Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Over 4 million titles. Learn more
Read and Listen for Free
Prime Reading
This title is also available to read and listen for free with Prime. Learn More
OR
Kindle Price: $1.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $1.74

Save: $0.25 (-14%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Dean Koontz
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

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

by Dean Koontz (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 37,079 ratings
See all formats and editions

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.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 6
    Nameless: Season One
  2. Print length
    70 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Amazon Original Stories
  6. Publication date
    November 12, 2019
  7. File size
    5941 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
Next page
  Report an issue with this product or seller
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Next 5 for you in this series See full series
Total Price: $9.95
By clicking on the above button, you agree to Amazon's Kindle Store Terms of Use
Popular Highlights in this book
What are popular highlights?
Previous page
  1. Life is a weave of infinite possibilities, though some are more likely than others.
    Highlighted by 2,483 Kindle readers
  2. This is his life: confrontation with the darkness that has nothing to do with an absence of light.
    Highlighted by 866 Kindle readers
  3. Flying across the faces of the buildings, the shadows resemble dragons, as if Texas has gone Tolkien.
    Highlighted by 548 Kindle readers
Next page

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dean Koontz is the author of seventy-nine New York Times bestsellers, fourteen of which rose to #1. His books have sold over five hundred million copies worldwide, a figure that increases by more than seventeen million copies per year, and his work is published in thirty-eight languages. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and lives with his wife, Gerda, and their dog, Elsa, in Southern California.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07Y8HKVGJ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amazon Original Stories (November 12, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 12, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5941 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 70 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 37,079 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Dean Koontz, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirits of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
37,079 global ratings
Epic Series
5 Stars
Epic Series
If you have #kindleunlimited and love #thrillerreads and enjoy short-ish stories but haven’t read/listened to this yet… I’m gonna need you to do so now!Broken up in to two seasons, this is basically a psychological thriller tv show but better! I listened to the audio and the narration of #Nameless was just amazing!So Dean Koontz is one of my top 5 of all time anyway I mean the man wrote my first book to ever make me cry, #OddThomas so people may think I am biased BUT this is an incredible series.Nameless is just that, nameless. He remains in the shadows, unknown. His past is a mystery to even himself. He is a vigilante. He ends the people who do the wrongs.SEASON 1: We meet Nameless and go with him on 6 trips. The people he “takes care of” are the worst of the worse. Each episode has a new person, a new situation, and a tiny bit more of Nameless’ past comes through. Kind of like radio waves.(That’s all on that cause you got to read it just trust me)SEASON 2: Nameless is back with even more creeps. Another 6 episodes but in this season, it all comes to a conclusion. We find out who Nameless is, why he does what he does, and ya’ll… he did it again. Koontz made me cry.I loved Nameless. I wanted to console him and tell him everything would be okay. The vigilante story line was excellent and seeing it all come full circle at the end was great! But the heart of the story, Nameless’ story, was so heartbreaking and you felt it!Please, read this series. Or listen to it! It’s a short hour and a half listen and so worth it!Available now (both seasons) on Kindle Unlimited.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

J Monfort
5.0 out of 5 stars Blazing End
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2024
Verified Purchase
Nameless is intriguing--truly an enigma. This rapid read brought many surprises as to the evil within a man's heart, mind, and soul, yet betraying the people he serves. Nameless may be a pawn for retribution or a white knight. He's efficient. Remarkable story.
Helpful
 Report
Mark F. Noble
5.0 out of 5 stars Dean Koontz has done it again!
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
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.
396 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
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
Verified Purchase
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.
6 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Action-packed entertainment!
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was already a Dean Koontz fan before I read 'In the Heart of the Fire' but I hadn't read any of his stuff in awhile. I am so glad I gave this series a try! Nameless (that's his 'name') is a hero to be reckoned with. He has no memory apart from the past two years (like a Jason Bourne kind of thing) and he goes around delivering justice for those most in need of it - finding clever ways to take down those who are truly sick and vile - they really get what they deserve!! There is no mystery here, as in it's not a whodunit, rather we get all the action of watching Nameless take down the evil guys. The subject matter of this story is very, very dark and you get the creeps without Koontz having to go into the gory details of what the bad guys are up to (kidnapping and sexual assault of minors and loads of murder).

The mystery, however, is in what is Nameless's past and what does his future hold? I have already purchased the second instalment of this series because I can't wait to find out. The writing is excellent, it's well-edited - I spotted only one typo, rare these days -- and it pulls you right in without wasting any time. It's amazing how Koontz can fit so much into such a short book. Each and every character is so richly drawn I can still picture them all in my mind still. I'm going to stop gushing now and read book 2. Get it! You won't regret it!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Monica
3.0 out of 5 stars I did not hate it but I did not love it
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I did not hate it but I did not love it. Maybe I wasn’t in the right mood for it. I’m not sure.
Helpful
 Report
Reviewer #18.
4.0 out of 5 stars The first of many...
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2024
Verified Purchase
A good read. Well written and entertaining. What more could you ask? I've got a few more of these to read, but this looks like a good place to stop. For now.
Helpful
 Report
Jan M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Nameless
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
Koontz always gives strange mysteries. The Heart of the Fire is a short nice read. Nameless is someone we wish existed. He serves justice when the system can't or won't. I enjoyed this tale of justice and mystery. I think most Joints readers will enjoy and will want more even though this ended perfectly.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Martina Schmidt
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly riveting
Reviewed in Germany on January 5, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is the first book in a series. Within a few pages the story will have you hooked. With 65 pages a perfect little treat. Koontz at his best.
Report
Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Um de seis
Reviewed in Brazil on May 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
O primeiro livro de uma série de 6 que contam a história de Nameless, um homem de 30 e poucos anos, que executa os planos da Ace of Diamonds, uma equipe de pesquisa, que busca prever assassinatos, abuso e outras situações onde a justiça não é feita.

Nameless não lembra seu passado e não possui uma identidade própria, o mesmo ainda possui a habilidade de ver partes do passado e do futuro em forma de visões repentinas.

Neste primeiro livro o foco é um sherife pedófilo que busca abusar de uma pré-adolescente e para isso pretende matar a família da criança se necessário, como já fez muitas vezes no passado, o sherife tem ainda um comparsa e apoio dos parentes que são juízes, advogados etc que dominam a lei na cidade.
Report
Paul S
5.0 out of 5 stars An atmospheric, short, novella full of menace and drama ... definitively one of my better buys!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2019
Verified Purchase
I have not read anything by Dean Koontz before but now understand why I see his name so often on the best seller lists! In The Heart of The Fire is a short novella that takes about an hour to read. The setting is very atmospheric and the characterisation is excellent. It is easy to visualise all the main characters in the story.
The plot was very engaging both in terms of its mystery and drama. However, I was initially a little surprised by the 'supernatural' aspect relating to 'Nameless' (the main character; a nomadic vigilante with only a short term memory but clearly possessing both knowledge and skills in how to track and kill people). However, this 'supernatural' aspect did not spoil the story in any way and I suspect (and hope) that more will be revealed about it in the following 5 novellas.
So overall, a terrific novella, full of atmosphere, menace, and drama. It has certainly heightened my expectations for the next story in the series!
6 people found this helpful
 Report
ARKA CHOWDHURY
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in India on November 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
A sixty page fun ride of a story I could read in one sitting speaks volumes of Koontz's masterful storytelling ability. Absolutely brilliant.
Report
GT
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great short story.
Reviewed in Australia on February 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Looking forward to the next book. Always happy with Koontz books. Love this new hero, Nameless is looking like lots of fun reading.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report