In the Heart of the Fire (Nameless)

About this book

A man with no name, no past and no fingerprints steps off a bus in Worstead, Texas, with a small white suitcase, a suppressed .45 pistol and a job to do. He takes his instructions from a mysterious handler known only as Ace of Diamonds, and he has been drifting from town to town for two years, righting wrongs for people the law cannot help. This time, the trail leads to a struggling widow, Jennifer Demeter, and to a local menace named Russell Soakes. In the Heart of the Fire is the first story in Dean Koontz's Nameless series, a suspenseful, atmospheric mix of thriller and dark fable. Koontz's lyrical prose and wry observations turn a dusty small Texas town into a place of beauty, menace and mystery, while a haunted protagonist who calls himself Ben Shepherd – for now – wrestles with who he might once have been and why he may have chosen to forget. Fast-paced and compact, this short read is ideal for fans of vigilante thrillers, lone-wolf heroes and stories with a touch of the uncanny. If you enjoy morally driven suspense with sharp dialogue and unforgettable atmosphere, this is the place to begin the Nameless journey. Start reading online instantly in your browser, with no waiting and no downloads required.

Author

Dean Koontz

Length

~56 pages

Reading time

1 h 7 min

Chapters

22

Released

November 11, 2026

Languages

🇬🇧 EN · 🇵🇱 PL · 🇩🇪 DE · 🇫🇷 FR · 🇪🇸 ES · 🇮🇹 IT · 🇧🇷 PT-BR · 🇲🇽 ES-MX · 🇵🇹 PT · 🇺🇦 UK · 🇨🇿 CS · 🇸🇰 SK · 🇬🇷 EL · 🇭🇺 HU · 🇹🇷 TR · 🇳🇱 NL · 🇷🇴 RO · 🇧🇬 BG · 🇭🇷 HR · 🇷🇸 SR · 🇸🇮 SL · 🇱🇹 LT · 🇱🇻 LV · 🇪🇪 ET · 🇸🇪 SV · 🇩🇰 DA · 🇳🇴 NB · 🇫🇮 FI · 🇯🇵 JA · 🇰🇷 KO · 🇨🇳 ZH · 🇹🇼 ZH-TW · 🇮🇩 ID · 🇻🇳 VI · 🇹🇭 TH · 🇮🇳 HI · 🇸🇦 AR · 🇮🇱 HE

Formats

eBook · Print edition

Print format

Paperback, 13.5 × 21 cm, 70 pages

Age rating

Teen 13+