The Tormentor

Rating:
Summary: Thriller seems more antiquated than old fashioned.
Review: Dix Mallory, just beginning the healing process of getting over the sudden death of his wife in a car accident, is tormented by a prank caller claiming to have had an affair with the woman prior to her death. This tormentor also chooses to harass Dix's longtime friend Francesca and her daughter Amy. The harassment escalates to murder as Dix and Francesca try to find out who among their supposed friends is the tormentor.

Bill Pronzini's novel feels like an early book given a polish and republished, not unlike what Dean Koontz had been doing with his back stocked library. But the results here, while entertaining (Pronzini is a fine writer), feel outdated, considering all the changes in communications technology to better deal with these situations. Reading the book is like slipping into a pair pajamas and lounging in front of the television to watch one of those generic made for cable suspense thrillers when you feel like doing nothing else. An adequate time passer for non-discriminating thriller fans on rainy three day weekends.

Rating:
Summary: Actually better than expected
Review: 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

Rating:
Summary: Same book, different title
Review: I just found out that this is the same book as "With An Extreme Burning" by the same author. Apparently, this is the paperback version and "With An Extreme Burning" is the hardcover version. I have both versions and when I checked the paperback (published in December 2000), there was no mention of the fact that it was previously published under a different title.

I enjoy Mr. Pronzini's work very much and, although I haven't yet read this particular book, I am disappointed that Mr. Pronzini would allow this book to be published under two different titles without informing the reader of that fact. I thought they were two different novels and if I had known they were the same, I would never have gotten the paperback.

The only reason I gave it a one star rating is because I couldn't post this comment without giving it some kind of rating, even though, as I said above, I haven't yet read the book.

Rating:
Summary: Same book, different title
Review: I just found out that this is the same book as "With An Extreme Burning" by the same author. Apparently, this is the paperback version and "With An Extreme Burning" is the hardcover version. I have both versions and when I checked the paperback (published in December 2000), there was no mention of the fact that it was previously published under a different title.

I enjoy Mr. Pronzini's work very much and, although I haven't yet read this particular book, I am disappointed that Mr. Pronzini would allow this book to be published under two different titles without informing the reader of that fact. I thought they were two different novels and if I had known they were the same, I would never have gotten the paperback.

The only reason I gave it a one star rating is because I couldn't post this comment without giving it some kind of rating, even though, as I said above, I haven't yet read the book.

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

Rating:
Summary: The Tormentor
Review: Not one of his better books. It is slow in parts and lacks the quick prose of his "Nameless" books. But the major problem is: when did this book take place? Paperback edition shows a 1994 copyright. But the book refers to President Carter and a "McGovern button". Dix does not seem to have *69 or a cellular telephone. Ending is very unusual and a little sad.

Rating:
Summary: Middle of the road thriller. 2-1/2 stars.
Review: Recent widower Dixon "Dix" Mallory is the protagonist of Bill Pronzini's novel "The Tormentor". He has only recently lost his wife in a freak car accident and is slowly coming to terms with her absence when we join the story. Suddenly Dix is the recipient of anonymous phone calls claiming that his wife, Katy, was unfaithful and that the caller is/was the lover. And quite possibly her murderer.

Francesca "Cecca" Bellini and her teenage daughter Amy are getting their lives slowly back together following a bitter divorce. Just as Cecca is finally rebuilding a mother/daughter relationship; she begins receiving anonymous phone calls concerning Amy's comings and goings.

Mr. Pronzini populates the small Californian town of Los Alegres with a number of characters. Many of whom could be a possible candidate for the role of Tormentor to Dix and Cecca. Who is the person and what is his motive?

Neither Dix nor Cecca is aware of their simultaneous problem until they speak and when members of their circle of friends begin to suffer horrendous and fatal "accidents". This is clearly the work of someone after something! But what?!

"The Tormentor" is a fairly good read and I recommend it to those looking for something light in the waning months of winter. There are plenty of red herrings thrown into the story to keep you guessing.... but.... common sense and systematic elimination will eventually point out the culprit to most experienced thriller readers.

I guess that my middle of the road review is basically for the characterizations of Dix and Cecca. Had there been a point where I actually cared for them in the story, I may have scored this novel somewhat higher. I was actually rooting for the "mysterious" tormentor during portions of the story. Also, Dix and Cecca may want to look into a little invention by the name of "Caller ID".

My only other minor nitpick involves police detective Adam St. John. Could he be any more cardboard and two dimensional? But this is primarily for story flow and tension. When you realize that there's very little if anything he's actually going to do... you continue reading on. Surely, if there's a body count beginning in your home town... I would like to think the police would take a slightly more proactive role in the investigations. Don't move to Los Alegres!

Still and all it's not a bad story. 2-1/2 stars leaning towards a low 3. If there's nothing else you can find to read, "The Tormentor" will do in a pinch.

Rating:
Summary: Waste of time
Review: What a dull book. I can't believe Bill Pronzini has published more than 40 novels. This is the first I've read by him, and probably the last. Dix Mallory's wife, Katy, has been killed in a fiery car accident. After her death Dix starts getting harassing phone calls from a man he nicknames the Tormentor.The Tormentor,finally after numerous"breathing"calls, tells Dix his wife was having an affair with him. Unknown to Dix,Cecca, Katy's best friend is also receiving calls from the Tormentor. (So, what happen to caller ID and *69?) One phone number gets changed, another goes unanswered. The Tormentor starts to leave packages since the calls go unanswered.( I'm already bored.) There's a couple of fires( this guy's a pyro) and few casualities. Most of this book is spend with Dix and Cecca trying to guess which of their friends or colleagues is the Tormentor. The end of the book we have the "Where are they now?" two years later. I was very surprised that the author left out the person closest to the Tormentor.

Rating:
Summary: Horror???
Review: Why are Bill Pronzini's books under the category of Horror? As a fan of the genre, I am fed up with mystery authors being thrown into this category. While we're at it can we eliminate V.C Andrews as well? And anything written in the last 3 years by Dean Koontz and/or Stephen King. (Ah but when they wrote to scare, no one can compare!) Lastly on this topic, I received a book the other day from the "Leisure Horror Book Club" that was touted as "Tales of the Dark." Sure, it was more like "Tales of Irony," and the first short was a romance!! Don't get me wrong I read a lot of different genres, but when I'm looking for a good spooky story don't give me crank phone calls. Speaking of which, I stopped reading "Tormentor" midway, I passed it on to a friend and realized I had gotten to Chapter 17 and didn't really care about the story or the characters! I was again duped into reading Pronzini's "Masques" and that at least held my interest towards its conclusion.