Created by John W. Postgate Pseudonyms include James Mooney (1851-1921) I have absolutely no idea what Private Detective No. 39; or, the Mysterious Client is about, but the title looks promising, suggesting perhaps one of the early American rivals of Sherlock Holmes. According to Hubin, it was set in Chicago, and was initially published in 1892 … Continue reading Private Detective No. 39
Tag: Nameless
The Acme Indemnity Op
Created by Jan Dana Pseudonym of John Frederick Brooks Lawrence (1907-1970) Sssshhhhh.... don't tell the Hammett folks. But in 1937, Dime Detective started publishing a series of short stories featuring a nameless hard-boiled, cynical claims investigator who worked for a national insurance agency. No similarity to Hammett's very popular and influential hard-boiled, cynical Continental Op, … Continue reading The Acme Indemnity Op
Nameless (Elizabeth McKenzie)
Created by Elizabeth McKenzie It may be just a trifle (the lead character doesn't even rate a name) of a short story, but the Shamus-nominated "The Big Creep" by Elizabeth McKennzie hits all the right notes. Come to think of it, it's barely even a story; it's almost a character study or a vignette; a … Continue reading Nameless (Elizabeth McKenzie)
Jake Runyon
Created by Bill Pronzini (1943--) First appearing in Bill Pronzini's Spook (2003), JAKE RUNYON is one of the more intriguing "minor" characters I've come across lately. In the book, Pronzini's series hero, Nameless (who now, if you haven't heard, has a name -- it's "Bill") is going into semi-retirement. He and his young associate and … Continue reading Jake Runyon
Bill Pronzini
Pseudonyms include Jack Foxx, Alex Saxon, Brett Halliday, William Jeffrey, Romer Zane Grey, and Robert Hart Davis (1943 --) BILL PRONZINI is simply one of the genre's masters. Top of the Line. An Ace Performer. The Bomb. He seems to have taken a crack at just about everything in the mystery genre: noirish thrillers, historicals, locked-room … Continue reading Bill Pronzini