Epitaphs

Nameless Detective #20

by Bill Pronzini

"The bitterest of woes is to remember old happy days." At least that's what old man Pietro Lombardi thinks. He's got la miseria and can't even play a peaceful round of Sunday bocce with his friends at Aquatic Park. That is, until he sees the "Nameless Detective" at an opposite bench—another romantic taking in what's left of the Italian-American essence of the neighborhood. A shared burden being a lesser load, Pietro enlists his paesan's help with a troubling family matter. It seems his granddaughter, Gianna, is being harassed and needs some looking after. For old time's sake, Nameless agrees to check things out.

Nameless quickly finds that Gianna is in hotter water than Pietro can imagine. The smarmy landlord who was hassling her is now black-and-blue and apologetic, her roommate is a little more than friendly in a very cheap sort of way, and Gianna is nowhere to be found. Even though his instincts tell him to leave well enough alone, Nameless searches for Pietro's "beauty of beauties" in the muck of a lascivious underworld full of loudmouthed liars, sleazy pornographers, and cold-blooded killers. After uncovering the horrific truth about Gianna, Nameless is far out of his depth. His investigative tracks have been spotted and leave him vulnerable to the wrath of Gianna's tormentors. Not only is Nameless a witness to the seedy behavior of the group, he has been reeled into a trap. In the end it's all Nameless can do to ensure that his epitaph will not be among those that are popping up around him.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Audiobook

242 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

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]

In this exciting, well-crafted Nameless Detective mystery, our hero—who is of Italian ancestry—goes to North Beach to watch the old men play bocce, and ends up being hired by an elderly Italian paesano to find his missing granddaughter, a girl in her early twenties, the apple of his eye. “La belezza della belezze,” he calls her: his “beauty of beauties.”

It turns out not to be an easy job, for everywhere Nameless goes to look for Gianna Fornesi, he is met with cold stares and uncooperative silences. But as he continues to dig deeper, he uncovers a sordid world where Columbus Avenue sex-sleaze, illegal betting, and blood sports combine. And he begins to doubt that “la belezza della belezze” will ever be coming home.

This is one of my favorite books in the series. It combines a good solid mystery, an affectionate reverence for Italian traditions, vivid and disturbing descriptions of cock fighting, and a surprising, well-motivated—and very exciting conclusion.

For Nameless fans this is an important entry in the series: the situation between our hero and his partner Eberhardt reaches the breaking point, and Nameless’ disagreements with Kerry’s mother Cybill are finally resolved.

An essential entry in a likable, consistently professional series.

[Jim]

Another low key, entertaining tale with clues the reader can use to solve the mystery. Very realistic, almost too much so. It's a nasty mess of the seamier side of humanity that Nameless has to sift through to find the answers. He does it, but doesn't revel in it. He's a pretty normal guy, so there aren't any super human feats, just a pretty smart guy who's been around the block & has dogged determination.

His take on cock fighting was interesting. It might be natural for the birds, but it's the people who do it & the emotional kick they get from it that's the most disturbing. It's something I've thought about since I read Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard to Think Straight About Animals. Herzog discusses it in one chapter where he got behind a tractor trailer full of chickens bound for slaughter after visiting some people that raised cocks for fighting.

Is the life of a fighting cock any worse than that of a broiler? Actually it's far better. For a couple of years they're coddled before they're put into the ring to die. Mom was given commercial chickens a few times & usually had to slaughter them at 6 months old since they're legs wouldn't support them. Often they'd break just walking around. Those had a far better life than the ones raised commercially, too. It's a tough call & they are tasty. I've raised, killed, gutted, & plucked them - all pretty nasty. The only place I care to see them is on my plate, so I can't work up much steam for the chickens. I sure can about those that fight them, though.

Pronzini did a good job of describing the people at the fight. They're disgusting. I don't get why the smell of some cow manure & hay is so bad to him, though. Chickens & pigs stink. Sheep aren't so great, but cows are fine. Horse smell should be bottled as perfume.
:)

Nameless also has a personal life that doesn't always go as planned. Some ups, downs, & things that don't pan out. Old memories that hurt or charm. There's just enough of it to make it very realistic. Definitely better than a 3 star read, probably not 4 stars, but I'll give it that since it's 20th in the series, although only the second I've read. I wish my library had them all.

[The Shayne-Train]

Another great addition to the series, and the unhappy-ish ending only made me jump into the next one quicker!

[Ed]

#20 in the Nameless Detective series. Nameless is feeling nostalgic and introspective. His thoughts take him to watch old Italian men play bocce and he is prevailed upon to check up on the granddaughter of one. Uncovering her tragic fate provokes more introspection as well as personal peril. On the home scene, life with lover Kerry (and her mother) is improving, while the relationship with partner Eberhardt continues to erode.

#20 - Nameless Detective series - "The bitterest of woes is to remember old happy days." At least that's what old man Pietro Lombardi thinks. He's got la miseria and can't even play a peaceful round of Sunday bocce with his friends at Aquatic Park. That is, until he sees the "Nameless Detective" at an opposite bench - another romantic taking in what's left of the Italian-American essence of the neighborhood. A shared burden being a lesser load, Pietro enlists his paesan's help with a troubling family matter. It seems his granddaughter, Gianna, is being harassed and needs some looking after. For old time's sake, Nameless agrees to check things out. Nameless quickly finds that Gianna is in hotter water than Pietro can imagine. The smarmy landlord who was hassling her is now black-and-blue and apologetic, her roommate is a little more than friendly in a very cheap sort of way, and Gianna is nowhere to be found. Even though his instincts tell him to leave well enough alone, Nameless searches for Pietro's "beauty of beauties" in the muck of a lascivious underworld full of loudmouthed liars, sleazy pornographers, and cold-blooded killers. After uncovering the horrific truth about Gianna, Nameless is far out of his depth. His investigative tracks have been spotted and leave him vulnerable to the wrath of Gianna's tormentors. Not only is Nameless a witness to the seedy behavior of the group, he has been reeled into a trap."The bitterest of woes is to remember old happy days." At least that's what old man Pietro Lombardi thinks. He's got la miseria and can't even play a peaceful round of Sunday bocce with his friends at Aquatic Park. That is, until he sees the "Nameless Detective" at an opposite bench - another romantic taking in what's left of the Italian-American essence of the neighborhood. A shared burden being a lesser load, Pietro enlists his paesan's help with a troubling family matter. It seems his granddaughter, Gianna, is being harassed and needs some looking after. For old time's sake, Nameless agrees to check things out. Nameless quickly finds that Gianna is in hotter water than Pietro can imagine. The smarmy landlord who was hassling her is now black-and-blue and apologetic, her roommate is a little more than friendly in a very cheap sort of way, and Gianna is nowhere to be found. Even though his instincts tell him to leave well enough alone, Nameless searches for Pietro's "beauty of beauties" in the muck of a lascivious underworld full of loudmouthed liars, sleazy pornographers, and cold-blooded killers. After uncovering the horrific truth about Gianna, Nameless is far out of his depth. His investigative tracks have been spotted and leave him vulnerable to the wrath of Gianna's tormentors. Not only is Nameless a witness to the seedy behavior of the group, he has been reeled into a trap.

[Karl]

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

[Maddy]

SETTING: San Francisco
SERIES: #21 of 40
RATING: 3.5
WHY: Nameless has wandered to a place where old Italian men play bocce. One of them asks him to find his granddaughter. That turns out to be complicated--the grandfather is unaware that Gianna has turned to hooking to support herself. Almost of equal interest to the case are the problems that Nameless is having with his partner, Eberhardt, who is making noises about leaving their agency. Pronzini does such an exceptional job with the San Francisco area setting. He sprinkles in local history and shows how various places have developed over the years.

[Colleen Lahey]

Too violent for my taste. Very descriptive of cock fighting which I abhor.

[John Grazide]

A freeby case takes Nameless on a hunt to find a missing girl. The girl is the grand-daughter of a bocce playing old paison. When Nameless starts his search he quickly finds that the girl is doing things that would bring shame to her family. But when things start to look bleak, they get worse. Along with this there are two side stories, one concerning his "mother-in-law" and the other with his partner and friend Eb. One ends well and the other ends. Great writing as usual, I just wish the books were a little longer.

[John Boyda]

Another "Nameless" book. Nameless resolves one crisis in his personal life only to face another. Professionally, he takes on a case for personal reasons - no profit involved, just an old friendship. Helping the granddaughter of a friend.

Since the book is nearly three decades old, it's a bit dated but still highly readable. Typical of the Nameless books, there are twists and turns but in the end everything is suitably resolved, making the reader think, "Why didn't I see that!?".

[John Biddle]

Number 20 in the Nameless Detective series by Bill Pronzini, Epitaphs was a quick and easy read. He takes a case for a friend to find a missing grandaughter and it gets dark quickly. While this is going on, nameless is dealing with a problem with his partner who's very unhappy, thinking about quitting and very closed mouthed about why.

[Tina]

Great book! Surprise at end of who was killer to one victim. #20 in the Nameless Detective series by Bill Pronzini. Love the Nameless series. Curious as to what author really named him (in beginning)...
March 2021
Greer, SC

[Barbara Nutting]

Read 2013

[Shannon Appelcline]

This is a pretty generic Nameless Detective mystery. Nameless deals with a minor, unimportant seeming case. But it blows up, and by the end of the book he's facing imminent death. Then the case is closed. Too often, this formula just doesn't feel that enthralling (though by the end of the book it's quite riveting).

It also as usual advances some subplots, though they're ones I'm not thrilled with: a disagreement with Cybil and a disagreement with Eb. At least one is closed by the end of the book and the other is sort of shrouded in a mystery.

Overall, that's all pretty average stuff. Nothing special, nothing bad.

There's also some nice detail on Marin, where a lot of the book takes place, and on North Beach in The City proper.

[Marcy Skala]

Nameless has a free Sunday afternoon and runs into an old aquaintance at Bocce Ball. He promises to search for this man's grandaughter. He spends an inordinant amount of time working on this case without getting paid a cent for someone who is an acquaintance not a close friend. The action takes place in San Francisco, Marin County and Bolinas. He puts his life on the line instead of calling the police. It didn't help that the person reading the book continually mispronounced Salinas and San Rafael. I listened to this book on CD.

[Judy]

I like Pronzini's pulp fiction style of writing. I've been making my way through his Nameless Detective series. One thing I like about the protagonist is that he is so down-to-earth. He has the usual trials in life that we all have: befriending his girlfriend's mother, making up to an old friend and being asked by friends to help them out because of his profession. Parts of the book are a bit violent, and Nameless gets knocked around a bit, but it is a good story. And I love the location of the book, since I have lived in the area.

[Sharon]

The substory about Nameless and his partner, Eberhardt is becoming intriguing; there's a rift between them and Eberhardt refuses to talk about it, wants to sever their partnership. What's behind it? Is it really just about the fight they had, or is it something deeper? Nameless is perplexed and in the meantime, he's looking for the missing granddaughter of an old man that he just couldn't say no to. Murder and mayhem and close calls abound.

[Chris]

Nameless embarks on another unpaid job for an old paisan from his Italian neighborhood. He's checking on this old man's granddaughter and she's missing and unbeknownst to the family she's engaged in the oldest profession. Nameless ends up in Marin County on a ranch and facing death up close and personal. Pronzini puts the usual twists in this one and as always it makes for an engaging read.

[Helen Fleischer]

sad story with nasty villains

[Metagion]

Great book...Reminded me a lot of how books "used to be"...pulp fiction at his best. Good read!

[Eliana]

Old style detective series with excellent writing, plots and characters throughout

[Bernadette]

This was easier to get going as I'm getting familiar with the series.

[Harry Addington]

Excellent outing for Nameless.

[JoAnn Ainsworth]

Well written, fast moving, enjoyable.

[Mary]

Like his writing and subjects. This one is pretty sad for a family.