Breakdown

Nameless Detective #18

by Bill Pronzini

Wrongly accused of running down and killing Frank Hanauer on a dark night outside a factory in San Francisco, Thomas Lujack hires the Nameless Detective to clear his name

Genres: Mystery

230 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

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 3 out of 5]

Our hero the Nameless Detective has gone undercover, hanging out at a seedy dive called the Hideaway to spy on Pendarves, one of the regulars, the eye witness of a hit-and-run. Thomas Lujack, Nameless client, has been charged with the hit-and-run on the basis of Pendarves’ identification, and Nameless and his partner Eberhardt have been hired to uncover any facts that may discredit his testimony. Then things start heating up, when somebody in car tries to run down Pendarves.

The Nameless Detective and his lady friend Kerry are both going through rough times. Nameless is still recovering from his recent ordeal (being held captive in the woods), and Kerry, whose father has recently passed away, is worried about her mother’s recent depressions and decline.

This is an okay mystery, I guess, but the plot itself doesn’t have a lot to recommend it. It does conclude well, featuring an atmospheric scene in a house with strange “wallpaper” and an exciting, perilous climax. I felt much better about the book when I completed the last page than I did when I was three-quarters of the way though. Still, it was a tough slog through, at times.

I’m a dedicated Nameless fan, so I’m glad I read it. Still, most recent entries to the series are superior to this one.

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

I go into these knowing that I will love each one, and I've yet to be disappointed.

Simply the best detective fiction series out there. Period.

[Ron Hefner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This particular Nameless book has a rather complex plot, and it's more noir than usual. Nameless is in a bleak mood, having not quite recovered from his kidnapping and imprisonment a few books back. He does a couple of quasi-illegal things and gets into some physical altercations. Plus, he's having difficulty with Kerry, thanks to her aging mother Cybil.

You see, this is why we love Nameless. When Mike Hammer does illegal things and gets in fights or has woman problems, we don't blink an eye. But Nameless is different. He's a good guy through and through, and we're concerned for him.

The mood lightens temporarily when a drunk in a bar recites passages from a fictional French scholar's treatise on the existential and psychological aspects of The Three Stooges. It's so hilarious, it's worth the price of the book!

Write on, Bill Pronzini. What a great American legacy you have created over the decades.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Nameless Detective
SETTING: San Francisco
SERIES: #19 of 40
RATING: 3.25
WHY: Nameless has been hired to prove his client, Thomas Lujack, innocent of a hit-and-run murder. He's gone undercover at a local bar to watch a witness to the event. He soon finds that Lujack and his brother are involved in an illegal immigration scheme. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but this book was not very satisfactory to me. Nameless has changed, and not in good ways. Although well written, there were far too many detailed descriptive scenes of the setting.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Nameless Detective is still suffering the after affects of the kidnapping and abandonment in a rustic mountain cabin with no apparent way out (in the 6th in the series, Shackles) when he takes on a case of a business leader, Thomas Lujack, is accused of a deadly hit and run where the victim is a business partner. Lujack argues that he is innocent and his lawyer hires nameless and his partner Eberhardt to find evident that proves his innocence. But as nameless goes undercover, he can't seem to find any traction in what little he learns — that is until the witness to the hit and run is almost killed the same way.

Quickly there is indeed another murder and the the disappearance of that witness who has become a suspect in the latest death. Then there are those rumors that make the nameless gumshoe suspicious that the brothers Lujack are involved in something involving illegal workers.

Still there is little for him to tie to the murders except his own determination. And his determination and the actions he takes may lead to his own death.

Another fascinating story with an interesting main character. The story began slowly for me and I didn't find myself as interested as I was in the two earlier works (and I haven't read any others in the series) but it still was a good read. This is not the usual private eye tale — there are shots fired and some fist fights but I wouldn't call this a thriller nor describe it as action packed. These stories are more thought provoking. There are shady, possible clues and the connections that take a while before coming together in a conclusion.

[John Grazide · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little confused inn the beginning. Reading the stories in order I thought I missed something with the references to Kerry's mom and the earth quake. And because of that it took a while to get into it. But Nameless pulled me in and it runrned out fine. I like the way he his struggling with his new dark side. With so many books left in the series I am excited to see how he continues with it. Will he continue to struggle or will he just give in and go dark?

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best ones in the series, so far.

[D. Norman · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happened to the Lujack wives?

[Sam Hager · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had difficulty holding my interest. Parts were interesting.

[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

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#18 in the Nameless Detective series. Nameless still hasn't fully recover from being kidnapped and held prisoner, Shackles (1988), which goes a way towards explaining the noir mood, self-doubt and introspection in this series entry. It doesn't help that his lover Kerry is caring for her demanding mother, still grieving after the death of her father.

Nameless Detective series - San Francisco's "Nameless" detective and his partner Eberhardt are trying to prove that their client Thomas Lujack did not mow down his business partner with his car. Although he suspects his client's guilt early on, the 58-year-old gumshoe spends three weeks looking for flaws in the testimony of the hit-and-run's sole witness. Then Lujack is found murdered, the witness disappears, and the detective, instead of being asked to step up his investigation, is discharged by the victim's brother Coleman. In full moral outrage, the veteran detective bulldogs his way through the case, uncovering evidence about the brothers' employment of illegal immigrants.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

My joy in the Nameless Detective books comes from their realistic focus on the Bay Area, and this one's good. It's largely set in the northwest corner of San Francisco and Pronzini does a great job of visualizing and describing the area. Even when it goes further afield, from Daly City to Sacramento, it's clear that the author really knows what he's talking about.

As for the the novel itself: it's workmanlike. The mystery is nicely posed, but a bit complex, and it's nicely solved. I appreciate Nameless' continued issues with his ordeal of a few books ago, but at the same time the title of "Breakdown" introduces unearned tension on that front.

Overall, a nice book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time keeping an interest set in this one. Nameless is hired to prove someone innocent of the murder of a colleague in a shipping company. Then one of his client's brothers turns up dead at the suspect's house. Nameless gets involved in several fisticuffs. He's getting too old for this stuff. Kept wondering what the title had to do with the plot. It becomes apparent at the end.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nameless is getting a bit more complex as he works his way through a dark patch after his abduction in a previous novel. It doesn't throw him off his game as far as solving mysteries and itching to get to the bottom of an issue, but it is affecting how he responds and reacts. A good story, not as riveting as some of the others, but still a good read.

[La'Jacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always Pronzini weaves a story that is simple and compkex and out of nowhere the pieces not only fit but weave an entirely different story thst runs parallel to one you thought you knew. Again, great work Pronzini!!!

[Helen Fleischer · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent series novel

[Sally Plunkett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Nameless Detective #18

[Michael Tildsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really slow beginning in my opinion, but it eventually picks up. This wasn't as good as the previous books in this series that I've read. It felt like a transition novel.

[Eliana]

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