Series ✦ Penny’s Take
Schemers
Bill Pronzini · 2009
81/100
👍 Worth It
A satisfying entry in the long-running Nameless Detective series — Pronzini gives the locked-room puzzle a fresh spin with a rare-book heist while the series regulars keep growing as real people. Kirkus called it careful and reader-friendly, and it earned a Shamus Award nomination, so the craft holds up.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety85
Substance / usefulness82
Craft & writing85
Originality75
Evidence & accuracy75
Hype vs delivers80
Age-fit80
Human-eye read85
Penny’s verdict81
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