Into the Fire

The author Creston Mapes has written three novels, Nobody being his newest release. The first of his books Dark Star, Confessions of a Rock Idol took us into the life of Everett Lester, rock idol of a death metal band, his descent into drugs and the occult which led to a murder and put him on trial. The sequel Full Tilt gave us the follow-up to Everett’s life with a peek into his dysfunctional family affairs and the ensuing battle to find redemption for his wayward relatives.

This new novel takes us to the flashing neon streets of “Sin City” and thrusts a newspaper reporter, Hudson (Hud) Ambrose, into the murder scene of a homeless man, and while he waits for the cops to respond to the call, he decides to search the corpse. What he finds takes him into a tailspin of intrigue, a discovery of his own shady character, and the revelation that this dead man was no ordinary homeless person.

This anything but a “nobody” turns out to be a benevolent, admired man of God, living out a life of mercy, grace, and forgiveness while generating the trust, companionship, and loyalty of the Las Vegas homeless sector, encouraging and helping those who can to break free of the hard life of living on the streets and protecting those who can’t. An attractive assistant who works at the clinic serving the needs of the homeless is the reporter’s first contact with those who have known this “nobody” he found dead but now can’t find any mention of the man’s murder, body, or disappearance.

His personal investigation of what he knows is a mysterious crime leads him to the discovery of corruption in the police department, an alliance with the lovely clinic assistant, and the sickening realization that he is being framed for the murder of this missing man.

Creston takes us into a multi-point-of-view story, each told in first person, slipping into the different character thoughts and views at chapter breaks. The main voice is that of “Hud” as he pursues what little information he has to go on and while the evidence against him piles up as a result of his initial stupid decision to examine the dead man known as Chester Holte. After getting used to Hud’s situation and emotional makeup, I must confess I found it somewhat difficult and distracting to switch to the other characters’ points of view. Creston is a good writer and handles this approach with believable accuracy, but sometimes, for me, I wasn’t ready for the switches when they occurred, and I found myself rereading passages to re-acquaint myself with whose thoughts I was experiencing at the time. Only one of the characters felt stereotypical even though Creston brought him to life on the pages.

The story of a crime, the nearly devastating decision of a spiritually bankrupt reporter, the evident faith and generosity of a murdered man, and the lovely lady who helps the reporter find more than he thinks he needs, combine to provide the reader with a suspenseful mystery involving an interesting and colorful cast of characters and a multi-tiered plot which goes to the final pages to resolve.

And all of that to conclude that a “nobody” is always a “somebody”. Always . . . in the eyes of God.

Father, you have blessed Creston with a knack for writing appealing stories with unique characters. I pray you would continue to bless his writing endeavors, his spiritual walk, his family, and his heart. Fill him up with the things you want him most to know and do. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.