Nowhere Man
John M. Green
Best-selling financial thriller from Australian author John M. Green.
Wealthy stock trader Michael Hunt is a secretive man with a past he’s not even shared with Sonya, his university professor wife.
But Sonya is forced to start piecing it together when Michael suddenly goes missing leaving her with millions in debt, a bank foreclosing on their Sydney beach house, and many unanswered questions.
And when the global financial crisis erupts, Sonya’s world gets even bleaker…
Until she stumbles on some strange files… files that will change her life forever… The keys to repaying her debts… and to finding Michael… at least to why he left… and why he lied.
Using the files, Sonya risks everything. Her white-knuckled ride through reeling stock markets, a love-triangle murder and conspiracy takes her from Sydney to Princeton University to ask a famous physicist to help her unlock the mystery.
Sonya’s hunt for Michael becomes a search for herself….if only she knew what he knew…
A thriller with a sharp, disturbing edge that crosses over financial crisis, corporate deals, murder, love, conspiracy, and arcane science and philosophy. This is the thriller that predicted the future…twice!
“I set Nowhere Man around a couple of fictional catastrophes,” says Green. “They were far-fetched at the time yet, most unhappily, both became horribly true.
“I first submitted the manuscript to an agent in August, 2001. Though it had taken me years to write, it only lasted three weeks before I had to do a major rewrite: I had fictionally blown up the World Trade Centre in New York.
Only months before I had been in the Twin Towers. The bank president I was seeing, intrigued by my nearly-finished story, happily showed me around one of the topmost floors so I could add more colour to my book. He, and many of his colleagues, died on September 11.
“Core to the book is Sonya’s attempt to escape a sudden vortex of debt. Originally, I dreamt up what I thought was a wild stock market bust for two reasons… to fast-pace the narrative so Sonya, and my readers, would have a hell of a ride… and because I was worried that world markets were going crazy. I wanted to write a story that was a good read but also one that flashed an amber light of warning that we might be in a hyped-up bubble.
“I was right, but too late,” says Green. “The financial crisis that ripped global markets apart from mid-September 2008 hit the world before the book could be published,”
“Once again, a real world crisis forced me into a major rewrite. So this time, I re-set my story smack inside the actual global financial crisis, weaving my fiction with fact, and making the crisis itself a character in the book.”
“John M. Green is the new Michael Crichton… but better!” – P. J. O’Rourke
John M. Green
“John M. Green is the new Michael Crichton… but better!”
P.J. O'Rourke, international best-selling author
“It’s a futuristic, cyber-type thriller. I thought it was great fun. I enjoyed it.”
Jennifer Byrne on ABC TV's First Tuesday Book Club
“…a fast-paced, slightly futuristic thriller… mainstream airport fiction but the ideas, story and characters demand attention.”
Kerryn Goldsworthy, Spectrum, The Sydney Morning Herald
“…an atmospheric thriller set in the precarious world of high finance.”
The AGE
“…one of those ‘pick it up and can’t put it down’ reads.”
Marcus Padley, The Sydney Morning Herald
“A highly polished debut novel… Nowhere Man is a clever, interesting novel that delivers a stunning mid-book twist and a totally unexpected ending that will leave readers divided in their views. One of the most surprising thrillers of the year.”
Jeff Popple, Canberra Times
“I found myself very quickly caught up in the story and reading it far later into the night than I had anticipated.”
Peter Mares, The Book Show, ABC Radio National
“GREAT READS. Verdict: Intriguing. Enigmatic stock trader Michael Hunt vanishes while his wife Sonya is out on her morning run along the beach, leaving a note telling her he has been kidnapped. Sonya is left with crippling debts… and launches an extraordinary adventure which owes more than an affectionate nod to the works of H.G.Wells. Author John M. Green is a co-founder of Pantera Press which has published Nowhere Man. Both his publishing ideals and his first novel are a credit to him.”
Kit Galer, The Herald-Sun
“This gripping missing-person/financial thriller is an exciting page-turner for everyone with an interest in personal relationships or monetary brinkmanship. Have tissues ready to wipe perspiration off your brow.”
Clive Hodges, Good Reading Magazine ****
“Michael Crichton is good but [John M Green is] no slacker either… I’m ripping through this book… chapter after chapter [until] the eyes are hurting…it’s a really good read… A great mystery. A book has to get you from the opening paragraph… and [Nowhere Man] has… I’m looking forward to reading the rest.”
Nights with Walter Williams , 4BC Brisbane Radio
“I could kill you, as I began reading last night and couldn’t put it down until early this morning… I enjoyed it… I’m sure it will be successful… It’s a good read.”
Janine Perrett, The Perrett Report, Sky Business:
“…a gripping thriller which will literally have you on the edge of your seat!”
James Lush, Saturday Breakfast, ABC 720 Perth
“Michael Hunt is charming, evasive and mysterious. It is the generous helping of mystery in this science-fiction-cum-thriller, and how the disconnected story threads involving Michael’s sudden disappearance, a love-triangle murder and strange yet desirable software, are woven together that creates its readability factor. Every new discovery only compounds the enigmatic mood and teasing power of the plot… Green’s strength lies in conjuring a bewildering landscape of betrayals.”
Gillian Bramley-Moore, Courier Mail
“Staff Book Pick: Fiction/Thriller (and much more). This gripping story will take you in an intriguing & totally unexpected direction & will keep its hold on you, even after you’ve eagerly devoured every page to discover how the mystery unfolds. A MUST READ.”
Terri-Lee, Dymocks Hay St, Perth
“We loved it.”
Berkelouws Bookshop, Balgowlah
“I enjoyed it… it’s a great premise that this woman has access to information that can help her achieve things on the stock market.”
Arcadia Bookshop, Newmarket, Auckland NZ on Leighton Smith Radio Newstalk ZB
“Not only is this a white-knuckled thriller with a disturbing edge – its initial drafts predicted the future. In August 2001, the author fictionally blew up New York’s World Trade Centre. Following 9/11, he revised the novel and included a financial catastrophe before the GFC, which he’s now brought in with devastating effect.”
Readings Monthly
“THE BEST OF LOCAL FICTION… John M. Green’s experience in money matters has been brought to bear in this tight, taut financial thriller… Nowhere Man is a financial thriller with a sharp disturbing edge that crosses over financial deals, corporate crises, murder, love and conspiracy as a woman’s search from Sydney to New York for her mysteriously missing husband turns into a search to find herself.”
Toni Whitmont, Booktopia Buzz
“…It is set in the semi-recent GFC and I loved the fact that while there was lots of stock market related lingo etc, I didn’t find myself scratching my head. The language was uncomplicated, but not “dumbed-down” at all… I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading.”
Will Andrews, Nobody Trusts People without a Tan
“… the plot and pace had me turning the pages well into the night… I thoroughly enjoyed Nowhere Man, and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.”
