Welcome to my reviews for Nameless Season One by the Number 1 best New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz. A series of six short stories, each of which can be read or listened to in a single sitting. Amazon Publishing publishes them under the ‘Amazon Original Stories’ banner. Nameless is a vigilante nomad, stripped of his memories and commissioned to kill.
Book One
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?
My Review
I saw this book as part of the amazon original stories, a series of short stories designed to be quick novella reads. Having seen his name featured in many top reading lists, I have always wanted to read a Dean Koontz book, so this felt like an excellent introduction to his work. This is the first in a series (he calls it a season) of six books.
Nameless doesn’t remember his name, where he has come from, but he has a job to do, and he is good at it. He has visions of the past and the present, which help guide him to do what he feels is right. He is a nomadic vigilante with a tremendous short-term memory but the skills to kill people to order. Sherriff Russel Stokes is his next victim, and we learn all about him and his passions through this concise read.
The plot was enticing and, although short, surprisingly full of information and just enough detail to feel like a complete story. I imagine that the six books together will form the size of an average book, but I quite like the way it’s all set out and the introduction to a new author.
The characters feel very realistic and well described. They are primarily likeable aside from the Sherriff and his friends, deservingly creepy, appalling characters. I loved how ‘Ace of Diamonds’ would have everything arranged and organised for Nameless when he enters the hotel, with everything necessary for his next assignment.
The author has done a great job of ensuring the reader connects with the characters in such a short read, definitely commendable.
The ending lends itself to the next in the series, which of course, I can’t wait to read!
Book Two
A self-styled artist is getting away with murder in Death Valley. If all goes well, so will Nameless. In part two of the Nameless series, the relentless avenger is haunted by nightmares of the past and visions of what’s to come.
Palmer Oxenwald’s hunting ground is the Mojave wasteland. His victims are random tourists and hikers. His trophies are cherished photographs of the damage he’s done. His greatest threat is Nameless. Two men with one thing in common: memories of the dead. For a psychopath like Palmer, they’re a clear rush in black and white. For Nameless, they’re visions of violence buried and erased. But for how long?
My Review
“Justice is often in the eye of the beholder; what is justice to some can look like injustice to others. Justice can be politicized, but truth cannot; truth is what it is.”
Dean Koontz, Photographing the Dead
I enjoyed this second instalment of the Nameless Series (Season), This one concerns a man who gets sexually aroused by just looking at photos of those he has murdered, he needs to keep adding to his photo collection. He started young with animals and, after some time being institutionalised, he progresses to humans. Nameless is again out to sort him out. I expected to learn more about Nameless but we didn’t really get that in this book. I am still intrigued by his ability to have visions of the past and the future and it’s not necessarily clear yet which are which. Ace of Diamonds was also as mysterious as in the last book but maybe we will find out more in the coming books.
Book Three
A deadly black widow has eliminated three husbands and counting. But Nameless knows her one weakness. To bring truth and its consequences to her crimes, the vigilante must spin a web of his own in part three of the Nameless series.
Lucia—current last name, Rickenbah—has made a fortune by marrying rich men who tend to drop dead. But the superstitious blonde believes in more than money and murder. Nameless’s job is to scare a confession out of Lucia, and as the psychological warfare escalates, even he may be in for a shock.
My Review
This next instalment focuses on superstition, and there were some great sayings and superstitions in here, one of my favourites which I hadn’t heard before was “A butterfly flyin’ after dark is an omen, means your death is maybe comin’ soon.”
“Justice has been twisted by culture and politics until its meaning is everywhere contested. Each of their missions is instead meant to bring truth and its consequences into the life of someone who has woven a persona of lies, thereby putting an end to his or her crimes.”
Dean Koontz, The Praying Mantis Bride
In this book, Nameless and Ace hunt down a Black Widow, Lucia and her mother, who is a piece of work herself! Having murdered three of her previous husbands, for their wealth, Lucia appears to be following the teachings of her mother, who seems quite proud of her but maybe she should have some payback too.
I enjoyed the takedown in this one especially, it was more of a psychological takedown, the most elaborate one to date. The animal theme introduced in the first two books is kept =going with a team of white cats.
Book Four
In a town where the corrupt are protected, a bereaved mother seeks retribution for an arsonist’s deadly crimes. Only Nameless can help ease the burden of her grief—and satisfy her rage—in part four of this thrilling series.
After a suspicious house fire, Regina Belmont lost her two children, was left disfigured, and was abandoned by her gutless husband. Brokenhearted and bullied into silence by corrupt officials, Regina’s only recourse for truth and justice is Nameless. There’s something about this case that’s breaking Nameless’s heart as well. But can he bear to remember why?
My Review
This instalment takes a little twist so we begin to see a little more about Nameless and his past, though not much, he is gaining some insight into what has happened. “The possibility that his amnesia is breaking down alarms him. He might need to insist upon its renewal. He suspects there is no comfort equal to the comfort of not knowing.” Something awful has obviously happened in his past and that’s partly why he is so keen to find the truth and expose it. Quite what is anyone’s guess, but we start to see some small snippets here.
Nameless believes that truth is subjective depending on your own perspective, each person has their own truth. He also begins to show that he is not only interested in the truth but also in the consequences. “I want the truth to prevail. But you’re so well connected that all the evidence in the world won’t get the law to move against you. There’ll be no justice. But for you, at least, there will be the truth and its consequences.”
In addition, we also begin to see some questioning around Nameless’ job and his MO; “In this brave new world, there is no place for a lone paladin venturing forth on tasks of knightly honor. Both Galahad and Shane would be toast. In times as complex as these, any caped crusader must work sans cape, but with backup that amounts to scores of specialists.” It sounds so sad that Nameless has nobody in this world aside from the faceless, mysterious Ace of Diamonds who gives instructions and plans for him.
Book Five
A series of suspicious deaths in a retirement home draws Nameless into the confidence of a terrified former resident—and into the dark heart of a shocking conspiracy. In part five of the Nameless series, it’s time to hunt.
Oakshore Park is Michigan’s most exclusive assisted-living community. Presided over by two killer angels of mercy, it’s also the go-to facility in assisted dying. For a cut, they make impatient heirs happy. Nameless must concoct a scheme just as cunning. But righteous retribution stirs disquiet in the avenger as light starts to shine on the black hole of his past. Should he welcome it or keep running?
My Review
These books, though very short are beautifully written; “As Earth rotates away from the sun in its daily pursuit of darkness, the oaks and maples and cedars bleed elongated shadows across the grounds.”
Nameless admits that “By now, he should not be the least surprised by the capacity of evil people to deceive their credulous friends and neighbors—or by the unconscious preference of so many people to be deceived. He has known many murderers.” He is hunting down the operators of a residence for very wealthy elderly people who help relatives to get rid of “overstayers”.
The doctor is not working alone, we gain some insight into how evil some people are (I know this is only fiction by the way!) and how they come to find each other in the world. The murders are more complex than Nameless has assumed and this leads to an interesting plot.
We also see more about Nameless’ returning memories and again, see the justice administered by Nameless and his organisation.
Book Six
What strange science made Nameless who he is? What catastrophes have been erased from his memories? In the stunning conclusion of this series, the dark past comes flooding back, and Nameless must decide how much he really wants to know.
In Indiana, a murderous psycho has kidnapped his own six-year-old stepson, Jamie, and secreted him away in a subterranean cave. It’s become their bunker. For Nameless, the case is breaking down his defenses, and it may force him to face his memories.
My Review
This is the final instalment in this season of Nameless. One of the things I have loved the most about this series is the beautiful writing and the awesome quotes and this one is no different, all made to make you think about things. For example, “Someone who once said, It’s not about the money, it’s the kindness, the way it makes the recipient feel special. Life is hard and lonely for many people. If all of us would just make one another feel special now and then—not just with money, but however we can—wouldn’t that be lovely?”
In this instalment Nameless tracks down a man who has killed a family and kidnapped his, very scared, stepson. Nameless becomes even more real as we find out more about his background and where he came from, what has made him into this avenger. It seems that sometimes it’s better to forget who you really are, it’s definitely less painful.
Dean Koontz has shown himself as an incredible storyteller through this series and is very talented. The writing is superb and, despite its dark nature, has made me cry but none more so than at the end of this book. A very satisfying conclusion to the end of the series.
I am keen to read the next ‘season’ as soon as I get a chance and have caught up on my ARC’s, I loved Koontz’s style of writing and will be finding out some more of his books to add to my ever-growing TBR pile too.
I listened to some of this series, provided by Kindle Unlimited (the book and the audio) which was great to be able to keep up while having to stop to deal with real life. The narrator has a great voice and was nice to listen to. Each of the books are also available to purchase on Amazon.
With thanks to Dean Koontz at deankoontz.com for the photo used at the top.