The Flimflam Affair is the seventh book in the "A Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery" series and the very first book I've read. I was drawn to the book because I like to read books set in the Wild West and I love historical mystery books. It's not a thick book, but the author managed to squeeze in three different cases. Still, the book never felt rushed and I felt that it cases dealt with and was solved with enough focus on them.

As a new reader is the main "problem" that Carpenter and Quincannon are new to me and their new romantic status is absolutely pleasant to read about. However, I do think if you have read the previous books will this new status probably feel a lot more interesting to read about. Perhaps even something that readers have felt they have looked forward to reading about. I did find Carpenter and Quincannon to be pleasant characters, I just didn't really love them. They have an interesting history together that I would like to read more about. I would very much like to read the series from the beginning.

I've been reading Bill Pronzini books for about as long as I can remember. His may not be a well-known name, but I know when I pick up a Pronzini book that I will get strong characters and a solid story. It has been a year or more since I last read a Pronzini book, but when I saw this up as an ARC, I immediately requested it.

Sabina Carpenter and John Quincannon run a detective agency in San Francisco near the turn of the century (1897). Quincannon is investigating gold theft from a railroad company when the book opens, and Sabina is enlisted to investigate a medium who is fleecing the recently bereaved men and women of San Francisco. And a case of counterfeiting brings John back to his days when he worked for the Secret Service and a man he thought was dead haunts him again.

The mysteries here are well thought-out and developed allowing the reader to experience them along with our detectives. The throwback to Quincannon's earlier days is a nice addition - especially for someone like myself who really only remembers a couple of the earliest books.

I enjoyed the relationship banter between Sabina and John - as I mentioned at the start, strong characters are a hallmark of a Pronzini story after all. This definitely made me want to read more of the 'Carpenter & Quincannon' mysteries.

And while I truly felt this was an enjoyable read, I can understand where the appeal may be limited. I happen to really like western fiction (the first Quincannon book was an early favorite of mine) and historical fiction, and when combined with a good mystery, this is right up my alley. But I know too many people who won't read books that are 'westerns' because of preconceived notions of what that means. Let's hope that a good mystery will draw them in.

Looking for a good book? <em>The Flimflam Affair</em> by Bill Pronzini is a turn-of-the-century mystery with strong characters.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The FlimFlam Affair by Bill Pronzini (a Carpenter and Quincannon Mystery) is the seventh in a historical mystery series previously co-written by Marcia Muller. It takes place in San Francisco in the late 19th century where Sabina Carpenter and James Quincannon are partners in a private investigation firm: unusual in several ways. One) There are very few, if any, females in this profession, and Two) Sabina is a widow, and James, an unmarried man. Quite shocking, really. Sabina's current case revolves around a medium that is duping the grieving out of shocking amounts of money in their attempts to contact their dearly departed.

The FlimFlam Affair is an engaging story, deeply rooted in the time. Sabina, and particularly James, are characters, written in depth and interesting. The mysteries are well thought out; the medium story is like many others written as they all turned out to be hoaxes and there are only so many ways to tell the same story. It is always entertaining, though. If this book is an example of the others in the series, it is several mysteries, kind of a recap of their lives and business so it some ways it reads quicker. It is interesting to see the different perspectives of the different personalities and sexes as the investigations happened. The FlimFlam Affair was an engaging tome and one well worth your time. I recommend it.

I was given a free ARC of the FlimFlam Affair in exchange for a free and honest review. #netgalley #theflimflamaffair

Bill Pronzinini continues the Carpenter and Quincannon mysteries in the Flimflam Affair. Sabina Carpenter of the Professional Detective Services has to solve the case of a fraudulent psychical medium and John Quincannon comes back from a railway bank safe heist to find the answer to fake money being passes in California. Meanwhile where is their personal relationship going? Good mystery that the reader should be able to resolve.

Published by Forge Books on January 15, 2019

I’m a fan of Bill Pronzini’s noir-flavored thrillers and his Nameless Detective series. Pronzini manages to create tight plots and interesting characters with an economy of language that lesser crime writers should study. While Pronzini brings those qualities to the Carpenter & Quincannon series, I am less enthralled by his historical novels. The Flimflam Affair, set in 1897, nevertheless has some entertainment value and ends in a way that might make fans suspect it is the culmination of the series.

John Quincannon has gone north to a mining town to investigate the theft of gold from a railroad safe. He figures out how the thieves managed to open the safe, and thus solves the crime just in time to be summoned back to San Francisco to help his former boss in the Secret Service catch a counterfeiter who supposedly died a decade earlier.

While Quincannon is out of town, an investment broker, hires Sabrina Carpenter to determine whether a spiritualist who summons the dead is a charlatan. The fact that he’s a spiritualist would be a sufficient answer for most people, but the broker’s wife is convinced that communication with the dead is possible. Carpenter takes the case and enlists Quincannon's help when he's back in town. The story turns into a whodunit that the reader will probably solve as easily as Carpenter and Quincannon. More interesting are the secrets used by spiritualists to con their gullible audiences.

The third storyline — and the novel reads like three short stories that were fixed up into a novel — has Quincannon chasing the counterfeiters. The story moves quickly but comes across as something that Pronzini dashed off without putting much effort into the plot. And that may be what happened, because the way the novel ends suggests that he may have written the novel to bring the series to a close in a way that would satisfy fans of the two detectives.

The novel’s virtue lies in the ongoing struggle between Quincannon, who has something of an ego, and his female partner, who might be seen as an early feminist who deserves more glory than Quincannon can easily share. Unfortunately, Carpenter plays a minor role in two of the three stories, which focus on Quincannon’s tenacious investigative style. I probably would have enjoyed the novel more if the two characters had interacted more, but I liked it well enough to commend it to fans of the series. Readers who haven’t read a Carpenter and Quincannon novel probably won’t want to start with this one.

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I"ll be honest, this was not my favorite entry in the series. There was too much going on! Sabina had her own case, John had his own case, and they were both wrapped up pretty quickly. Then John was pulled into an old case that was kind of boring, about counterfitting. Just not my jam. I thought Sabina was relegated to the background too much in this book (which she even comments on in her chapters). I hope the series can get back on track with a central mystery and more of Sabina and John actually working together more!

"The Flimflam Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini's detective series.

Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services is a fixture in San Francisco at the dawn of a new century. While the future is unclear, Sabina and John know one thing for certain; they will protect their clients from flimflammers, thieves, and murderers, and do whatever it takes to run these dregs of society into the arms of the law.

Sometimes, that requires a subtle touch. Professor A. Vargas, self-styled medium extraordinaire, and his partner Annabelle, use guile and trickery to swindle bereaved men and women eager to contact the spirits of deceased loved ones. John and Sabina must not only unmask these charlatans, but also solve the riddle of an impossible murder in the midst of a séance.

Other cases involve brute force and personal danger. Such as the theft of a burglarproof safe mysteriously emptied of gold bullion. And John’s pursuit of a ruthless gang of counterfeiters, whose leader appears to be a man from John’s past in the Secret Service―a man thought long dead.

Adding spice to these exploits is Sabina and John’s personal relationship, which is rapidly progressing to an exciting new level."

Step right up for some Steampunky goodness! Also San Francisco and a séance!