review: nemesis by bill pronzini

When a recently wealthy woman hires investigator Jake Runyon, he has no idea what he’s in for. Verity Daniels not only starts calling Jake with some frequency, her story of a blackmailer is suspect. After telling Verity he doubts her story, she accuses him of rape and Jake and his partners must now work to clear his name.

Nemesis is the 42nd(!) in Bill Pronzini’s Nameless Detective series, but there were only a few references to events from previous books so that first-time readers won’t be lost while fans of the series can enjoy the continuity. The characters here are lively though Nameless himself has taken a backseat as he spends time with his wife (due to events in Hellbox). The Verity Daniels case was intriguing, but the resolution was lacking, especially since Verity’s motive was never made clear.
4/5
Review copy provided by the publisher, Forge.