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

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.

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.

The success of this book depends on the reader's belief that the protagonist, a seasoned thief, is an expert in all things the reader is not, including, but not limited to, bank robbery, firearms, pharmaceuticals, money laundering, money minting, automobile repair, law enforcement techniques, cell phone and radar jamming. The list goes on and on. It is quite possible that the author truly is an expert in all of this (though the book jacket remarks that he is a recent college graduate, so it seems quite unlikely that he has had all of those experiences.) I am by no means an expert in any of those fields, but as a physician and a hunter, I do have some knowledge of firearms and pharmaceuticals, and the protagonist's (often lengthy and pedantic) dissertations on, at least these two subjects, were wildly off base. This, in the end, ruined the book for me.

What a great read. So much to learn about bank robberies! This was a winner. I have read Lee Child's stories of Jack Reacher and found them a little more graphically violent than I can stand. This book, while detailed, did not dwell as much on that aspect. I, of course, read straight through it because it was that exciting. Roger Hobs does not dwell on ANY extraneous details too long. Jack, the "hero" is like Superman, who swoops in, fixes the situation , and disappears. That means that we might hear more from Roger Hobbs and his Jack? I hope so.

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!

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.