Nothing But the Night
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REVIEW BY BRUCE TIERNEY
Most folks would say that Cam Gallagher has it made: pretty wife, great kids, a lovely house in California's wine country . . . but Cam is tortured by a 20-year-old secret that haunts his every waking moment and most of his sleeping ones. Cam blames his childhood self for the shooting death of his mother, even though his was not the finger that pulled the trigger. The years in between have been a whirlpool of heady success, alcohol, and therapy, none of which has brought him the peace of mind he seeks. Cam Gallagher has gone to great lengths to avoid coming into contact with his feelings. Several glasses of wine each evening, perhaps a martini or two, and Cam goes gently into his long nights. Still, at times it's not enough to keep him from awakening in a cold sweat, his screams reverberating off the bedroom walls. His wife and kids are concerned, but ultimately unable to offer little more than comforting words. Cam has had a couple of alcoholic blackouts, and some frightening memories are beginning to emerge, memories perhaps not connected with the long-ago murder of his mother. A little way down the coast, Nick Hendryx battles his own very different demons. Several years back, Nick's beloved wife Annalisa was sideswiped by a hit-and-run driver and left in a coma. Although there were several witnesses, the driver was never apprehended. All Nick has to go on is a police artist's sketch of the man, and he shows it to everyone he meets, in hopes of someday confronting the man and exacting vengeance for Annalisa. He has made it his life's work, making his way slowly up the West Coast, taking odd jobs when necessary, and showing the sketch to anyone who will look. And so it happens that in a municipal park in suburban Paloma, California, the paths of Nick Hendryx and Cam Gallagher are to cross. After how many months, years, of frustration . . . and there he is, the man who hit Annalisa. Nick looks at the picture to make sure, but there can be no mistake. It's the right man. In a few short weeks it will be the sixth anniversary of Annalisa's misfortune, and Nick sees symmetry in this. He will have time to plan something truly appropriate for the fate of Cam Gallagher. In this perfectly paced psychological thriller, veteran mystery novelist Bill Pronzini takes the reader on a wild ride through the labyrinth of alcoholism and obsession, and the intersections where, if one is not careful, they can (and do) collide. Bruce Tierney is a reviewer in Nashville.
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