Camouflage

April 11, 2011
Pronzini's 36th Nameless Detective novel, though a marked improvement over its immediate predecessor, 2010's Betrayers, hardly reflects a return to form by the MWA Grand Master. This entry, like other recent books in the series, alternates between the eponymous lead, a San Francisco PI, and the ongoing travails of his colleague, Jake Runyon. Obnoxious businessman David Virden hires Nameless to trace his first (of three) ex-wives, so that he can get the annulment his current fiancée requires. While Nameless quickly finds the first former Mrs. Virden, his client's subsequent disappearance leads to violent complications. Runyon's case has a personal aspectâhis new love interest, Bryn Darby, believes that her nine-year-old son, Bobby, is being abused by her ex-husband, but can't get Bobby to confirm her fears. Runyon's discovery of the truth likewise has violent consequences. Contrivances that some readers will find hard to swallow burden both story lines.