Looking For Mr Nobody by Sue Rann
01/08/2003 . Source: Sue Davies 

pub: No Exit Press. 254 page enlarged paperback. Price: £ 9.99 (UK). ISBN: 1-84243-066-1.

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A book on the surface that has been sent to us by mistake. A detective story surely? Ah, but this is the dread of all 'serious' authors of genre fiction - the crossover book that may be one or the other or, in reality, both.

An American girl in Amsterdam, brought up in an Army family, Robin Carlson knows a little about taking care of herself. She's a wounded soul and needs gentle handling. Along comes Cary Bowman, maybe to bring a little love into her life. Alas, it's not to be. He brings her a mystery and puts her in the way of harm. Wolf is surviving, just, on the streets of Amsterdam.

His friends are the homeless and the helpless. They look after their own. He has glimpses of his past through fractured memories but it is not until he performs a heroic act that his past starts coming back to him. He is much more than he appears to be.

A chance encounter with a girl whom he tries to help leads him into some dark places. Trying to do the right thing brings him into contact with the most dangerous of men. Set against the winter of a colourful European city, this book has all the elements of excitement and adventure.

I had no expectations but found myself increasingly gripped by the story. The narrative is packed with descriptive detail giving a strong sense of place. It also deals well with emotions and intense physical images. It's quite short but it is suitably breathless that once again sings out 'film rights'.

The Science Fiction element is an interesting twist on a familiar subject but suffice to say there are no little green men involved. The book has two narrators Robin speaks in the first person and Wolf in the third. With a chapter each the story moves at a consistent pace.

If you like your detective stories and your SF in a high voltage mix, this is for you.

Sue Davies