Join BookBrowse today and get access to free books, our twice monthly digital magazine, and more.

What do readers think of Ghostman by Roger Hobbs? Write your own review.

Summary | Reviews | More Information | More Books

Ghostman

by Roger Hobbs

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs X
Ghostman by Roger Hobbs
  • Critics' Opinion:

    Readers' rating:

  • Published Feb 2013
    336 pages
    Genre: Thrillers

    Publication Information

  • Rate this book


Buy This Book

About this book

Reviews

Page 2 of 3
There are currently 22 reader reviews for Ghostman
Order Reviews by:

Write your own review!

Joan R. (Chicago, IL) (01/11/13)

Terrific Thriller
I am not someone who reads thrillers, but I gave this one a try and am I glad I did! This is a gem of a book---fast paced, well-written and engrossing. I couldn't put it down. I usually avoid thrillers, because I don't enjoy the violence, but the violence in this book, while present, is not excessive. The narrator is intelligent and interesting and the plot's twists and turns are a pleasing challenge. This book would appeal to a wide range of readers--even those like me who don't usually read this genre---so I heartily recommend it.
Jan T. (Leona Valley, CA) (01/09/13)

Ghostman
Ghostman is an amazing book. It is unusual and highly compelling. The author writes with such intelligence and obviously has researched the grungy world of crime. It is a faced paced book which flips from a previous crime to the one central to the book. The author fills in the characters cleverly using bits of information from both crimes. It is utterly fascinating. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys an intense thrillride. I am excited to follow this debut author throughout his career - he is destined to be one of the "greats." I will be gifting this book to all my mystery/crime loving friends.
Christopher R. (Brooklyn, New York) (01/06/13)

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.
Anita S. (Boynton Beach, FL) (01/05/13)

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.
Gary R. (Bolingbrook, IL) (01/05/13)

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!
Christine P. (Salt Lake City, UT) (01/05/13)

Ghostman
If you are a fan of the heist and how it all works, or doesn't, then this is the book for you. It's kind of an Ocean's Eleven meets Quentin Tarantino. The workings of a heist are beautifully crafted in Ghostman but be prepared for tons of violence. This is a gory one. I am impressed with the detail in Roger Hobb's first novel and this has the potential of becoming a series. I am not sure that is the author's intent but I can see where its main character's story is not finished and there are clues that other characters need to be explored further. The story follows a past job and the fixing of a job that has just happened. "Jack" is called in to fix it. His specialty is to make the players of a job like ghosts, vaporizing when it is done. Hobb's imagination is amazing, either that or he has lived quite the colorful life so far for someone so young. I expect to see more from this author and his ghostman, Jack.
Anne M. (Austin, TX) (01/02/13)

Ghostman keeps you guessing
"Jack" not his real name -- we don't think is called in to clean up the mess made by two casino robbers in Atlantic City. One of them got away with the money, but if it isn't retrieved within 48 hours, the cash will explode ... Jack doesn't want to be part of this heist at all but thanks to a foul-up of another robbery in Kuala Lumpur 5 years earlier, he's forced to dance to the tune piped by his boss.

The narrative shifts back and forth between KL and AC, and we get glimpses of the planning that led to the KL debacle and thus to the current situation; Hobbs kept my attention very well with his backstory and descriptions of Jack and his fellow burglars. I really enjoyed this book.
Anne G. (Austin, TX) (12/31/12)

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs
I thought this was an interesting story with some intriguing characters. It seemed the author did a lot of research (or has a former life as a criminal) in order to relate all the details of the various heists, encounters with bad guys, and other criminal escapades. I must admit that about halfway through the book I found it somewhat annoying that Ghostman had the ability to out think, out smart and out maneuver in every single situation. I do think the author has great imagination, excellent writing skills and a very bright future. Can't help but wonder if this book is the opening salvo in a new Ghostman series. If so, sign me up for the next installation.
  • Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

More Information

Read-Alikes

Support BookBrowse

Join our inner reading circle, go ad-free and get way more!

Find out more


Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Clear
    Clear
    by Carys Davies
    John Ferguson is a principled man. But when, in 1843, those principles drive him to break from the ...
  • Book Jacket: Change
    Change
    by Edouard Louis
    Édouard Louis's 2014 debut novel, The End of Eddy—an instant literary success, published ...
  • Book Jacket: Big Time
    Big Time
    by Ben H. Winters
    Big Time, the latest offering from prolific novelist and screenwriter Ben H. Winters, is as ...
  • Book Jacket: Becoming Madam Secretary
    Becoming Madam Secretary
    by Stephanie Dray
    Our First Impressions reviewers enjoyed reading about Frances Perkins, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's ...

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
A Great Country
by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
A novel exploring the ties and fractures of a close-knit Indian-American family in the aftermath of a violent encounter with the police.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    The Flower Sisters
    by Michelle Collins Anderson

    From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.

  • Book Jacket

    The Stone Home
    by Crystal Hana Kim

    A moving family drama and coming-of-age story revealing a dark corner of South Korean history.

Win This Book
Win The Funeral Cryer

The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu

Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

M as A H

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.