A police scanner and a reporter's instinct lead Hudson Ambrose to a Las Vegas bus stop ahead of the authorities. There he discovers a dead drifter, a safety deposit key, and a bank book showing nearly a million dollars! Was this murdered Nobody an angel in disguise? Will Hud take the story---or the cash? 400 pages, softcover from Multnomah.

Average Customer Rating:

4.8

out of

(6 Reviews) 6

Rating Snapshot (6 reviews)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

1 out of 1100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Nobody

Review 1 for Nobody

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

lots of action and suspense

Date:June 22, 2012

bookwomanjoan

Top 10 Contributor

Location:Oak Harbor, WA

Age:55-65

Gender:female

Quality:

5 out of 5

Value:

5 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

4 out of 5

Ambrose Hudson is a night beat reporter for a Las Vegas newspaper. He had heard the scanner and got there before the police. He saw the homeless man, dead, blood on his chest. He waited for the police. Waited.
Then he made a decision that changed his life. He checked in the dead man's pockets for some ID. Maybe he could write a story with extra information. Maybe it would make his career.
What Hudson found would lead him on a chase for his own life.

There is plenty of action and suspense in this novel. We enter the world of the homeless in Las Vegas and those who minister to them. We learn that every homeless person, every “nobody,” has a story.
There are several of issues that are brought up in this novel. Hudson is angry at God for allowing his mother to die when he was young and his father to end up in prison. And Hudson is angry at his father for waiting too long to get medical help, when that help could have saved her.
Ambrose meets a young woman helping the homeless. She is a Christian and he is forced to deal with his anger toward God. She is also being beaten by her boyfriend so readers are introduced to that issue of abuse as well.
Two churches are contrasted in the novel. One is headed by a man who wants glory for himself. The other is a ministry that focuses on helping others and bringing them to the saving knowledge of Jesus. The motives for ministry in these two churches is very clear.

There is a discussion guide at the end of the novel which will give a reading group much to think about. Our motives for doing ministry would certainly be one of the discussion points. Another would be those spur of the moment decisions that get us into trouble later on. How do we hear and obey the warnings?
The only aspect of this novel I did not like was the ending. I felt like I was reading one of those westerns where all seems lost and the calvary comes riding over the hill at the last moment. While not unforeseen, the rescue was too quick, too convenient.

I received an egalley of this book from the Litfuse Publicity Group for the purpose of this review.

Share this review:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 2 for Nobody

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:October 10, 2007

dale Lewis

When local newspaper reporter Hudson Ambrose hears an early morning call about an injured person at a bus stop on his police scanner, he rushes to the scene to get the scoop. What he discovers is a murdered homeless mana nobody who will probably get lost in a system of red tape. With sirens in the distance, Hudson impulsively decides to take a bankbook with an unbelievable balance and a blood-stained key as he leaves the scene. When he follows up on the police action with a phone call, he finds no homicide reported or a corpse found; the bus stop is surprisingly bloodless. Hudson is now compelled to find out who this homeless person, Chester Holte, was and what he doing on the streets. This was my first read of a Creston Mapes novel and I was extremely enthralled at the depth of his story and cast. He is a compelling storyteller . . . a word smith whose words are worth a thousand images. The author takes great care in painting a realistic setting with relationally interconnected characters who fit in well within that environment. This makes it very difficultto put the book down. The story is sentimental but not sappy (although the love story happened too quickly for me). Its message convicting but not overpowering or preachy.Hudsons journey, although dark, is captivating and very down-to-earth. The roller coaster emotions of deceit, shame, fear and grief consume Hudson as he deals with the mystery of Chester and unexpected death of his estranged father. Discussion questions are included in the back of the book for deeper insight and follow-up to the themes woven throughout Nobody.From this moment forward, Ill be reading anything Creston Mapes pens as soon as possible, (without waiting in line at Barnes and Noble at midnight).

Share this review:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 3 for Nobody

Overall Rating:

4 out of 5

Date:October 10, 2007

Andy

I almost stopped reading when I realized that one of the main characters was called "Holly Queens" - it just sounded so ... wrong. I'm glad I continued. Not only is this a very well written book, but it is also extremely thought provoking. Be prepared to be challenged to add "works" to your "faith"; and to break away from the false security that a cozy, comfortable church can sometimes lure us into. Although this is a work of fiction, it is obvious that Mapes is only using it as a tool to get us to wrestle with far more important life themes.

Share this review:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 4 for Nobody

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:September 5, 2007

Susan Sleeman

Top 500 Contributor

Creston Mapes Nobody scores a home run for the originality of plot, unique characters, and Hudson Ambroses vivid faith journey. In the first exquisite chapter Mapes grips the reader, pulls them into the book, and doesnt release them until the final page. AND once he lets you go, he leaves you with questions about your own life that keeps you thinking long after the book is closed.In Nobody, Hudson Ambrose beat report for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, in search of a blockbuster story, races to a potential shooting hes heard about on the scanner. When he arrives, Hud finds the homeless Chester Holte slumped on a city bench, his lifeblood draining into the very streets hes inhabited. The police are slow to respond allowing Hud the time he needs to wrestle with proper protocol and throw it to the winddelving into Chesters pockets and finding a key along with a bank book touting a $689,800 balance. Its at this pivotal moment when you realize Huds struggle is your own, one you have fought many timessometimes winning, sometimes losingbut yours nonetheless and it is the moment that Mapes dares you turn away. Of course you cant, youre hooked, and you have to read on. Through creative and exciting plot twists we follow Hud on his journey to solve the mystery of why wealthy Chester Holte is homeless. On this journey Mapes explores the underbelly of Las Vegas homeless population, bringing us a new understanding of the homeless situation and opening our eyes to Gods love for everyone, no matter their situation. If this isnt enough, Mapes also gives us Holly, Huds love interest, who serves as an example of someone whos been through tough times and come out the other side with an enduring faith that compels her to share Jesus love with others. Shed truly an example for all of us.

Share this review:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 5 for Nobody

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:September 4, 2007

Harriet Klausner

Top 100 Contributor

He heard the report of a dead homeless person sitting at a Las Vegas Boulevard bus stop on the police scanner so Review Journal reporter Hudson Ambrose drives over to see if there is a story although he assumes another Nobody was probably mugged over wine. No cops are in sight as he sits down next to the deceased, a murder victim, and though he knows better checks the pockets for identification. To his astonishment he finds a Wells Fargo bankbook with a balance of $689, 800 and a blood stained safety deposit box key; Hudson takes both and leaves the scene.That morning he goes to the bank and uses the key to open the box. Inside he finds plenty of money, two rings, stock, and articles on Chester Holte and his late wife who died in a tragic accident. Hudson now knows who the victim is. When he follows up on the police action, he finds no homicide reported or for that matter a corpse found; the bus stop has no blood stains. When someone breaks into his house, Hudson realizes that probably the killer knows what he did. As he investigates why Chester worked the streets, he meets Holly Queens of the Downtown Outreach Clinic, who thought Hudson was god sent. Hudsons inquiry angers violent dirty cops and casino employees while the homeless is outraged that their angel was murdered and the police do nothing because he was a NOBODY.The premise behind this gritty dark yet inspirational look at the other side of Vegas is that there is room for everyone in Gods tent so that there needs to be room for everyone in each persons soul. Creston Mapes never preaches as he tells the tale of how Chester became the homeless guardian angel through cynical Hudsons investigation into the mans life. Readers will appreciate this engrossing gloomy yet moving investigative thriller as even a NOBODY is somebody to someone.----Harriet Klausner

Share this review:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for Nobody

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:August 15, 2007

Armchair Interviews

Far from the glittery world of superstar Everett Lester explored in his first two books, The Rock Star Chronicles, Creston Mapes takes us into the not-so-glamorous lives of the Las Vegas homeless community in his latest release, Nobody. Hudson Ambrose, a reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, responds to a call on the police scanner about a potential shooting at the Civic Center North bus stop. First on the scene, Hud finds the dead body of a homeless man sitting on the bus stop bench. When the police are slow to arrive, Hud decides to go through the mans pockets, looking for any information that might help him with a story. When he finds a bankbook with a balance of $689,000 and a safe deposit box key, he is shocked. While disgusted with himself for stealing from a homeless man, Hud flees the scene with the items; certain there is a blockbuster story in the making. But Hud has no idea what a hornets nest of trouble his split-second decision will stir up, and how his investigation into the life of one homeless man will alter his own life forever. If I were to give Creston Mapes books an underlying theme, it would be Romans 3:22: "We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are" (NLT). From rock stars to homeless men, Mapes has a special talent for creating genuine and compelling characters on authentic journeys of faithpowerfully portraying Christs love, mercy and redemptive power for all of His children. Creston Mapes, with consistently skillful writing, has become one of the authors whose new books are automatically included on my to-be-read list. If you enjoy page-turning suspense and well-written charactersa story that will not only entertain but also challenge your thinkingthen Nobody is the book for you. Armchair Interviews says: "Creston Mapes does it again."

Share this review:

0points

0of 0voted this as helpful.