The Tormentor

By Bill Pronzini

Book Overview

In a story of ordinary people trapped in extraordinary and deadly circumstances, two friends are faced with the possibility that someone they know well--for reasons they cannot fathom--is plotting to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0843948086
• ISBN13: 9780843948080
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Leisure Books
• Length: 394 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.0" x 1.5" x 4.3"

Customer Reviews

Actually better than expected

I bought this book (prior to reading any of the reviews posted here) because I knew that Bill Pronzini had a pretty good reputation as a thriller novelist. After reading some of the reviews here, I almost put the book in the back of my "to be read" collection of paperbacks. I'm glad that I didn't because this book is actually more entertaining than these reviewers would lead one to believe. The plot revolves around a central character named Dixon "Dix" Mallory who is trying to get his life back together after losing his wife in a terrible car accident. Just as he begins to come to grips with his grief, he begins receiving anonymous phone calls from a man purporting to be his wife Katy's former lover. Dix soon finds out that one of his wife's closest friends, Francesca "Cecca" Bellini, is also receiving prank calls involving the noctural activities of her daughter, Amy. Cecca and Dix soon begin to collaborate on a plan to find if the calls are connected in any way and what they can do to stop them. Pronzini weaves a pretty good plot from this point as both of the protagonists begin to confront some of their friends regarding the mysterious calls and their subject matter. The author creates some good characters and throws in quite a few plot twists as the reader tries to unravel who "The Tormentor" is. This is a "quick and painless" read for those who enjoy a light "who-dun-it" of sorts. While the ending is less satisfying (in this reviewer's humble opinion) it does bring the book to closure while even keeping the door open for a sequel. Even though he's not in the league of King, Koontz, or Laymon, Pronzini does write in a lively fashion that's easy to get into. RECOMMENDED FOR MYSTERY FANS

Burn, Burn, Burn

Bill Pronzini does a fair job with this book, With An Extreme Buring. He sets up a mystery concerning Dix and his inability to get over grieving over his loving wife's death due to a car accident. It has been about 3 months and he still could not shake himself loose of her death and move back to intergrating himself into his normal flow of events. That in itself begs for something to happen to him which would be out of the ordinary. Sure enough, it does. As strange as it sounds, someone obligued him and he unfortunately fell for their act. Well, as he poked his noise into the recent past of his deceased wife, he found reason to move on with his life. Good for him that he did or he too would have fallen victim to an insane man's plan to not only wipe him out as he had done Dix' wife but his wife's close female friends' family as well.Dix and Cecca (wife's female friend) are forced to track down his wife's murderer and turn him in to the police in the end. Too, bad that the murderer turned out to be one of Dix' and Cecca's close friend.--- ...

Very Suspensful

I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down. It grabs your attention from the beginning and doesn't let go..

WIDOWER'S WOE

Dix Mallory had lived in his small town practically all of his life except for a brief absence. He married, taught at a local college and was a faithful husband. A tragic car accident ended the life of his wife and Mallory did his best to deal with her death. Then the phone calls came. At first they were an annoyance then became vicious. A male voice claimed Mallory's wife was unfaithful. Soon we find this average joe questioning himself, his marriage and if indeed his wife's death was an accident or murder. Come follow this intriguing story as we see close-knit friends become suspects, innocent victims become the pariahs of the community and a pathetic man is excused for his sins. See how one murder leads to another but "the law" is unable or unwilling to protect those whose lives are in imminent danger. The implications of these actions taken will have a chilling effect upon you as you witness the widower's woes.