Bleeders

by Bill Pronzini

Book Overview

A simple case gets murderously complicated when "Nameless, " Bill Pronzini's seasoned private-eye, exposes a nasty scam that involves junior account executive Jay Cohalan, his unhappy wife, and a mistress with a serious drug problem.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786709421
• ISBN13: 9780786709427
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Pronzini is a master!

Whether you're a veteran reader of P.I. novels or a neophyte who doesn't know his Hammett from his Chandler, you'll love the latest in Pronzini's "Nameless" series. This writer is a master, a benchmark against whom all the others compare themselves. A craftsman of both plot and language, Pronzini delivers each and every time. And in this way, he's that rarest of things: the sure bet. He knows how to deliver. He doesn't waste a detail or sling an extra word. "Bleeders" shows him at the pinnacle of his powers. Not only is it a fine mystery, thoroughly entertaining and beautifully paced, but his protagonist is entirely real. Nameless has aged and in this outing, he's feeling the weight of his cumulative history, the burden of all the pain and tragedy he's participated in over the course of 20+ books. Why fool with the latest flash-in-the-pan, when the king is still writing stories this engrossing and rewarding?

Bleeders

Another good, solid book from a real pro. As always the pace is fast and the characters are interesting.

This is it!

Dear fellow Pronzini fans - yes, Bleeders is the last Nameless story. I had the good fortune to meet Pronzini at a book-signing event last summer, and he told us this book would be the end of the series. He said he felt he had taken Nameless as far as he could. I too am unhappy about this but I'm grateful for the exciting ride he's given us in all the books he's written. Bleeders is exceptional and a fitting end to the series. I dearly hope Pronzini will keep writing other novels. I can't imagine what I'd do if he didn't.

Bleeders

Bill Pronzini is by far my favorite mystery writer. Every time I hear that he has a new Nameless Detective novel coming out, I get excited in anticipation of reading it. "Bleeders" is the 27th novel in the series. Nameless helps his client Carolyn Dain recover $75,000 that her husband, Jay Cohalan, has obtained from scamming her. When he goes to return the money, he is met by a bald man who takes the money from him and tries to kill him. Luckily for Nameless, the gun jams and he is spared. He later finds his client dead on her bed from a gunshot wound. He begins his quest in pursuit of the bald man. "Bleeders" has a strong plot, and Pronzini is a master at placing the reader at the scene of the action. Nameless and Kerry, his wife, now have an adopted daughter, Emily (from "Crazybone"). That storyline is heart-warming and adds a dimension to the series that had not been there before. I noticed that the novel was dedicated to Bill Pronzini, and that there were references made to Nameless' possible retirement. I really hope that Nameless has at least a few more cases left in him. If not, thank you, Bill Pronzini for providing me with many hours of enjoyable reading!

Nameless Earns His Name

From the moment one reads the dedication of this Nameless mystery, one realizes what a special book BLEEDERS is. Bill Pronzini dedicates BLEEDERS to himself "without whom this series would never have been written."As in the recent Nameless mysteries, Nameless is showing his age and his maturity. He is realizing that, while his work is important to him, there is more to life than merely running his PI agency. He is married now, of course, and he has an adopted daughter he acquired in the previous novel. His family responsibilities are becoming more and more important to him.The plotline of this story involves a grifting scheme that leads to murders. It nearly costs Nameless his life, too. As with all Pronzini works, the book moves far beyond the mystery genre and addresses serious moral themes. As always, Pronzini is a moralistic writer in the best senses of the term.The plot works fabulously, and the characters seem realistic. The interaction between everyone on stage couldn't work better. In the end, Nameless realizes his name is Daddy. It is bestowed on him by his adopted daughter, and he decides to make certain major life changes.While it is suggested throughout the work that BLEEDERS may mark the end of this long-running series, I hope the series continues. Bill Pronzini, in my opinion, is the finest mystery writer of his generation. The influence of this series will long be felt in the mystery genre. His Nameless character may now be Daddy to a little girl, yet he has always been the father of the private detectives created by those of us who have begun our writing careers in recent years.