Nameless on No Name Key

by Tom Winton

An ex-corporate hotshot and a homeless fugitive head to the Florida Keys hoping to straighten out their botched-up lives. Due to a poor decision he made Jack Ryder has lost everything dear to him--his wife, his daughter, their twin Lexus's and palatial home in upscale Wellington, Florida are all gone. The other man, known in the nearby West Palm Beach homeless community as "The Prophet," is a well-read, gun-toting, enigmatic mountain of a man who's being hunted down by the FBI for a crime he insists he didn't commit. The highly-unlikely duo first meet beneath a highway overpass the night after Jack is evicted from his home. But they don't stay in West Palm for long. They soon learn the FBI is closing in on The Prophet and flee south to No Name Key, where a friend of the fugitive has allowed them to lay low in an unoccupied mobile home. When they first arrive in the Keys, having a roof over their heads and surrounded by breathtaking watery vistas, the two feel more hopeful about their futures. But that optimism quickly fades. The Prophet begins to think the Feds are again closing in on him, and he starts to slip mentally. As for Jack, every time he calls his wife with hopes of getting her back she flat out refuses, and their teenage daughter becomes even more heartbroken over the situation. Then there's the beautiful, flirtatious bartender down at Michigan Mike's High Tide Pub who, despite Jack's efforts to dissuade her, keeps her romantic sights set on him. As if all that isn't enough, there's now a killer hurricane heading straight toward the Florida Keys, and when it arrives it's going to put Jack in a dangerous situation that could very well cost him his life.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2019

About the author

Tom Winton has done everything from working on a railroad gang in the Colorado Rockies to driving a taxicab in some of New York’s most dangerous neighborhoods. He has also been a mailman, a salesman, an entrepreneur and more. Since having his first book published in 2011 he’s written eight more, and they’ve all been bestsellers.

Said to be a man who writes with his pen dipped in his soul, Tom has been listed as one of Amazon's Top 100 "Most Popular Authors" in both Literary Fiction and in Mystery, Thriller and Suspense. He has also been named by Wattpad (the world’s largest online reading platform) as one of their most followed authors.

Tom Winton lives on the east coast of Florida.

Reviews

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a little predictable but it's a quick and satisfying read.

What I liked about it is that it moved quickly, wasn't overly melodramatic and emotionally manipulative, didn't employ a lot of swearing (I'm not against swearing or offended by it, but I likewise don't think it should be used constantly, as if the author is trying to shock the reader), and I learned some interesting things about Florida and the Keys that I didn’t know before (I've never been to Florida). I also liked all the characters and their kindnesses toward each other, but then, there are no bad or ugly characters in this book, aside from a few one-dimensional attempted robbers and their pit bull at the beginning.

What I disliked about this book is the predictability I mentioned above, and (spoiler alert -- stop reading now if you don't want the story to be spoiled for you) ...

... that the protagonist's conflicts always resolved themselves quickly and painlessly by the perfect solution suddenly appearing out of thin air. There were no long passages of suspense where the reader was left wondering how the protagonist would get out of his current predicament, and frankly, I think the story could have used some of that. And, the ending presented in the final chapter was completely predictable in every way with all the issues figuratively being wrapped up nicely with a neat, pretty bow ... and that's all I will say about that.

Still, all in all, this was a light and breezy "beach read" without too much trauma or difficulty in the story or language. There are no challenging concepts, big dictionary words, or impossibly long sentences. It felt good to read it quickly, and it was enjoyable.

One final note on the writing, and that is that this author is a good, thorough writer and, apparently, a good editor, because there were very few instances of incorrect word usage, misspellings, sentence fragments, and similar issues that are often found in Kindle books (there were a few such things, but only a few).

Congrats and thank you to author Tom Winton on a fine job. I probably will read more of his work.

[Paul Trembling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Winton has a characteristic style - light, smooth and easy to read, but it shouldn't be assumed that his books are lightweight. On the contrary, he deals with some dark and difficult subjects. As in this novel, in which he shows the tough life and harsh injustice endured by America's homeless. As Jack, his main character, discovers, it's all too easy to end up on the streets - and once in that life, getting out again is very difficult indeed.

The pain and despair of finding yourself on the bottom is evoked in a very raw and vivid way by the first-person narrative, all the more powerful when set against the exotic beauty of the Florida Keys.

Jack himself is character whose development is well charted, as he is molded by his experiences. Sometimes he comes across as petulant and self-absorbed, but with some help and encouragement he proves that there is more to him than that.

I did have a few issues with 'Nameless', though relatively minor ones. Here and there I found some of the phrasing a little clumsy, and it also seemed to me that in places the structure didn't support the plot as well as it could have. But that is just a personal view, and despite these quibbles it was still a thoughtful and absorbing story. Jacks epic drive through a hurricane (apologies if that's a spoiler) was especially well written: you may decide you want to visit the Keys after you've read this, but you'll check the weather forecast before you go!

[Lee Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An emotional, compelling novel by a talented author. Tom Winton creates an unforgettable story using awesome main characters, realistic dialogue, and well-placed descriptions. The reader will quickly feel for Jack and his self-induced situation. The 'Prophet' is perfect and very likable. While you turn the pages, Winton adds to his stable of characters, such as Casey and Des, increases the pace, and before you know it, you're going through a powerful hurricane. (One of the best descriptions of a 'cane, and I've been through several.) The conclusion is touching, emotional, and well done. As an author and avid reader, I highly recommend 'Nameless on No Name Key' for all readers, and his other works, too. "Thank you, Tom, for another excellent read. Keep writin'...and smilin'..."

[Dolee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really?

I really liked this book, until the end. There’s just no way things happen that fast. I did notice a few typos and errors, but they were insignificant. The homeless part was very believable, but the quick turn around at the end just wasn’t, especially the part about the daughter. It was like the author remembered he had somewhere to go and wanted get it over with.

[Gerhard Laule · Rating 1 out of 5]

Predicable

Could have been written by a high school person. Pretty boring. Skipped to the end. Won’t read anymore of his.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Good One From Tom

Enjoyed this one like I have all the others. I hope many more will follow as I eagerly await them. Love the settings.