NIGHTCRAWLERS

Pronzini's popular Nameless Detective novels, which are a contemporary version of the hard-boiled detective genre, take us onto the streets of San Francisco with Nameless and his business partner, Tamara. In this episode, Tamara is kidnapped in the midst of a case, and Nameless has little time to find her. Nick Sullivan takes the hard-boiled style to heart in his narration. It's a "just-the-facts-ma'am" rendering in keeping with Pronzini's writing, and for the most part it works. He does have a tendency to read everything--from "kids kidnapped from schoolyards" to "she blew on her hands to warm them"--in the same measured, significant tone. However, when you're in the mood for a tough guy with a heart of gold, this will do nicely. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]