Nameless Night [Mass Market Paperback]

I've been a fan of G. M. Ford for a few years now. I've especially enjoyed his books about crusading reporter Frank Corso, and my personal favorite of those books is A BLIND EYE. Ford writes larger than life heroes and about true evil, with a smattering of philosophy concerning the measure of an individual. Not enough to be preachy, but enough to make you stop and think every now and again.

His newest release, NAMELESS NIGHT, is a good fit for him. A suspense story wrapped up with a mystery suspended by enigmas over certain death. It's a stand-alone novel, the first that he's written (unless there's a sequel in the works).

The old hero-has-amnesia from a violent crime has been done near unto death. After THE BOURNE IDENTITY, I really thought we wouldn't see anything like that for a while. Or at least not see a writer pull it off quite so well.

Ford seems to thumb his nose at conventional thinking, though, and heads right to the core of the story on page one. His story is about an amnesiac and the people who are out to kill him, and he's not going to back off from that.

I liked the way Ford sets up the character of Paul Hardy. Hardy is likeable and you can't help feeling for him for all that he's lost. His face is horribly disfigured and his skull is misshapen, which is the obvious reason he's lost his memory. Not only has he lost his long-term memory, but his short-term memory is almost negligible as well. The characters at the house where he's been made a ward of the state are a welcome addition, and I was glad to see that they weren't just tossed away after the initial introduction.

As always, Ford kicks the ball into play from the opening page. Before the first chapter wraps, even Hardy's dismal life as a mentally challenged person suddenly hangs by a thread. While trying to safe another ward of the foster home, he's hit by a car and receives even more extensive damage.

I have to admit, I was ready to start playing the SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN theme song as the doctors rebuilt him, starting with his face and the huge dent in his skull. As soon as he starts healing, he starts getting his memory back. The doctor that performed the surgery even stated that the brain started sliding back to occupy the space that was taken away. I knew something was going to change.

The book quickly moves into familiar territory. Hardy recalls a name and one of the well-meaning people at the home searches for it on the computer. Immediately black cars filled with government agents descend upon the home and start asking questions.

In short order, NAMELESS NIGHT becomes something of a road trip as Hardy, now called Randy, starts trying to pull his new life together while searching for his past. The pursuers are never far away, and the chapters often cut to shadowy bad guys and other people that get roped into the whole affair.

As always, Ford delivers a deftly paced puzzler with some roundhouse gutbusters that remind the reader that not everyone is going to make it out of the book alive. Everything remains up for grabs, and it's interesting to see all of the people that are involved.

I have to admit, Randy's real identity was astounding. I really didn't see it coming, had no real clue. More than that, although there is a political coverup involved, it's not one most readers have before seen.

I had a great time with the novel. NAMELESS NIGHT is one of those perfect weekend reads or you can save it for the beach. Either way, Ford is back in fine form and this is a great little thriller.

Note: The book I'm reviewing is titled "Identity", which is simply the UK copy of "Nameless Night".

GM Ford has a unique writing style. When I started reading the first chapter, I had to slow down a bit to get used to Mr Ford's voice, especially after just having finished reading Mark Gimenez's "The Color of Money", which has a more straightforward style. If you find yourself liking GM's particular tone, you'll enjoy the book.

The story is strong and the plot, despite being slightly telegraphed, was interesting. As the book opens, we find the lead character, Paul Hardy, living in a permanent home for mentally ill residents. He isn't there long, however, as tragedy strikes in the first few pages and he is forced out. We quickly find that Mr Hardy doesn't know who he is and we are left to discover whether he figures it out or not as the chronicle unfolds. Fortunately, the well thought out puzzle lends itself perfectly to his journey of self-discovery. And, the reader is treated to a the added bonus of having the story line take us on a thrilling mystery adventure which ultimately contains meat of the text.

Some of the details in the book were really hard to believe, and since this is fiction, not science fiction, I thought the discrepancies detracted from the story. Plus, while the mystery lends itself to rather rapid page turning, it isn't esoteric enough that an astute person will have trouble figuring out the ending before it occurs.

However, having said that, the crafty theme overcomes the implausibilities and taking the time to peruse the pages is worth the effort. There are enough twists and turns to keep the reader wanting to push forward to the end.

I was sent an advance readers copy of the novel Nameless Night by G. M. Ford. This was my first exposure to Ford, so I wasn't predisposed to like or dislike his work based on prior novels. And since this was billed as a "stand-alone" novel not based on any of his prior characters, I wasn't being dipped into the middle of a story-line I was unprepared for. Overall, Nameless Night was an entertaining read, with plenty of suspense and mystery as the main character searched for his true identity.

Paul Hardy had been living in an assisted-living facility for seven years. He was found near death back then, and he had no recollection or identification as to who he was or where he came from. It didn't help that he had facial injuries that distorted any true image of who he might have been. While out walking with one of his friends at the care center, he's hit by a car and again is near death. The driver, a software tycoon, pays for extensive reconstructive surgery on Paul's face, which also involves correcting some of the skull damage from the original accident. This surgery alters Paul's brain, restoring many of his mental faculties, but still doesn't answer the main question... who was Paul prior to the accident seven years ago? All he knows is that Paul Hardy isn't his real name, he has vague images of a past life in Florida, and all of a sudden federal agents are *very* interested in finding him. He's just as interested in avoiding them until he can get some answers, as being detained as a threat to "national security" means you many never surface again.

Overall, Nameless Night was a page turner. I enjoyed the premise of someone with no identity becoming whoever he wanted to be, since there was no past he had to conform to. I did think the reason behind his initial accident and the subsequent government efforts to find him was a bit strained. While anything is possible in a conspiracy novel, I just didn't get the feeling that this particular event would have led to the level of effort to eliminate Hardy and all the related individuals. Still, that didn't detract from the general urgency in the plot-line to figure out who he was and why someone considered him better off dead.

Nameless Night was a good escape from reality, and was worth the time spent reading it. Based on his work here, I'm likely to go back and check out some of Ford's earlier works.

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