Bindlestiff: A Nameless Detective Mystery (Hardcover)

The Nameless Detective is referred to that way because Mr. Pronzini never supplies a name until Twospot, several books prior in the series, when police lieutenant Frank Hastings tells what his poker playing friends call Nameless, employing a first name. But it's never acknowledged by Nameless that this is his name . . . so it's probably a nickname. That name is not then used again until much later in the series in Nightshades. You can learn about why Nameless has no name in an author's note in Case File, which precedes Bindlestiff in the series.

Mr. Pronzini presents a world in which people take evil actions to further selfish interests, and many innocents struggle because of that selfishness. The police and private investigators suffer along with the victims, for evil-doing has painful consequences for everyone. Mr. Pronzini's plots are complex, yet he provides plenty of clues to help you identify the evil-doer on your own. Despite the transparency of many of the early plots, he successfully uses plot complications to keep the action interesting and fresh. Beginning with Labyrinth, the plots become less simple.

But the reason to read the books is because of the character development for the Nameless Detective. Nameless is a former police officer in San Francisco who collects pulp fiction about tough private detectives. Overcome by the evil he sees as a police officer and drawn to the complex imagery of the strong, silent hero who rights wrongs, Nameless tries to live that role as a private detective. But he has trouble getting clients, and operating as a one-man shop causes him to lead a lonely existence. In his personal life, his career keeps women at a distance. Beginning with Hoodwink, he has a love interest, Kerry Wade, who is the daughter of two ex-pulp authors. Like a medieval knight errant, he sticks to his vows and pursues doing the right thing . . . even when it doesn't pay. At the same time, he's very aware of art, culture and popular trends. And he doesn't like much of what he sees. He's also skeptical about technology, and doesn't want to become a snooper using electronic gadgets. He's a proud Italian in his 50's, could stand to lose some weight, and is really messy. So there's an element of Don Quixote here, too.

The books are also written in a more sophisticated version of the pulp fiction style, employing a better writing style and greater range through language and plot. The whole experience is like looking at an image in a series of mirrors that reflect into infinity.

These books are a must for those who love the noir style and the modern fans of tough detectives with a heart of gold like Spenser . . . and can live without the wise cracks and repartee. Beginning with Scattershot though, the books increasingly contain witty references to early mysteries and their characters.

In Bindlestiff, Nameless begins to recover from the problems that were introduced in Scattershot. He has recovered his license, which was suspended in Dragonfire. He has also started to recover from his wound in Dragonfire. His friend Eberhardt has resigned from the police department, and wants to join up with Nameless . . . which Nameless is reluctant to do. He's afraid they'll both starve.

An unlikely client, and an even more unlikely case, arrive as Nameless goes back to work. Proper Miss Arlene Bradford has seen a newspaper photograph of her missing father, whom she doesn't like and doesn't miss in the least, and wants Nameless to find him so he can collect an inheritance. Her sister, Hannah, tries to talk Nameless out of taking the case. Self-interest could be the reason. If Bradford cannot be found, the sisters split his portion of the inheritance. The only complication is . . . Charles Bradford travels the rails as a hobo, a bindlestiff. The trail leads Nameless into the hobo camps that accompany railroads and into a mystery connected to a railway museum.

Each outing in the Nameless series takes us to new parts of the West, and introduces us to unexpected parts of society. When those we meet are the downtrodden, the books come to life in a special way.

Bindlestiff has some fine action sequences in it that make the book much more exciting to read than most Nameless books. The mystery isn't that tough to penetrate, but the challenges for Nameless are daunting.

This book will especially appeal to those who are railroad fans.

As I finished the book, I thought of King Lear. Be careful of your relationships with your daughters. If you stay in your role as a father, you're fine. If you loosen that tie too soon, bad things can happen to you.