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Ghost Finders #2
Ghost of a Smile
Meet the operatives of the Carnacki Institute - JC Chance: the team leader, brave, charming, and almost unbearably arrogant; Melody Chanbers: the science geek who keeps the antisupernatural equipment running; and Happy Jack Palmer: the terminally gloomy telepath. Their mission: Do Something About Ghosts. Lay them to rest, send them packing, or just kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses...
A distress call was received from the private research centre of one of the biggest drug companies in the world. The police went in - and never came out. A national security team stormed the place. No-one'e heard anything further from them either.
Now it's in the hands of the Carnacki Institute's rising stars. They have the wrong equipement. They have no idea what awaits. And they have the clock ticking in the background. But they also have a secret weapon: JC's very lovely - and very dead - girlfriend...
279 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
35 people are currently reading
686 people want to read
About the author
Simon R. Green
312 books3,208 followersSimon Richard Green is a British science fiction and fantasy-author. He holds a degree in Modern English and American Literature from the University of Leicester. His first publication was in 1979.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
His Deathstalker series is partly a parody of the usual space-opera of the 1950s, told with sovereign disregard of the rules of probability, while being at the same time extremely bloodthirsty.
Excerpted from Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
August 27, 2017
دقیقا مثل کتاب اول، پر هیجان و طناز. و البته با عقیده هایی که هیچ جوره با هیچ دینی جور در نمیان.
برای منی که فقط به دنبال هیجان کتاب های نویسنده هستم و از ماجراهای شگفت آورش لذت میبرم و جنبه های ضد دینش روم تاثیری نداره، خیلی جذابه. ولی قطعا برای یه نوجوان که متزلزل هست، میتونه افکارو به هم بریزه.
برای منی که فقط به دنبال هیجان کتاب های نویسنده هستم و از ماجراهای شگفت آورش لذت میبرم و جنبه های ضد دینش روم تاثیری نداره، خیلی جذابه. ولی قطعا برای یه نوجوان که متزلزل هست، میتونه افکارو به هم بریزه.
May 5, 2018
I've read a couple of Simon Green's books before, and I always end up thinking they would make really good movies. This one was no exception. He's a very visual author, with the sort of descriptions that provide vivid images for every scene, and this book consists of long action sequences alternating with lots of snarky banter between the characters. All the things that work quite well in a movie.
Unfortunately, in this case, it didn't work so well for me as a book. The banter and bickering got real old, real fast. It kind of shouldered out any actual character development. As far as I'm concerned, the characters can be summarized as: the cocky, over-confident one (JC), the neurotic one (Happy), the geeky girl who blurts out TMI about her sex life (Melody) and the manic pixie dream ghost (Kim). And in this case, the action sequences--if this were a movie--would be best suited to a campy B movie. Lots of violence, gore and cheap thrills, and very little actual tension.
It probably didn't help that I listened to this as an audio book. Hearing all the non stop bickering made me want to shout at the characters to just STFU. Green's not a terrible writer by any means, but this was my least favorite so far.
Unfortunately, in this case, it didn't work so well for me as a book. The banter and bickering got real old, real fast. It kind of shouldered out any actual character development. As far as I'm concerned, the characters can be summarized as: the cocky, over-confident one (JC), the neurotic one (Happy), the geeky girl who blurts out TMI about her sex life (Melody) and the manic pixie dream ghost (Kim). And in this case, the action sequences--if this were a movie--would be best suited to a campy B movie. Lots of violence, gore and cheap thrills, and very little actual tension.
It probably didn't help that I listened to this as an audio book. Hearing all the non stop bickering made me want to shout at the characters to just STFU. Green's not a terrible writer by any means, but this was my least favorite so far.
September 22, 2011
As far as Green's British horror fantasy world goes, the Ghost Hunters series has the most to offer the casual reader, lacking the depth of the Nightside series or the intricate plotting of the Secret Histories. The second entry into the series is no exception consisting of only two acts and a limited if central conflict, and characters that do not strain the author's writing abilities in the slightest. Sadly, I must say that this book acts as filler between the next Nightside novel and Secret Histories and while I enjoy much of Green's clever use of British Legend and his innate descriptive talent, this series could die a very quick and quiet death and few would lament its passing.
December 27, 2011
The second book in Simon Green's Ghostfinder series and while better than the first book in the series it's still a bit light. It's not bad, in fact, it was actually fun in places, but it's still trying to get its legs compared to Green's other series. The biggest problem is that the book seems to be written by a formula. At the beginning of a chapter the heroes are in danger, but save themselves with some quick thinking. Start the next chapter and the same thing happens until you get to the end of the book and our heroes face the big bad who often seems to be dispatched with not much more effort than the lesser villains.
The back and forth banter/arguing between the characters is one of Green's strengths, but even that seems to get repetitive after a while. You may not know exactly what each character is going to say, but you're sure of its general tone.There are places where it's still funny, but for the most part it's déjà vue all over again.
To me it feels as though Green doesn't take this series as serious as he does his other series; all of which are REALLY good and is just kind of throwing this series out there. Even if that's true though it's still kind of fun; very light reading, but fun. I just hope as the series goes on Green gives it a little more depth so it can become really good. Perhaps good enough to stand aside the Deathstalker series, the Nightside series and the Edwin Drood series; now that would be a reason to smile!
The back and forth banter/arguing between the characters is one of Green's strengths, but even that seems to get repetitive after a while. You may not know exactly what each character is going to say, but you're sure of its general tone.There are places where it's still funny, but for the most part it's déjà vue all over again.
To me it feels as though Green doesn't take this series as serious as he does his other series; all of which are REALLY good and is just kind of throwing this series out there. Even if that's true though it's still kind of fun; very light reading, but fun. I just hope as the series goes on Green gives it a little more depth so it can become really good. Perhaps good enough to stand aside the Deathstalker series, the Nightside series and the Edwin Drood series; now that would be a reason to smile!
January 17, 2012
Have you seen those shows about ghosthunters?This is what they wished they were.
The fastest rising A-team of the Carnacki Institute are back. Again, they are facing off against forces that are well beyond them with no briefing and almost no tools or weapons.JC is still dealing with the changes he underwent in the first novel.Melody has to try to cope without all of her beloved tech.Happy Jack Palmer is trying to deal without his chemical support.Finally Kim,JC's ghost girlfriend,is along for the ride.A medical research facility has been tampering with things best left alone and know it is up to the team to straighten it all out.
This is only the second book in the series.The characters are still growing into themselves.Their relationships with each other is only growing stronger.The story is eerie and downright spooky at times.
There was a little confusing editing.Both the American and British version of numbering a building's floors were used.So at times, the same floor was called the third floor and the second floor.I rather enjoyed the British version, since it went so well with the other British slang and idioms used.If a story is set in London, with British characters, they shouldn't be speaking "American" English.
The fastest rising A-team of the Carnacki Institute are back. Again, they are facing off against forces that are well beyond them with no briefing and almost no tools or weapons.JC is still dealing with the changes he underwent in the first novel.Melody has to try to cope without all of her beloved tech.Happy Jack Palmer is trying to deal without his chemical support.Finally Kim,JC's ghost girlfriend,is along for the ride.A medical research facility has been tampering with things best left alone and know it is up to the team to straighten it all out.
This is only the second book in the series.The characters are still growing into themselves.Their relationships with each other is only growing stronger.The story is eerie and downright spooky at times.
There was a little confusing editing.Both the American and British version of numbering a building's floors were used.So at times, the same floor was called the third floor and the second floor.I rather enjoyed the British version, since it went so well with the other British slang and idioms used.If a story is set in London, with British characters, they shouldn't be speaking "American" English.
March 31, 2019
This is the second volume in Green's Ghost Finders series, which features a team of three operatives from the brilliantly-named Carnacki Institute in their attempt to keep the world of the living safe from those who are not. I did not enjoy it as much as the first book, Ghost of a Chance, because I felt it really lagged in the middle. The first fifty pages were sort of a stand-alone adventure that was great, and the last fifty pages had the same feel in that they found things to be not as well wrapped-up as they thought from the middle section and had to re-resolve the situation and suffered a surprising loss. The middle hundred and seventy five pages, however, just involved them going from the ground floor to the top floor of a haunted building, and while the dialog was jaunty and clever, there just wasn't enough plot to justify the length. I'll give the third book a shot, though, just to find out if they can regain their lost comrade.
December 20, 2013
This actually managed to break out of some of the standard Simon R. Green writing and be genuinly scary at times. Often Green's own writing gets in the way of pushing the horror of a setting, but this time it worked very well. Overall I liked it a bit more than Ghost of a Chance and am looking forward to the next book. The long term plot arc is starting to unfold and it seems interesting. Although once again Green has decided to tie his worlds together. For good or ill, I haven't decided.
September 12, 2011
Another great book by Mr. Green. JC and his team of Ghost Finders enter a building of an unethical medical firm, which has become a house of horrors. Green's unique sense of humour is keeping the story from becoming too horrific to enjoy and the plot twists in the end are unbelievable. Can't wait for book 3!
July 27, 2015
I really enjoy Simon Green's writing style. This reminds me of the Nightside novels and close to but just not quite as good. The characters are flawed and fun. The plot was interesting overall, even with my not having read the first book, but it did get just a bit repetitive when they started going up inside the building.
August 3, 2012
I've read a lot of Simon R. Green's work, and I have to finally say this: I'm done.
He revels in death and destruction, depravity and dementia...and there are just so many ways he can write about eviscerations, people being turned inside out, tortured, maimed, etc etc etc..and it just becomes one big repetitive narration. He's also gone to the "oh, it's so grotesque no human mind can hold onto the thought" wayyyyyyyyy too many times.
This series is just a rehash of all the same old, same old, with uninteresting characters who spout (and often re-spout the same things, in just different word configurations) with great pompous attitudes.
Give this a wide pass.
He revels in death and destruction, depravity and dementia...and there are just so many ways he can write about eviscerations, people being turned inside out, tortured, maimed, etc etc etc..and it just becomes one big repetitive narration. He's also gone to the "oh, it's so grotesque no human mind can hold onto the thought" wayyyyyyyyy too many times.
This series is just a rehash of all the same old, same old, with uninteresting characters who spout (and often re-spout the same things, in just different word configurations) with great pompous attitudes.
Give this a wide pass.
February 23, 2015
A true psychological paranormal mystery horror thriller! I swear there was an entire book in just he first chapter! I love how these guys power through their neuroses despite everything.
January 24, 2020
Ghost of a Smile is the second book in Ghost Finders series written by Simon R. Green. It stars a second string team in the Carnacki Institute, who hunts ghosts.
Kim Sterling, the resident ghost, joins the newest A-Team for the Carnacki Institute with overly enthusiastic leader, JC Chance; the pill-popping pessimistic telepath, Happy Jack Palmer; the technogeek Melody Chambers – they are the best, albeit they might not be the first choice.
The Ghost Finders are summoned to London's Chimera House, which went radio-silent after broadcasting a cry for help. Furthermore, anyone who's gone in since has simply vanished. So now the team has to plunge into the depths of a horrifying situation that's left no survivors to date. However, as they climb the floors towards the top, the things they encounter are progressively more disturbing, and more deadly. Ghosts are the least of their worries when the team finds out just what this simple branch of the Chimera House was really up to.
Ghost of a Smile is moderately written well. The narrative, mood, and pacing is significantly better than the first. Green plays with some interesting concepts, some of which are a recurring motif in his books such as human vs. superhuman and man vs. monster, but done better elsewhere. Unfortunately, when compared to his other books, it still falls a little flat. His characters aren't that well developed compared to other protagonists in his other series.
All in all, Ghost of a Smile is written somewhat well and is a mediocre continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Kim Sterling, the resident ghost, joins the newest A-Team for the Carnacki Institute with overly enthusiastic leader, JC Chance; the pill-popping pessimistic telepath, Happy Jack Palmer; the technogeek Melody Chambers – they are the best, albeit they might not be the first choice.
The Ghost Finders are summoned to London's Chimera House, which went radio-silent after broadcasting a cry for help. Furthermore, anyone who's gone in since has simply vanished. So now the team has to plunge into the depths of a horrifying situation that's left no survivors to date. However, as they climb the floors towards the top, the things they encounter are progressively more disturbing, and more deadly. Ghosts are the least of their worries when the team finds out just what this simple branch of the Chimera House was really up to.
Ghost of a Smile is moderately written well. The narrative, mood, and pacing is significantly better than the first. Green plays with some interesting concepts, some of which are a recurring motif in his books such as human vs. superhuman and man vs. monster, but done better elsewhere. Unfortunately, when compared to his other books, it still falls a little flat. His characters aren't that well developed compared to other protagonists in his other series.
All in all, Ghost of a Smile is written somewhat well and is a mediocre continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
February 11, 2022
I wish I could have found book 1 in this series, because reading them in order would be fabulous, but WOW did I love this book.
I love the quirkiness of the team members, Happy was my favorite.
The book read like a Sci-Fi tv show, and was very visual to me, the action and banter between the characters was superb and funny, as were their relationships.
I loved JC and Kim and their odd and unnatural relationship but for me Happy and Melody are the best because of the superquirkyness of their personalitys. Think of them as Shaggy and Velma getting together, assuming Velma were super kinky, it seems.
The book was fast paced and really held my attention the whole way through. I cant wait to read the other books
I love the quirkiness of the team members, Happy was my favorite.
The book read like a Sci-Fi tv show, and was very visual to me, the action and banter between the characters was superb and funny, as were their relationships.
I loved JC and Kim and their odd and unnatural relationship but for me Happy and Melody are the best because of the superquirkyness of their personalitys. Think of them as Shaggy and Velma getting together, assuming Velma were super kinky, it seems.
The book was fast paced and really held my attention the whole way through. I cant wait to read the other books
July 15, 2024
This is a review for the series (books 1-6) Graphic Audio version. So that means this isn't quite the same as the text version since they dramatize it and basically make it into a play. Perhaps I would have liked the text version better. They are entertaining but like goofy action popcorn flick movies. There isn't any depth here. There tends to be a lot of repetition of phrases and descriptions. Sometimes within the same book, almost always from book to book. This is in a shared universe with his Nightside books but I liked those much more.
It was entertaining but not quite good enough to make the 3 star rating (which is my normal rating for most books - it has to be really good to get 4 or 5 stars for me.)
It was entertaining but not quite good enough to make the 3 star rating (which is my normal rating for most books - it has to be really good to get 4 or 5 stars for me.)
June 9, 2018
Oh my God! I can't believe that this book is worse than the first one! Shame on you, Mr. Green!
Unlikeable and unbelievable characters; uninteresting action. Glacial pacing. A perfect example of how bad this book was is the fact that the last 13 pages has four characters standing around TALKING to each other while a fifth member is carrying out a risky clean up situation!
That's it-I have books 3 and 4 in the series but I'm not going to waste my time. Into the donation pile they go-let some other unsuspecting reader suffer.
Absolute crap.
Unlikeable and unbelievable characters; uninteresting action. Glacial pacing. A perfect example of how bad this book was is the fact that the last 13 pages has four characters standing around TALKING to each other while a fifth member is carrying out a risky clean up situation!
That's it-I have books 3 and 4 in the series but I'm not going to waste my time. Into the donation pile they go-let some other unsuspecting reader suffer.
Absolute crap.
July 27, 2020
This is a very good entry in this series. A few years old, but I just found it. I had read #1 "Ghost Of A Chance", a while back. If I had read these close to each other, I probably would have gotten tired of the banter between the characters, but with this distance between books, it was still mostly funny.
Our three (four?) ghost busters are on a new case involving a drug trial gone seriously bad. Charming and thrilling throughout. And wait till you see what JC Chance has up his sleeve (pun intended)! Good read. Sort of along the lines of a British Harry Dresden adventure.
Our three (four?) ghost busters are on a new case involving a drug trial gone seriously bad. Charming and thrilling throughout. And wait till you see what JC Chance has up his sleeve (pun intended)! Good read. Sort of along the lines of a British Harry Dresden adventure.
April 8, 2021
Scooby Doo for adults. It is a great romp. There are lots of teasers for the next book. I do wish I’d read the previous book 1st. I would recommend doing that.
The four primary characters are well developed And likable. I found myself comparing them to the Scooby Doo characters I must admit. But likewise to other characters in my life. The story was simple, Just as it was intended to be. If you want a nice break with something a little dark but fun, this is your book.
The four primary characters are well developed And likable. I found myself comparing them to the Scooby Doo characters I must admit. But likewise to other characters in my life. The story was simple, Just as it was intended to be. If you want a nice break with something a little dark but fun, this is your book.
June 19, 2019
A helter-skelter ride of a book.
This book starts in top gear and stays there, right to the end. If you're looking for a cosy, Sunday afternoon read then this isn't it: It's fast paced, edgy and horrific. Some of the concepts in the book will discombobulate your brain... I loved it. I can't wait to read the next one.
This book starts in top gear and stays there, right to the end. If you're looking for a cosy, Sunday afternoon read then this isn't it: It's fast paced, edgy and horrific. Some of the concepts in the book will discombobulate your brain... I loved it. I can't wait to read the next one.
October 10, 2022
I tend to like Simon R. Green -- I'm a huge fan of the Nightside chronicles and of Hawk & Fisher/the Blue Moon series. This was...meh. The characters just didn't seem as well-rounded as some of his others and unfortunately, the plot wasn't enough to make up for them. If you are planning to read Simon R. Green [and you should :)] try starting with a different series.
August 8, 2018
The series is OK but I doubt if I will read another one.
December 30, 2019
podobne ako prvy diel, jednoduche citanie, nicim vyrazne neprekvapi, ale splni to, co po precitani prveho dielu od nej ocakavate...
November 13, 2022
Don't take this series seriously and you'll enjoy the ride.
December 16, 2022
Book 2 was almost as good as the first one. It is where we get introduced to the Flesh Undying. Can't say enough about how great Graphic Audio is.
November 28, 2024
Ghost Busters meets Harry Potter meets adventure!
April 2, 2019
Interesting premise, the banter between the team gets better in this story.
May 23, 2016
Part of the reason I love Simon R. Green's book so much, are the names he gives to his creations. Whether they are the good guys, or bad, they all just have cool names. It can be a name that is very specific to the type of person they are; personality, abilities, that sort of thing. They can be bad-ass names, that come straight from a dark and twisted comic book. Or they can be a simple definition of what the character is, as in the case of the main, terrifying villain in Ghost of a Smile, The Flesh Udying.
I've never really thought about it, but names truly are a powerful thing. Yeah, we have all read a book, or watched a movie, where the bad guy is vanquished by the hero learning the true name of their foe. If a demon is involved, the name hunt is going to come up, it's a sure thing. Hell, just ask Superman and Mr. Mxyzptlk, names are important.
But that's not the importance I'm placing on names in these books. After reading numerous Simon R. Green's books, nine of them now, I've learned, anew, how powerful names truly are. Sure, the whole vanquishing through uttering a name cliche has come up in his books, but it's more in the way he uses names that I've become intrigued by. Since I don't know the author, I'm not going to say this as a definite statement, but I'm pretty positive that he puts some thought in to the names, and that they aren't picked out of a hat. Each name he picks seems to have a very specific function. And I appreciate that. These are names that give me insight into the characters's personality. They help me understand the character's thought processes, and their motivations.
I've always appreciated the author's style and humor in his writing. He blends satire, horror, fantasy, and science fiction, just about better than anybody I've ever come across. Ghost of a Smile, the second book in the Ghost Finders series, is a continuation of my love affair with his work, and it's the book that finally got me to look at the naming of his characters, and the insights those names give into what's going on on the page. It's a madcap ride through a locked building, think a traditional haunted house story set in an office building, and involving a lot more than a ghost or two. Think more on the primal level, and you may get an idea of what our ghost finders are facing. If you think of the name he gave his main monster in this one, The Undying Flesh, you get an even better idea of what it is they faced in that building. Like they always say, names have power, and Simon R. Green is genius at utilizing that power.
I've never really thought about it, but names truly are a powerful thing. Yeah, we have all read a book, or watched a movie, where the bad guy is vanquished by the hero learning the true name of their foe. If a demon is involved, the name hunt is going to come up, it's a sure thing. Hell, just ask Superman and Mr. Mxyzptlk, names are important.
But that's not the importance I'm placing on names in these books. After reading numerous Simon R. Green's books, nine of them now, I've learned, anew, how powerful names truly are. Sure, the whole vanquishing through uttering a name cliche has come up in his books, but it's more in the way he uses names that I've become intrigued by. Since I don't know the author, I'm not going to say this as a definite statement, but I'm pretty positive that he puts some thought in to the names, and that they aren't picked out of a hat. Each name he picks seems to have a very specific function. And I appreciate that. These are names that give me insight into the characters's personality. They help me understand the character's thought processes, and their motivations.
I've always appreciated the author's style and humor in his writing. He blends satire, horror, fantasy, and science fiction, just about better than anybody I've ever come across. Ghost of a Smile, the second book in the Ghost Finders series, is a continuation of my love affair with his work, and it's the book that finally got me to look at the naming of his characters, and the insights those names give into what's going on on the page. It's a madcap ride through a locked building, think a traditional haunted house story set in an office building, and involving a lot more than a ghost or two. Think more on the primal level, and you may get an idea of what our ghost finders are facing. If you think of the name he gave his main monster in this one, The Undying Flesh, you get an even better idea of what it is they faced in that building. Like they always say, names have power, and Simon R. Green is genius at utilizing that power.
August 21, 2012
(This review was originally written for Nocturne Romance Reads)
An imaginative and interesting story, "Ghost of a Smile" marks the second installment of the Ghostfinders series. Filled with a balancing blend of paranormal and reality, this book will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the mystery and drama progresses from the first chapter!
Ghost of a Smile has all the elements most Urban Fantasy buffs will enjoy in their reads: paranormal activity, mystery, action, and, of course, the demise of civilization. The story picks up where the first book, Ghost of a Chance , left off and fills readers in on some important aspects previously visited while setting the stage for something much bigger than our group of ghost hunters has ever faced. JC, Melody, and Happy Jack along with JC's ghost girlfriend Kim make up the characters in this tale. The concept of an institute of individuals who investigate the paranormal and who put wayward spirits to rest was entertaining and original to fans of Science Fiction and Simon R. Green alike. The characters the author has created in this series are all unique and different from one another yet they see to balance one another out and make up a workable team together. Some witty repertoire and funny moments often accompanied this group while working together or being in close proximity to one another, but there were definite moments where the biting conversations during extreme situations seemed a bit unrealistic and problematic in the overall story plot. The sarcasm was almost overwhelming in some aspects, but overall it made JC, Melody, and Happy Jack much more interesting in the end.
Action driven and interesting, Ghost of a Smile was a book fans of sarcasm and paranormal mysteries will enjoy and fans of Simon R. Green will appreciate.
An imaginative and interesting story, "Ghost of a Smile" marks the second installment of the Ghostfinders series. Filled with a balancing blend of paranormal and reality, this book will keep readers on the edge of their seats as the mystery and drama progresses from the first chapter!
Ghost of a Smile has all the elements most Urban Fantasy buffs will enjoy in their reads: paranormal activity, mystery, action, and, of course, the demise of civilization. The story picks up where the first book, Ghost of a Chance , left off and fills readers in on some important aspects previously visited while setting the stage for something much bigger than our group of ghost hunters has ever faced. JC, Melody, and Happy Jack along with JC's ghost girlfriend Kim make up the characters in this tale. The concept of an institute of individuals who investigate the paranormal and who put wayward spirits to rest was entertaining and original to fans of Science Fiction and Simon R. Green alike. The characters the author has created in this series are all unique and different from one another yet they see to balance one another out and make up a workable team together. Some witty repertoire and funny moments often accompanied this group while working together or being in close proximity to one another, but there were definite moments where the biting conversations during extreme situations seemed a bit unrealistic and problematic in the overall story plot. The sarcasm was almost overwhelming in some aspects, but overall it made JC, Melody, and Happy Jack much more interesting in the end.
Action driven and interesting, Ghost of a Smile was a book fans of sarcasm and paranormal mysteries will enjoy and fans of Simon R. Green will appreciate.
August 16, 2011
Ghost of a Smile is the second book in the Ghost Finders series by Simon R. Green and an Urban Fantasy from ACE.
Book Blurb:
A distress call was received from the private research centre of one of the biggest drug companies in the world. The police went in - and never came out. A national security team stormed the place. No-ones’s heard anything further from them, either.
Now it’s in the hands of the Carnacki Institute’s rising stars. They have the wrong equipment. They have no idea what awaits. And they have the clock ticking in the background. But they also have a secret weapon: JC’s very lovely-and very dead- girlfriend.
My thoughts:
The members of the Carnacki Institute are JC Chance, Melody Chambers and Happy Jack Palmer.
JC is the team leader and babysitter, urging his team forward with praise or sarcasm - whatever works at the time.
Melody is the equipment geek, always there to poke holes in the supernatural using Science and sound reasoning.
Happy Jack is not so happy. He is a telepath and relies heavily on pills to block out the voices he constantly hears.
Together the threesome, along with JC’s ghost girlfriend - Kim, work to solve the unsolvable cases by putting the spirits to rest. But this new case is different, something they have never seen - possibly man made and more than likely intentional - and they may have a traitor in their midst.
Ghost of a Smile is a unique read. I enjoyed the banter between the threesome which was often sarcastic and snarky.
I give Ghost of a Smile 3 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Ace (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441020755
ISBN-13: 978-0441020751
Book Blurb:
A distress call was received from the private research centre of one of the biggest drug companies in the world. The police went in - and never came out. A national security team stormed the place. No-ones’s heard anything further from them, either.
Now it’s in the hands of the Carnacki Institute’s rising stars. They have the wrong equipment. They have no idea what awaits. And they have the clock ticking in the background. But they also have a secret weapon: JC’s very lovely-and very dead- girlfriend.
My thoughts:
The members of the Carnacki Institute are JC Chance, Melody Chambers and Happy Jack Palmer.
JC is the team leader and babysitter, urging his team forward with praise or sarcasm - whatever works at the time.
Melody is the equipment geek, always there to poke holes in the supernatural using Science and sound reasoning.
Happy Jack is not so happy. He is a telepath and relies heavily on pills to block out the voices he constantly hears.
Together the threesome, along with JC’s ghost girlfriend - Kim, work to solve the unsolvable cases by putting the spirits to rest. But this new case is different, something they have never seen - possibly man made and more than likely intentional - and they may have a traitor in their midst.
Ghost of a Smile is a unique read. I enjoyed the banter between the threesome which was often sarcastic and snarky.
I give Ghost of a Smile 3 out of 5 stars.
Product Details
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Ace (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0441020755
ISBN-13: 978-0441020751
January 24, 2016
This second Ghost Finders novel takes our team of ghost finders to a private research centre where illegal experiments went very wrong.
I absolutely adore the characters in this series. The set-up's very much like Torchwood where we have the charismatic team leader with some unusual god powers, tech girl and then the dour gloomy one, here the manic depressive pill-popping telepath Happy. The team are what make this. Their interaction is great.
The plot... Hmmmm. It's incredibly episodic and formulaic. It reads more like a television series than a structured novel. We begin with an adventure in which the team investigate black Dogges hounding a family of factory owners - Case is solved relatively quickly but this 'adventure' has no relevance to the rest of the book.
The team don't have time to wind down before they're called in to investigate and pacify whatever's in this research building. Here it's like a computer game as we rise up the floors with an end of level boss on each floor. While I adored the killer organs - very Cronenberg and tongue-in-cheek, it is very episodic. The way JC deals with the 'New People' is terribly anti-climactic as well and on a par with him suddenly getting god powers in book 1.
It's towards the very end that this gets interesting and we get conspiracy theory and Lovecraftian Cthulhu suggestion which just put a huge grin on my face. It also ends on a cliffhanger so have book 3 on hand.
I'm really enjoying this series, probably far more than it deserves as the plots and structure are quite weak, but the characters are brilliant and it's chock full of geeky pop culture references. Fans of Torchwood, lovecraft and Cronenberg are going to love this.
I absolutely adore the characters in this series. The set-up's very much like Torchwood where we have the charismatic team leader with some unusual god powers, tech girl and then the dour gloomy one, here the manic depressive pill-popping telepath Happy. The team are what make this. Their interaction is great.
The plot... Hmmmm. It's incredibly episodic and formulaic. It reads more like a television series than a structured novel. We begin with an adventure in which the team investigate black Dogges hounding a family of factory owners - Case is solved relatively quickly but this 'adventure' has no relevance to the rest of the book.
The team don't have time to wind down before they're called in to investigate and pacify whatever's in this research building. Here it's like a computer game as we rise up the floors with an end of level boss on each floor. While I adored the killer organs - very Cronenberg and tongue-in-cheek, it is very episodic. The way JC deals with the 'New People' is terribly anti-climactic as well and on a par with him suddenly getting god powers in book 1.
It's towards the very end that this gets interesting and we get conspiracy theory and Lovecraftian Cthulhu suggestion which just put a huge grin on my face. It also ends on a cliffhanger so have book 3 on hand.
I'm really enjoying this series, probably far more than it deserves as the plots and structure are quite weak, but the characters are brilliant and it's chock full of geeky pop culture references. Fans of Torchwood, lovecraft and Cronenberg are going to love this.
March 14, 2013
I think I've read just about everything published by Simon R. Green and have largely enjoyed all of them.
"Ghost of a Smile" is the second installment in his Ghost Hunters series. Populated with distinct and interesting characters, well-defined and consistent "world rules" and ridiculously fun action scenes this latest book in the series is no exception to his unique writing style.
The pace is, at times, slower than his other works, possibly as a means to slow the action down in order to introduce elements of horror which typically take a couple of pages to build to a boil. Has to be a completely different approach than his typical action packed sci-fi / urban fantasy tales.
"Ghost of a Smile" is a very fast read, coming in much lighter than his normal books. I suspect he may have intended the series to be YA of some kind, before (wisely) just writing in his own style.
After reading dozens of his novels there a couple of things which simply impress the hell out of me;
- his writing style is always consistent
- characters are NEVER dull and always flawed in some way
- his plots take the most ludicrously EXCELLENT twists
- he has created his own mythology which spans a multitude of novels and even genres (like urban fantasy with epic sci-fi space opera) which allow him brief crossovers featuring his own characters.
Reading his books always make me feel like I'm hanging out with old friends from college, drinking beer and catching up on things.
I keep praying for the day that Simon R. Green decides to create a series based on the now booming "superhero" genre bubble. I do believe that would be an absolute treasure if ever written.
"Ghost of a Smile" is the second installment in his Ghost Hunters series. Populated with distinct and interesting characters, well-defined and consistent "world rules" and ridiculously fun action scenes this latest book in the series is no exception to his unique writing style.
The pace is, at times, slower than his other works, possibly as a means to slow the action down in order to introduce elements of horror which typically take a couple of pages to build to a boil. Has to be a completely different approach than his typical action packed sci-fi / urban fantasy tales.
"Ghost of a Smile" is a very fast read, coming in much lighter than his normal books. I suspect he may have intended the series to be YA of some kind, before (wisely) just writing in his own style.
After reading dozens of his novels there a couple of things which simply impress the hell out of me;
- his writing style is always consistent
- characters are NEVER dull and always flawed in some way
- his plots take the most ludicrously EXCELLENT twists
- he has created his own mythology which spans a multitude of novels and even genres (like urban fantasy with epic sci-fi space opera) which allow him brief crossovers featuring his own characters.
Reading his books always make me feel like I'm hanging out with old friends from college, drinking beer and catching up on things.
I keep praying for the day that Simon R. Green decides to create a series based on the now booming "superhero" genre bubble. I do believe that would be an absolute treasure if ever written.
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