A Tour de Force of a Thriller by a New Author
Wow! What a rollercoaster ride! Ghostman is an A1 thriller by newcomer Roger Hobbs, a recent graduate of Reed College in Portland Oregon. This is a book I did not want to put down from the moment I read the first sentence. The protagonist, who hasn't used his real name since attending College at St. John's in Annapolis, is the quintessential anti-hero. There are no heroes or heroines on Ghostman. The major characters exist on the underbelly of society, the wrong side of the law, and with unrelenting resistance to honor.
Ghostman, aka Jack Delton, is a chameleon, a thief with no fingerprints who lives off the grid and achieves his thrills by participating in high-risk but well-choreographed robberies. He has an aversion to killing unless it is necessary. In his spare time he translates Homer, Virgil and Ovid into English. He is a loner who travels light, always at the ready to morph into another persona. After my recent visit to the International Spy Museum and the exhibit devoted to disguises, I am convinced this is entirely possible.
Following a botched robbery in Atlantic City in which the money disappears, Jack receives a contact from Marcus, who had arranged the robbery ostensibly to pay for a shipment of drugs. This is payback time for Jack, whom Marcus blames for a botched heist in Kuala Lumpur that cost him millions and his reputation as a premier jug-marker. Marcus enlists Jack to clean up the mess in Atlantic City and retrieve the money in exchange for not killing him. If only it were that simple!
The tightly woven plot moves at the pace of an episode of "24". The writing is straightforward, clean and intelligent. The Ghostman is the criminal world's answer to Lee Child's Jack Reacher – aloof, alone, alert, aware, prepared, methodical, and intriguing.
I can't wait for the next installment-unfortunately, I must. This book should hit the shelves in early February 2013. Loved it! 5 stars!
Rated of 5
by William E. (Honolulu, HI)
Hold on Tight!
A great read. Read it one sitting. Escapist fare taut with action. I highly recommend this book. Well written. Interesting characters would love to see a sequel.
Rated of 5
by Georganne F. (Tampa, FL)
Review of 'Ghostman' by Roger Hobbs
The main character 'Ghostman', is a professional criminal, and the (first person) narrator of this story. The first person narration is seamless and very well done. I enjoy reading stories about people 'off the grid'. I was not disappointed. After 40 pages it was impossible to put down. Well written and action packed, the novel takes you on a wild ride with the Ghostman as he plans, schemes, problem solves, gets into and out of life threatening situations, kills, cleans up and in general keeps the excitement in his life ratcheted up to the max which is just the way he likes it. There are a few over-the-top scenes that may stretch a readers willingness to believe (hey, it is a novel after all) but by the time you get to them you are in deep with the Ghostman and focused on hanging on for what comes next. The ending is neatly tied up and completely satisfying.
Rated of 5
by Julie G. (West Hartford, CT)
Ghostman
Wow! I can't believe that this is Roger Hobbs' first book. The book is fast paced, exciting, and extraordinarily well written. While the protagonist may be on the wrong side of the law, I can't wait to meet him again in future books. A great read.
Rated of 5
by Gary R. (Bolingbrook, IL)
The new king of crime fiction
Find your self a comfy chair, grab yourself a favorite beverage, turn off the phone and television, strap yourself in and get ready for a wild ride. Without giving to much away, the story follows a botched robbery at a casino, and a man more or less hired, a man with no identity, a ghost man, to retrieve the money before it explodes in 48 hours! Throw in the Feds, and the local Boss and the fun begins. I understand this was written while the author was still in college. There should be many years of good reading from Mr. Hobbs!
Rated of 5
by Anita S. (Boynton Beach, FL)
How to Pull off a Heist
What a great book. To use a cliche, it really is a page turner. Every chapter and page was suspenseful and exciting. This book belongs to a genre of books that I really never read - David Baldacci type - so I found it very fascinating. I felt as though I were reading a How-To Handbook on the methods to commit a heist. There are really two stories, one in the present day and the other told in flashbacks, but the two stories do intertwine. The protagonist is the ghost man, someone who appears and disappears when he wishes and we never do learn his real identity. He is the narrator and his moral code is a simple one, don't kill anyone unless absolutely necessary and never reveal your true identity. The writing is great and full of all kinds of details. I believe that anyone who reads this book will love it and it will make a terrific movie.
Rated of 5
by Christopher R. (Brooklyn, New York)
master of details
I was fortunate to get an early copy of Roger Hobb's "Ghostman" via FIRST IMPRESSIONS. I can honestly say that I've never really gotten into the crime novel genre. Still, I read a synopsis of "Ghostman" from the publisher and it intrigued me. After having finished the book, I had two immediate thoughts: Firstly, I have a strong desire to continue reading novels with Jack Delton as the protagonist. Secondly, they should make a movie about this.
What makes Roger Hobbs stand out for me is his attention to details. I am convinced that Roger Hobbs could pull of a heist like the two depicted in the book if he wanted to!!! Those details were so informative and entertaining that he made me enjoy a book in a genre that I don't normally gravitate towards. Sometimes good lit is just good lit. The book was so engrossing; there was never a dull moment. The action goes back and forth between Jack's "inquiry" into a botched heist and one that occurred 10 years ago. This approach by the author really worked for me. Roger Hobbs does a great job of fleshing out the Jack Delton character, as well as the supporting cast. Jack isn't perfect(he makes mistakes, he gets hurt), but you can't help but admire his instincts, ingenuity, and ballsiness. The Wolf was a scary man. The ending of the book was especially satisfying and I thank Roger Hobbs for not going the cliffhanger ending route which would have been really painful for me since I very much loved the book. So read this book. It's a kick-ass, fast-paced, good time.
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of 5
by Vivian H. (Winchester, VA)
