Blue Lonesome by Bill Pronzini

 

Jim Messenger is an accountant in a big city.  He doesn't like his job which has no possibility of advancement and he hasn't dated much since his marriage broke up years ago.  Basically, he is existing and he figures no one would really notice if he wasn't there tomorrow.  He sees one woman one night in a diner he eats at often.  She seems even more lonely than him and he attempts to talk to her only to be rebuffed.

When Jim finds out the woman has committed suicide, he feels like he let her down.  He resolves to find her nearest relatives and notify them about the money she left behind.  Jim takes vacation from his job and heads out into the desert where the woman came from.  It's a little town, ruled pretty much by one family which owns almost everything.  Jim discovers the woman was a pariah in the town where she was suspected of murder.  Jim doesn't believe it and is determined to stay there until he manages to prove her innocence.  But can he do that when he has a target on his own back?

Bill Pronzini is known for his mysteries, many set in the Western part of the country.  This novel was a New York Times Notable Book and he is considered one of the masters of the genre.  His protagonists are usually men who are going through life alone and he gets that subset of humanity perfectly.  The mystery is satisfying and there is plenty of action as Jim attempts to discover the truth.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.