls around, I was left shaking my head at how well everything tied together and how good the ending was.
The main aspect of Pronzini’s writing that I really enjoy is that he “gets” his noir (how’s that for stating the obvious?). The environments are stark, the characters are flawed, and most important of all, Nameless’s dialogue and demeanor perfectly match what this type of story demands. How does a simple “sure” or “no” make for good dialogue? How does a withdrawn main character with a no-nonsense attitude endear himself to the reader? It’s not something I can explain. It’s just the way it should be when you pick up a good mystery novel. It feels *right*.
One thing I found myself wondering about is whether or not Pronzini had been planning to make the Nameless Detective an ongoing character when he wrote THE SNATCH. From the get-go, Nameless seems as if he’s on the brink -- he appears to have a major lung problem from all of his smoking, he’s borderline penniless (spending his extra money on pulp magazines), he’s on the outs with his girlfriend, and seemingly depressed with his life. It felt as if Nameless might have another book or two in him, but that he wouldn’t be able to keep his head above water for much longer. I look forward to continuing the series so I can see where Pronzini takes the character next.
What’s truly criminal is that this book (and others in the series) is no longer in print. The only way to find a copy is via sites like eBay and Abebooks. Patience will be your best ally if you try to track down a copy of THE SNATCH. I’ve seen them go from $1 all the way up to $100+, with the average price somewhere between $15-20. It’s well worth the effort to find a copy though. THE SNATCH was a great debut to what promises to be an excellent series of mysteries.
(9 out of 10)
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