In the Heart of the Fire (Nameless: Season One Book 1)

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 38,257 ratings

Price: 1.99

Last update: 12-26-2024


About this item

A bloodthirsty sheriff is terrorizing a small Texas town where justice has been buried with his victims. Until Nameless arrives—a vigilante whose past is a mystery and whose future is written in blood.

Anyone who crosses Sheriff Russell Soakes is dead, missing, or warned. One of them is a single mother trying to protect her children but bracing herself for the worst. Nameless fears the outcome. He’s seen it in his visions. Now it’s time to teach the depraved Soakes a lesson in fear. But in turning predators into prey, will Nameless unearth a few secrets of his own?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz comes In the Heart of the Fire, part of Nameless, a riveting collection of short stories about a vigilante nomad, stripped of his memories and commissioned to kill. Follow him in each story, which can be read or listened to in a single sitting.


Top reviews from the United States

trickivic
5.0 out of 5 stars Keeps your heart racing!
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2024
Another great plot from Dean Koontz. A short read with a few awesome cast of characters. It will make your heart race until the end.
A Lady
4.0 out of 5 stars IN THE HEART OF THE FIRE: Nameless, Season One, Book 1 by Dean Koontz (A Short Story)
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2021
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Wow, for a short story this book was really good and I honestly liked it a lot more than I expected to. It only took me about an hour to read, but it was an hour well spent and that I even found a little addictive. Nameless, who can't recall anything beyond the last two years of his life and currently calls himself Ben Shepherd, was a rather unique and mysterious individual. He's clairvoyant and obviously capable of strong emotions and as this series progresses I'm looking forward to discovering more about him and his past.

Basically a "fixer" who steps in when the law and courts can't or won't, the premise of this series appealed to me right off and the first episode didn't disappoint. The villain was a nasty piece of work and the worst type of scum to walk the earth. There's a special place in hell for people like him and I probably shouldn't have enjoyed watching him make the trip there as much as I did. However, as a mother and I like to think a decent human being, the subject matter is gut wrenching and just so horrifying since it has to do with the most innocent and vulnerable among us, our children.

The wonderful thing about this book was that it got right to the heart of the matter without any of the useless filler so many full length novels are crammed with. There were twists and turns aplenty and at one point I frankly didn't know what to even think. The conclusion was extremely satisfying too and justice couldn't have come for not just one, but two most deserving pervs. This series seems like it would make a thrilling television show and if the remaining stories are anything like this one, I can't wait to read them ????

Pages & Kindle Locations: The story ended at 95% on page 56 and location 696.
Mark F. Noble
5.0 out of 5 stars Dean Koontz has done it again!
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2019
Dean Koontz has a new partnership with Amazon.com. He has released six stories today, the Nameless series, available only from Amazon in e-book format. The stories are priced at $1.99 each unless you are a Prime subscriber in which case they are free. They are longer than most short stories but shorter than a novella. Quite similar to the story he released through Amazon last year, Ricochet Joe. These stories will be followed by five full length novels, available only through Amazon, beginning next spring. As a book collector, I am not thrilled with this trend, but the handwriting has been on the wall for a while. I have been a supporter of e-books for a long time. I like the ability to always have a huge amount of reading material on-hand in a very small and light weight format, perfect for travelling. I also appreciate the ease of reading on a high quality e-reader (I have a Kindle Oasis). I am completely spoiled with the instant access to definitions and detailed Wikipedia material. I do still cherish the feel and smell of a book in my hands and the ease of access provided by a bookshelf full of volumes. I guess this will open up an opportunity for specialty publishers to design hardcover versions of e-books, assuming there are enough dinosaurs like me who are willing to shell out money for print versions of books.

The first story in the Nameless series, In the Heart of the Fire, did not disappoint. The main character had some past trauma that has resulted in complete amnesia. He can recall none of his life before two years ago, including his name. He receives digital communications from someone called the Ace of Diamonds who he has never met and does not remember how he first came into contact. Together they form a kind of vigilante squad that seeks out the worst evil in the world and take whatever action necessary to eradicate it. Since the story is so short, there is not much character development. Nameless is a very compelling character, though, and I am hoping we will learn much more about him in the coming stories. In this one, Nameless has been sent to a rural Texas town to take on a sheriff and deputy who are pedophiles and murderers, preying on unsuspecting victims who live in their county or who are just travelling through. The story has many of the hallmarks you come to expect from Koontz. The good and evil are black and white, with the evil being inhumanly terrifying. So far there is just hint of the otherworld as Nameless has flashes of visions, not only of the future, but also of past events where he was not present. And there is a dog: this time a German Shepard. The plot moves at a fast pace and tension build quickly. I read it in on sitting in less than hour. I can imagine that it would be easy to convert these stories to one hour TV shows. It is excellent entertainment. I am looking forward to the next one.
CYNTHIA GOLITKO
5.0 out of 5 stars Reads fast
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2024
Loved the book. On to the next one. I have always liked Dean Koontz. He is a very good writter.
nordicjack
3.0 out of 5 stars Nice diversion from the serious issues of today.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2024
Sometimes one wants an entertaining interruption, macabre as it may be, from the mundane.
Bonnie Cook
4.0 out of 5 stars Nameless
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2024
Not really sure how to rate this. Only 70 pages. It was good I guess but ill need the next few books to really known
pastor barbra parkes
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2024
This story is so riveting and is so Dean Koontz. Please let me read more. Ripped from the headlines but with a mysterious twist can't wait to see how it all ends.
Columbusbabe
5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Hold on!
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2024
This grabbed me from the first page! A man who calls himself Nameless is on a mission to protect a woman, her son and most importantly, her nine year old daughter from a mean,horrible sheriff who apparently thinks he's the devil and is untouchable. You never find out who Nameless is, just that he's sent on missions to save people from evil! You won't be able to put this down!

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