annieb123
Written on Jan 10, 2019
The Bags of Tricks Affair is the 6th Carpenter and Quincannon mystery by Bill Pronzini. Released 6th March 2018 on Macmillan's Tor/Forge imprint, it's 256 pages and available in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats.
I've been a fan of Pronzini's nameless detective series for decades. I originally picked up this series because I'm a fan of his other work (and his wife's, who co-wrote the earlier books in the series). This series is quite different from their other work. The Carpenter and Quincannon books are period western mysteries and the lead characters are private investigators involved in several different cases per book. The fact that they aren't tied to one single case means that the book feels like a collection of vignettes with one overarching storyline. I thought the author(s) did a great job of tying together the disparate threads of narrative to maintain a cohesive whole.
There were admittedly some points at which I found myself being yanked out of the story. Mr. Pronzini is a masterful storyteller and gifted writer, but I didn't find myself particularly invested in either of the main characters. I did like that Sabina was strong and never a damsel-in-distress and could rely on her own resourcefulness.
This book could be read as a standalone. The other books in the series are quite good also and don't need to be read in order.
Enjoyable escapist reading for mystery/thriller fans. There's some light cursing, but nothing to shock or dismay the average reader.
Three and a half stars, rounded up for the very strong storytelling.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.