Nameless Detective: Nightcrawlers

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Bill Pronzini's "Nameless" detective continues to stand out in American crime fiction. In this installment, the San Francisco agency is quiet, prompting partners Jake and Vanessa to seek new cases. Vanessa takes on the task of locating a deadbeat father, while Jake faces a more personal and perilous issue. The Castro district has been plagued by violent gay-bashers, and the latest victim is Jake's son's lover. Although estranged from his son, Jake hopes that helping now might mend their relationship. As Vanessa investigates, things take a troubling turn. Her target fails to appear, but she witnesses a man carrying a young girl into a nearby house, sensing danger. When she goes missing days later, Nameless is alarmed, recalling his own harrowing experience of being kidnapped and left to die. The echoes of his past resurface when he discovers the house she was investigating, with ominous words scrawled on a closet wall: "TAKING US TO A HOUSE IN THE WOODS." Now, the urgency escalates as Nameless and Jake must act quickly to uncover the truth and rescue Vanessa before it's too late. The clock is ticking, and the stakes have never been higher.