Blue Lonesome (Walker Mystery)

From Publishers Weekly In this top-notch thriller, the author of the Nameless Detective series combines the best elements of the psychological novel and the traditional whodunit and delivers them in classic noir tones. This hero has a name, Jim Messenger. He's a quiet, lonely CPA who becomes obsessed with an even lonelier woman he sees in the San Francisco neighborhood cafe where they both eat their solitary dinners. When "Ms. Lonesome," as he calls her, commits suicide, Messenger seeks to learn her real identity and the cause of her fatal melancholy. The search leads him to the small Nevada town of Beulah, where the locals fear his questions about two past killings and urge him, sometimes violently, to get out. The dead woman's sister, Dacy, overcomes initial skepticism about Messenger, turning her local knowledge and feisty resourcefulness to his advantage. With her help, the quiet accountant finds courage to unearth the secret of Ms. Lonesome's tragedy. Pronzini is masterful here, as he uses both the stark desert setting and knowledgeable digressions about jazz to evoke the loneliness at the heart of the tale. Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Two quotes that connect hell, the devil, and loneliness foreshadow the suicide of a woman known as Ms. Lonesome. The often-solitary James Messenger sets out in search of the aloof woman's identity even though he spoke to her only once. He finds himself in Beulah, Nevada, a harsh countryside dominated by embittered people, violent murder, and mulish sensibilities. Pronzini skillfully handles Messenger's quest. He uses jazz to accompany changes in mood, but is not verbose. Highly recommended.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Jim Messenger, a lonely, divorced San Francisco accountant who eats dinner every evening in the Harmony Cafe, notices at a table another lonely soul, Janet Mitchell, and attempts to strike up a conversation with her. She politely rejects him. When she stops coming into the cafe, Messenger is curious, then saddened when he learns of her suicide. The police tell him Mitchell didn't really exist--no family, no friends, no identification. Armed with little more than midlife angst and an overdue library book from Beulah, Nevada, Messenger is determined to learn the story of the lonely woman who couldn't stand life anymore. He discovers she was really Ann Burgess Roebuck, and virtually everyone in Beulah is glad she's dead, having unofficially declared her guilty of the murders of her husband and her eight-year-old daughter. Messenger is determined to clear his late soulmate's name, despite threats and opposition from most of the townsfolk. Pronzini, best known for his "Nameless" detective series, is a master storyteller and has created in Messenger an empathetic, brave, and honorable everyman. His growth through the course of his investigation is subtle and memorable. Readers will not forget him. Outstanding character study wrapped in a damn good mystery. Wes Lukowsky Read more