Nobody true - James Herbert > Reviews (16)

Nobody True
written by James Herbert.
James True - a pretty average person,five-eleven tall,slimmish,good mid-brown hair,blue eyes, not bad looking. Average - quite ordinary really. Except he has O.B.E.'s (out of body experiences)
The first time was due to a rather hot boiled potato that he over eagerly tried to eat whole. In order to save his mother any embarassment by making a scene, whilst burning his mouth, he tried to swallow the offending potato whole, schorching his mouth and throat. Unfortunately the potatoe had other ideas and lodged in his throat. James' body took over and fell down in a faint His soul had other plans and took the opportunity to exit his physical body for a mid air jaunt.
James had a few of these O.B.E.'s during his childhood and progressed to trying to initiate and control them.
Finally leaving home and moving away from his over-bearing mother, who constantly reminded him of how his father was a useless man, who had deserted them at the earliest opportunity, James' career takes him in to advertising. He sets up company with his only true friend Oliver, who happens to be dating the lovely Andrea. Oliver has a Habit that comes between his relationship with Andrea and pushes her to the arms and safety of life with James. They marry and have a little girl, Primrose.
Sydney Presswell is also a partner in the friends agency but he runs silently in the background keeping tabs on the account s and making sure they are all in order - preferably his kind of order.
James and Oliver have spent the weekend in a hotel discussing a big new presentation and possible merger of their company when the meeting errupts into an almighty row, with Oliver getting high and walking out in to the night. James gets drunk and his body collapses with exhaustion. His soul has other ideas and goes for a walk. When he returns from his O.B.E. he is horrified to find that he has been murdered in his abscense.
Meanwhile a mad- man has been commiting a series of brutal killings that involve his victims acting in a very out of character way prior to their demise. Certain aspects of the killings have been kept from the press, no more details than necessary are released. The killer is an accomplished knitter!!!
After his "death" James is left to wander the world in the quest to find the killer and prevent him from futher horror killings. James is assisted in this quest by his father, who has crossed over from life to the spirit world. Not such a bad father after all. (His mother was partial to some elaboration of facts about why her husband had left.)
To his terror James finds himself trying to protect his family without the aid of his physical body, while also trying to track down his own killer.
The police believe he was the victim of a copy cat killer. So who is responsible for his death?
Maybe the fact that his wife and best friend continued their relationship throughout his marriage to Andrea could point to a possible suspect. Also Oliver's desire to agree to a merger against James' wishes causes more than some suspicion.

And what of Moker, a poor tormented soul, rejected at birth by a mother who could not bear to look at her child's hideous facial deformities, rejected in birth and throughout life. Is this enough to turn an innocent baby into a murderous adult, hell bent and driven to kill any good-looking sucessful person that they choose to take. O.B.E.'s to a disfigured killer would be a release from their physical deformities and a chance to move from place to place, body to body undetected.
The climax at the end certainly has a couple of twists to its' tail.

I was given this by a friend to read.This is the first time I have read anything by this author, James Herbert ,and I must say I think his style of writing is an aquired taste that possibly disagrees with my taste buds. I found he over explained most situation and had to spell out the obvious in black and white for fear of any reader not being credited with enough intelligence to follow the story or read between the lines as to what was happening. I'm afraid I like to grasp the story or imagine the situations a little with my own imagination and felt the author really explained more than was necessary. On the whole not a bad idea or story but I did find myself skimming more than reading in some places.
Worth a read if you can forgive they style of writing , as the concept and plot definately would work in a re-write or movie.