Customer Reviews

Nobody True

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an intriguing chiller thriller by Great Britain's master of horror and the supernatural. Written as a first person narrative by the protagonist, James True, a successful graphic artist with his own business, the reader discovers that for years James has been capable of having out-of-body experiences. He is able to project his essence, leaving his body behind, as he wanders around totally unfettered by physical constraints. Unfortunately, on his last such foray, he returns to his body only to discover that he had been brutally murdered and mutilated while he was out-of-body.

At first, the police believe his murder to be the work of a serial killer, and, despite his obvious limitations, James sets out hell-bent to find his murderer. What he finds, however, is betrayal, heartbreak, and fear, as he discovers things about his wife, his beloved daughter, and his business partner that he never knew. He also meets the serial killer, a decidedly creepy character that will have some surprises in store for the reader. Just when the reader has it all figured out, the author pulls a rabbit out of the hat.

Peppered with wry, macabre humor, the plot is so inventive that the reader cannot help but keep turning the pages of this book, despite its falling somewhat short in terms of character development. It is an entertaining, quick read.

NOBODY TRUE is James Herbert's best work in years, arguably his best yet. It is also one of the most original and compelling "horror" books in the past decade. Herbert takes what could have been a preposterous plot, and through brilliant narrative and several twists and turns, makes it a must read for genre fans.
The hero, James True, is capable of OBEs---out of body experiences which enable him to leave his physical self behind and wander around. Unfortunately, during one of these OBEs, he is brutally murdered and mutilated apparently by a vicious serial killer who has claimed four other victims. So when James returns from his OBE, he has no body to go back to.
Herbert skillfully approaches the many aspects of his story: the business partners/friends who he finds he may not have really known; his wife Andrea (kind of funny, if you remember the Andrea True Connection and MORE MORE MORE?), who also has dark secrets; his little girl, Primrose; the horrifying serial killer, horribly disfigured and vicious; his somewhat looney mother and his estranged father. All are interwoven into the exquisite plot, and the reader will find by the time the book is over, he may be a little sad at its inevitable tragic but fulfilling conclusion.
NOBODY TRUE is good writing and good reading; let's hope Herbert continues to show a resurgence in his writing skills.

This story I borrowed from the library as an audio and I listened
to this mystery with HORROR stamped all over it.

After I had returned it I kept telling friends about the plot.
It was SO different Out of Body Experiences being one of the main parts of the plot. Months later i was still raving about this story.

I have just read all of the reviews and some of them really describe the story very well so I won't repeat the plot here. Yes Frank Herbert does go on a little too long in one place only about OBE but the overall plot is SO MIND BLOWINGLY different it is in my 10 top stories
that I will never forget.

I would like to give this story a 4 and 1/2 star rating but after seeing some of the reviews I have to give this a 5 star. (I rarely give a 5 star). If you are not into scary horror don't buy this book and then give it a bad rating. It is mystery horror and well done.

The twists and at times (very sick) turns makes this a MUST read.

I have now gone to Audible and bought this story and downloaded it
to keep forever. You will never think about OBE again without thinking of this story!!!!! Highly recommended!!!

One of the most popular books about horror would be Stephen King's Danse Macabre. Over the years, I've read it a couple of times and have been inspired by it to try out some authors. One of those writers was James Herbert, and now I've read a dozen or so of his books. Nobody True is one of his most recent, and like most Herbert novels, it's a pleasure to read.

Typically when you read a book narrated in the first person, you have a reasonable assurance that, whatever else happens, the narrator will survive. Not so here: from the get-go, James True is dead, a ghost relating the story of his life and after-life. Actually, "ghost" might not be the right word: at the time of his murder, True was having an out-of-body experience, something he'd done on several occasions in the past. The only difference this time is that he had no living body to return to.

True doesn't even know who killed him. The obvious suspect - according to the police - is a serial killer, a malevolent person who may have the ability to sense True's presence. True has his own suspicion: his business partner Oliver, who he'd had a major argument with just prior to his death. Some invisible snooping will do nothing to lessen True's suspicions. Yet even if this is the case, what can he do? True is invisible and silent to the living (except, maybe, the serial killer); he is even having trouble learning the rules of his new existence.

Nobody True may not have the most original story (even True at one point notes a similarity in his plight to the one in the movie Ghost), but Herbert is an accomplished enough writer to bring new life to the idea. As a novel of supernatural suspense, this works well, with a likable main character, a horrific villain and some nice plotting.

I enjoy James Herbert's style of writing. Some English authors are just a little too proper for me but Herbert keeps his books interesting.

Great concept here - having your body killed while you're out gallivanting around on another astral plane. There were a few slow, repetitive spots in the book but for the most part I liked it. Great character development. Truly creepy serial killer (I don't want him wearing MY body). Enough plot twists to keep me guessing. Some tender moments with daughter, Primrose (WHO thought of that name - poor girl).

His first out of body experience (OBE) was caused by a hot potato when James True was six years old; he has plenty of them since. However, the current OBE proves different for thirty-three years old Jim when he returns to his body only to find his mutilated dead corpse was not capable of receiving his essence.

Jim wonders who killed him. Could his art design business partner, brilliant copywriter Oliver Guinane, started again using the drugs that enhanced an unknown anger that Jim married Oliver's former girlfriend Andrea Dodds and they have a daughter Primrose though seven years have passed?; Oliver was physically abusive towards Andrea when he used drugs. Could it be bad happenstance that someone like the serial killer terrorizing the city did him in? Although limited in a three dimensional physical world, Jim plans to learn the truth and hopes to find a way to nail his killer, but the horror of his death pales to what he will find out as true.

NOBODY TRUE is a gripping paranormal amateur sleuth thriller that will remind readers of D.O.A. (both versions) except that the beleaguered movie hero had 24 hours while Jim is past due. The exhilarating story line works on two planes as Jim searches for his murderer while also learning that his perfect personal life was filled with major tremors that he failed to realize existed when he was alive. Suspense thriller fans with a fascinating twist will appreciate this tense tale that never slows down while Jim learns that the truth is fatal.

Harriet Klausner

An interesting book in that it was an unusual approach.
I found it a little far-fetched on more than one occasion but being a bit of a daydreamer I thought it had some interesting thoughts to ponder, about out-of-body experiences.
An agreeable read but if you prefer to be scared you might prefer one of Herbert's other books.

I lost interest in this book about 100+ pages into it. The pace in this story is very slow, which would have been fine if there was some important detail being introduced. However, James Herbert beats us to death with repetitiveness. How many times do we need to be reminded of how it feels like to travel while he experiences his OBE?? Many times he refers to it as a "Star Treky" trasporter experience. The narrator keeps harping the sadness he feels looking in on his daughter and putting his arm around his wife as she is sleeping (he's touching her, but not really touching her). It's as though James Herbert is trying to fill up space by constantly repeating his main character's thoughts that it makes you feel as though you're reading what was on page 33 again on page 82. I'm a big fan of keeping books around if I lose interest, in case I get another spark to go back and give it another chance. I actually threw this book away. Even a story like this one, which follows the thought process of a man who's been robbed of his body and life, needs to have momentum. I will give the author another chance, but this book (as the British would say) is "bloody boring".

I like James Herbert when I'm in the mood for something not too heavy but entertaining just the same.
The idea that you could be killed whilst out of body on an astral jaunt is pretty darn good.
The guy becomes a ghost - and it seems his path has been crossed with a horrible thing called Moker - person, monster type thing...committing atrocities left and right and an innocent knitting needle being employed to do the final dead of stopping the heart. Interesting.
Well then.
The poor man is then left with the very real possibility that whatever happened to him, his family could be in danger and he is really at a loss at what to do. He has some capabilities when it comes to moving a body with his energy but the main problem is, it has to be a corpse!
The bad guy doesn't turn out to be who you think anyway and a shock ending ensues with the monster being thwarted and the guy finaly relinquishing his attachment to his still lving family.
If I tell you much more it won't be worth reading!
Enjoy.

Die-hard Herbert fans will enjoy this one, as it seems to fit the style of many of his other successes. I thought Herbert did a fantastic job of developing the main character (better than another character I can remember), however as the book progressed I started losing interest somewhat. Conceptually the book is quite interesting but is far too predictable. It is sort of a combination of Fluke and the Haunted.