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Killing Ghost
James Hastings once enjoyed a lucrative but hollow career pretending to be someone else. But when his wife Stacey dies tragically behind the Los Angeles mansion she so lovingly restored, James finds himself alone, spiraling into grief, and haunted by a familiar menace that is not ready for him to move on.
Salvation comes in the form of Annette Copeland, a beautiful widow who moves into the house next door. James and Annette bond quickly over the spousal losses they have suffered, but as their unconventional romance escalates, Annette begins to exhibit uncanny manners and desires that belong to Stacey. Concerned friends and former lovers who try to come between them meet with increasingly diabolical fates, and James becomes convinced Annette's cosmetic changes are only the beginning of a horrific yet alluring case of possession.
Driven to isolation far outside of Los Angeles, James and his unstable companion return to the deserted gated community of Sheltering Palms, where evidence of Annette's family tragedy is waiting for him, and James' investigations unwillingly draw the attentions of two dangerous personalities: Rick Butterfield, a delusional policeman who knows Annette's history and still pines for her; and Aaron, a 10-year-old boy who wanders the desolate subdivision nightly, waiting for his parents to come home.
With every attempt to atone for his failings as a husband plunging James deeper into a nightmare struggle for survival, he must finally confront the ghost of the man he used to be, the origin of his resurrected other half, and the true face of the evil that has brought them together.
Killing Ghost is at once a descent into psychological terror, a midnight meditation of the addictive nature of love, and a novel that redefines the ghost story for a culture obsessed with dark entertainments.
Previously published in the UK as The Haunting of James Hastings, this Cemetery Dance hardcover edition brings the novel to the US for the first time.
Salvation comes in the form of Annette Copeland, a beautiful widow who moves into the house next door. James and Annette bond quickly over the spousal losses they have suffered, but as their unconventional romance escalates, Annette begins to exhibit uncanny manners and desires that belong to Stacey. Concerned friends and former lovers who try to come between them meet with increasingly diabolical fates, and James becomes convinced Annette's cosmetic changes are only the beginning of a horrific yet alluring case of possession.
Driven to isolation far outside of Los Angeles, James and his unstable companion return to the deserted gated community of Sheltering Palms, where evidence of Annette's family tragedy is waiting for him, and James' investigations unwillingly draw the attentions of two dangerous personalities: Rick Butterfield, a delusional policeman who knows Annette's history and still pines for her; and Aaron, a 10-year-old boy who wanders the desolate subdivision nightly, waiting for his parents to come home.
With every attempt to atone for his failings as a husband plunging James deeper into a nightmare struggle for survival, he must finally confront the ghost of the man he used to be, the origin of his resurrected other half, and the true face of the evil that has brought them together.
Killing Ghost is at once a descent into psychological terror, a midnight meditation of the addictive nature of love, and a novel that redefines the ghost story for a culture obsessed with dark entertainments.
Previously published in the UK as The Haunting of James Hastings, this Cemetery Dance hardcover edition brings the novel to the US for the first time.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2010
17 people are currently reading
609 people want to read
About the author
Christopher Ransom
8 books115 followersChristopher Ransom is the author of internationally bestselling novels including The Birthing House and The People Next Door. He studied literature at Colorado State University and worked at Entertainment Weekly magazine in New York, and now lives near his hometown of Boulder, Colorado.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
August 13, 2019
So, so dire. I have heard lots of mixed things about Christopher Ransom, but I liked the premise of the story so thought I would give it a go.
James is a popular double for a celebrity rapper named Ghost, and has lived his life happily with his wife Stacey by his side.
One day Stacey is murdered, and James has to live with the guilt of not being there to save her. As a year goes by, James begins a relationship with a neighbour called Annette, but cannot understand why she keeps speaking like Stacey, or wears her hair the same way, or knows things that no one else but Stacey would know... the idea for the story was great, but it just went on and on and on in a rambling way that quickly became boring. I doubt I will choose him again.
James is a popular double for a celebrity rapper named Ghost, and has lived his life happily with his wife Stacey by his side.
One day Stacey is murdered, and James has to live with the guilt of not being there to save her. As a year goes by, James begins a relationship with a neighbour called Annette, but cannot understand why she keeps speaking like Stacey, or wears her hair the same way, or knows things that no one else but Stacey would know... the idea for the story was great, but it just went on and on and on in a rambling way that quickly became boring. I doubt I will choose him again.
November 29, 2011
I couldn't bring myself to read more than a few chapters of this, so to be fair, I'm not qualified to write a proper review. Maybe it gets better later on, although that would require a complete overhaul of the plot and style, so I doubt it. All I can say is that this is one of the worst books I have ever had the displeasure of attempting to read. The narrative is awful, both because it's poorly written (traffic so bad it 'makes you want to join the Taliban'? A play being described as a 'hunk of shit', etc) and because James comes across as a horrible person, stupid, self-obsessed and sexist. The last line of the book's blurb informs us that 'the haunting of James Hastings might just be the end of him'; I wonder why the hell anyone would care? Definitely one to avoid.
October 16, 2020
This was one of those books where I was CONSTANTLY losing interest but forced myself to trudge on. I'm glad I did as some elements were genuinely creepy and twisted; it just took quite a bit of time to get there, you know? There was also a fair amount of..filler shall we say. It could have been cut down quite substantially and had the same impact. So really, it wasn't a terrible experience but I won't be urging everyone to rush out to buy a copy
November 3, 2013
I feel I should start by saying that this is the third book by Christopher Ransom that I have read. His first The Birthing House was detested by everyone I knew who had read it but it intrigued me though it was strange and surreal. It was far from the best book I'd read but it had held my attention, if only because I was determined to work out what had happened. I read The People Next Door next, again, the premise was good and it made a lot more sense but again it did get slightly surreal towards the end. So, I was in no particular rush to read another but I swapped The People Next Door for this one and as it was Hallowe'en I thought it would be an appropriate choice.
And so.
We meet James Hastings, a double for prominent rap artist Ghost. James used to be happily married to Stacey but a year ago she was killed and since then James hasn't worked, hasn't socialised, hasn't done anything except mourn his wife. Almost a year later a woman moves into the house next door and gradually moves into James' affections also but something is not right. James hears and sees things in his house and Annette, his new lover, begins to take on Stacey's mannerisms and looks but she also promises escape from his heartache. Escaping to Annette's abandoned home when it all gets too much for James seems like a good idea until it becomes apparent that Annette has ulterior motives. Motives that involve her dead son, a fan of rapper Ghost. Annette wants revenge and has tracked down Ghost to exact it - or is it James? Is James Ghost and if so where and who is the real James Hastings?
This books does start off well, James' love and grief for his dead wife are palpable, he is obviously distraught and full of regret. There is a sinister feel to the story when James hears and sees things, definitely enough to send a chill up the readers spine and keep the intrigue. It is only when we get to Annette's former home that things once again start to become a little confused and surreal. This could be intentional as it reflects James' own confusion but after a relatively straightforward story it does seem to lose control and for a while left me not knowing if what I had read was a lie or not. It does straighten out again and everything makes sense but that confusion lost points for me, there wasn't really the need to make as big a thing out of it as is made - as a mystery it didn't really work.
It does seem like Mr Ransom starts off with a good idea and everything goes along well enough and then he gets to a point where something big and unexpected has to happen - except it really doesn't need that - and it spoils the story.
So for me this book falls between 2 and 3 stars, between ok and liked it because that confusion does let it down but apart from that it wasn't that bad a read.
And so.
We meet James Hastings, a double for prominent rap artist Ghost. James used to be happily married to Stacey but a year ago she was killed and since then James hasn't worked, hasn't socialised, hasn't done anything except mourn his wife. Almost a year later a woman moves into the house next door and gradually moves into James' affections also but something is not right. James hears and sees things in his house and Annette, his new lover, begins to take on Stacey's mannerisms and looks but she also promises escape from his heartache. Escaping to Annette's abandoned home when it all gets too much for James seems like a good idea until it becomes apparent that Annette has ulterior motives. Motives that involve her dead son, a fan of rapper Ghost. Annette wants revenge and has tracked down Ghost to exact it - or is it James? Is James Ghost and if so where and who is the real James Hastings?
This books does start off well, James' love and grief for his dead wife are palpable, he is obviously distraught and full of regret. There is a sinister feel to the story when James hears and sees things, definitely enough to send a chill up the readers spine and keep the intrigue. It is only when we get to Annette's former home that things once again start to become a little confused and surreal. This could be intentional as it reflects James' own confusion but after a relatively straightforward story it does seem to lose control and for a while left me not knowing if what I had read was a lie or not. It does straighten out again and everything makes sense but that confusion lost points for me, there wasn't really the need to make as big a thing out of it as is made - as a mystery it didn't really work.
It does seem like Mr Ransom starts off with a good idea and everything goes along well enough and then he gets to a point where something big and unexpected has to happen - except it really doesn't need that - and it spoils the story.
So for me this book falls between 2 and 3 stars, between ok and liked it because that confusion does let it down but apart from that it wasn't that bad a read.
August 5, 2011
It's a shame. I could kind of see where the author was going with this, but it ended up being so confusing I wasn't really sure what the hell was going on. Beginning was really quite good, but then we kind of took this amazing leap of faith and it all went to pot. Pity because it had so much potential to be a really good read.
October 29, 2023
A Heartbreak Hipster Review
My reading method is debilitatingly particular. Basically I'll read a book all the way through, first page to last - including publication notes - then I turn back randomly to a page. I memorise all the words here backwards. Then I flick through eight random pages, mentally noting their numbers. Then I dial those numbers into the phone. I recite the page in reverse to whoever picks up. If the recipient hangs up before I'm finished, I have to read the entire book all over again, varying the angle I view it from in accordance with the minute hand on the clock.
I work at K-Mart and I hope to save enough so I can buy a gun and blow my fucking brains out.
When this gruelling routine is finally over, I come to the best part of my life. Since I don’t have a girlfriend, nothing brings me more joy than to stand before one of my numerous bookshelves to select which book to read next. And this time, my dear friends, I chose The Haunting of James Hastings. A ghost story. Fuck yeah.
From the gatherings of my research, this guy is fairly new to the scene. I have only read this but, considering reviews on Goodreads, he is basically a run-of-the-mill horror writer with a medium talent for putting words to paper, and a minimal talent for making you give a fuck. His debut sounds - fucking, if you listen closely - like a thousand other throwaway paperbacks that are now collecting dust next to John Saul and Stephen Laws in the back corner of that charity store down the road.
Now I love ghost stories just as much as the next guy. But nothing pisses me off like when somebody fucks with this genre. Seeing pictures on Facebook of people enjoying their lives comes close, but if pressed I would have to say this shit makes me angrier. You could sterilise a dildo in my blood it’s so boiled when someone tries to tell an original ghost story and forgets to be original. Or, contrarily, when they try to do something different and end up telling a ghost story that doesn’t even have ghosts.
Fucking, this book does both.
Things started off well enough. Looking at other reviews, I was surprised with the negativity because the first chapter - or, should I say, the prologue - was written quite well. Ransom's style seemed a little clunky; he ain't no goddamm Ballsack. But how many writers are these days? No, it was obvious from the start: this book was the product of a newer, less imaginative industry. One where atmosphere is sacrificed for short, choppy sentences, swear words are on every second line and never more than forty pages without an awkwardly drawn-out sex scene.
This is what modern homelife has been reduced to. If you wanna keep someone's attention longer than two minutes, give them something violent or outrageous. Tits or ass or pussy references as soon and as frequently as you can. Otherwise out come their phones mate, and you're less interesting than their Facebook newsfeed.
Yet this did not bother me much. All those greater works from times past ain’t going anywhere. So I actually enjoyed the first thirty pages or so. It starts out in an ugly part of the world - Los Angeles - and it's based around an ensemble of ugly, obnoxious characters - again, Los Angeles. And, considering the lack of appreciation for this guy's writing, I actually thought it was "effectively ugly".
The loose, chaotic fashion in which James finds his dead wife - oh shush, it says so on the back - and his subsequent descent into grief was actually successful in conveying what I guess is a feeling of emotional dismantlement. A precursor for these liberal west coasters before Donald Trump became their president.
But then comes the next step. That most notorious part from which so many authors fail to get the ball rolling.
Where is this guy going to take us?
Has he anything in mind, or will he wing it?
Is he just going to sit here in park ... staring through the windshield like a fucking weirdo?
Well, eventually he did switch the car into drive. For a while I thought he wouldn't. The engine finally started and it seemed we were on our way.
But then this happened.
The rest of the story was a fucking mess. Like taking a good hard dump, feeling very pleased with yourself, turning round to admire you work and seeing blood everywhere.
Cue all the ghost cliches.
Guy begins hearing voices in his house.
His phone keeps ringing at exactly 9:12 every morning.
He sees his wife's reflection in a window.
All the usual bullshit. Nothing creepy or unexpected. There was only one scene - one involving a painting of rabbits - that actually managed to be a little creepy. But the rest was just your usual tired ghost shenanigans in the key of retard. The only reason I was frightened reading this book was because, in real life, I was awaiting the results of a medical check-up so that I could actually start working at K-Mart.
Unfortunately, unlike Mr. Ransom, these fuckers actually delivered. Imagine my shock as I heard this last voicemail ...
"Hi Ben!! It's Cassandra from K-Mart!! Just phoning to let you know we've received the results for you medical. We regret to inform you that we will not be pursuing your application any further. It is company policy that we only employ people expected to be alive after twelve months. Unfortunately in your case we are unable to confirm this.
The K-Mart team thanks you for your interest in our 'Young Careers Program’ and heartily insist you do not refrain from trying again if, indeed, any vacancies come up!! Thank you for your understanding. And good luck with any future job hunting. Oh, by the way, you've got cancer. Have a great weekend!!"
After this half-assed ghost nonsense, there comes something entirely different. But not "different" in a good way. No, because by "different" I actually mean fucking ridiculous. See, it turns out the voices James was hearing were actually some strange woman next-door who around his upper floors at night. It also turns out this woman was widowed to the man who "accidentally" killed James's wife. This woman is Annette. Apparently she feels bad for what happened to James. Plus she needs comfort because of her husband being dead.
Her excuse for sneaking around his house at night and (let’s not forget) making creepy noises, was that she was "unsure how to tell him". How to break the news.
But I don't fucking buy that.
Back when my heart beat heavier than a tethered rock cast to the depths of the cold loveless sea, I suffered countless hours of torture, pacing my bedroom, thinking of ways to apologise to my Ex-Girlfriend in such a way that would, instead, make her feel guilty and apologize to me.
But at least I didn't do that in the attic of her own fucking house!!!
This is just the first of a multitude of absurd ideas. This is where the story fell apart. I decided James was an asshole and I didn't care his wife was dead. I decided Annette was a terrible character. Her only function was to suck James's dick. The "ghost" of his wife was all but forgotten as Ransom instead seemed to focus on this most vapid story which would have Richard Curtis withdrawing to the bathroom to be sick. I mean, call me prudish, but the second time they ever speak to each other they literally talk for about five minutes, then Annette's bending over the kitchen table - (I recall there being some gross description like "her curled pussy lips smiled from between her splayed white legs") - and here, Mr Modernist who likes to be minimal suddenly turns into Charles Dickens, describing every physical sensation as James’s penis plunges deeper and deeper inside her.
Now I understand these characters would have been sexually repressed. The idea of having trashy sex would have been an appealing one. But Ransom just goes about it in such the wrong way. There isn't any desire expressed in James's mind prior to this moment. Nor does he reveal any gratification after he fucks Annette. To me it just seems like the author was bored writing generic ghost stuff and boring conversations. So he began improvising sex scenes, one hand already snaking down his pants. Except after washing his hands, he couldn't be bothered deleting them. It came across sad and desperate: “Hey, look at me guys!! I can write sex like no one’s business!! Obviously I’m not a virgin, I mention the clitoris and everything!!"
Apart from creating future abortions, nothing of note happens. Sure, James keeps seeing this strange boy in a hooded jacket standing in the garden from time to time. But it’s L.A. isn’t it: fucking homeless are everywhere. The majority of this book is filled with stuff that's either pointless or boring. Forgive me for thinking the Haunting Of James Hastings would be about a haunting, you fucking idiot. What’s with all the weird digressions about shopping in Santa Monica? You’re doing social commentary now? Having a dig at consumerism are you? How’s the book going by the way? And stop doing random things that have no relevance whatsoever to anything you're saying. Example? I’m just about to give you one, if you’ll just -
There is one scene when Annette collapses in the shower. She sees something scary in a rabbit portrait. Scene ought to have been exciting. But the author ruins it by giving - mid-fucking-explanation - a page-long story about the bidet in the corner.
One of the characters might be dead. James is panicking. He must save her. There’s blood everywhere and - Say, is that a bidet in the corner? Where did you buy that? No, no, forget about her!! I've always wanted to try one of these!!!
I’m surprised he didn’t take another two pages afterwards, explaining how the shop he got the shower curtain from is going under because the manager’s daughter gave his credit card details to a scammer in Mumbai who is actually a decent person, he just hasn’t got any opportunity for an honest mode of living there.
The story then spirals away from being shit into just plain being boring. He and his dick-socket drive to the barren wastelands of Arizona and she starts acting strange. The reader, not that they give a damn at this point anyway, are purposefully left not knowing what is going on. Not even thebarren and colourless exotically dramatic Arizonian landscape could save this shit from the tedium it became. But look: I'll really have to stop around here, even though there are many particular things I wanted to talk about. Basically things just get more and more confusing.
Is Annette turning into Stacey?
Is James himself dead?
Is he even James?
Am I near the end yet?
But you have to constantly ask yourself whether you even care. For me, the answer was no. And the ending was by no means worth the wait. I would find a more satisfying ending waiting in line with these guys ...
My reading method is debilitatingly particular. Basically I'll read a book all the way through, first page to last - including publication notes - then I turn back randomly to a page. I memorise all the words here backwards. Then I flick through eight random pages, mentally noting their numbers. Then I dial those numbers into the phone. I recite the page in reverse to whoever picks up. If the recipient hangs up before I'm finished, I have to read the entire book all over again, varying the angle I view it from in accordance with the minute hand on the clock.
I work at K-Mart and I hope to save enough so I can buy a gun and blow my fucking brains out.
When this gruelling routine is finally over, I come to the best part of my life. Since I don’t have a girlfriend, nothing brings me more joy than to stand before one of my numerous bookshelves to select which book to read next. And this time, my dear friends, I chose The Haunting of James Hastings. A ghost story. Fuck yeah.
From the gatherings of my research, this guy is fairly new to the scene. I have only read this but, considering reviews on Goodreads, he is basically a run-of-the-mill horror writer with a medium talent for putting words to paper, and a minimal talent for making you give a fuck. His debut sounds - fucking, if you listen closely - like a thousand other throwaway paperbacks that are now collecting dust next to John Saul and Stephen Laws in the back corner of that charity store down the road.
Now I love ghost stories just as much as the next guy. But nothing pisses me off like when somebody fucks with this genre. Seeing pictures on Facebook of people enjoying their lives comes close, but if pressed I would have to say this shit makes me angrier. You could sterilise a dildo in my blood it’s so boiled when someone tries to tell an original ghost story and forgets to be original. Or, contrarily, when they try to do something different and end up telling a ghost story that doesn’t even have ghosts.
Fucking, this book does both.
Things started off well enough. Looking at other reviews, I was surprised with the negativity because the first chapter - or, should I say, the prologue - was written quite well. Ransom's style seemed a little clunky; he ain't no goddamm Ballsack. But how many writers are these days? No, it was obvious from the start: this book was the product of a newer, less imaginative industry. One where atmosphere is sacrificed for short, choppy sentences, swear words are on every second line and never more than forty pages without an awkwardly drawn-out sex scene.
This is what modern homelife has been reduced to. If you wanna keep someone's attention longer than two minutes, give them something violent or outrageous. Tits or ass or pussy references as soon and as frequently as you can. Otherwise out come their phones mate, and you're less interesting than their Facebook newsfeed.
Yet this did not bother me much. All those greater works from times past ain’t going anywhere. So I actually enjoyed the first thirty pages or so. It starts out in an ugly part of the world - Los Angeles - and it's based around an ensemble of ugly, obnoxious characters - again, Los Angeles. And, considering the lack of appreciation for this guy's writing, I actually thought it was "effectively ugly".
The loose, chaotic fashion in which James finds his dead wife - oh shush, it says so on the back - and his subsequent descent into grief was actually successful in conveying what I guess is a feeling of emotional dismantlement. A precursor for these liberal west coasters before Donald Trump became their president.
But then comes the next step. That most notorious part from which so many authors fail to get the ball rolling.
Where is this guy going to take us?
Has he anything in mind, or will he wing it?
Is he just going to sit here in park ... staring through the windshield like a fucking weirdo?
Well, eventually he did switch the car into drive. For a while I thought he wouldn't. The engine finally started and it seemed we were on our way.
But then this happened.
The rest of the story was a fucking mess. Like taking a good hard dump, feeling very pleased with yourself, turning round to admire you work and seeing blood everywhere.
Cue all the ghost cliches.
Guy begins hearing voices in his house.
His phone keeps ringing at exactly 9:12 every morning.
He sees his wife's reflection in a window.
All the usual bullshit. Nothing creepy or unexpected. There was only one scene - one involving a painting of rabbits - that actually managed to be a little creepy. But the rest was just your usual tired ghost shenanigans in the key of retard. The only reason I was frightened reading this book was because, in real life, I was awaiting the results of a medical check-up so that I could actually start working at K-Mart.
Unfortunately, unlike Mr. Ransom, these fuckers actually delivered. Imagine my shock as I heard this last voicemail ...
"Hi Ben!! It's Cassandra from K-Mart!! Just phoning to let you know we've received the results for you medical. We regret to inform you that we will not be pursuing your application any further. It is company policy that we only employ people expected to be alive after twelve months. Unfortunately in your case we are unable to confirm this.
The K-Mart team thanks you for your interest in our 'Young Careers Program’ and heartily insist you do not refrain from trying again if, indeed, any vacancies come up!! Thank you for your understanding. And good luck with any future job hunting. Oh, by the way, you've got cancer. Have a great weekend!!"
After this half-assed ghost nonsense, there comes something entirely different. But not "different" in a good way. No, because by "different" I actually mean fucking ridiculous. See, it turns out the voices James was hearing were actually some strange woman next-door who around his upper floors at night. It also turns out this woman was widowed to the man who "accidentally" killed James's wife. This woman is Annette. Apparently she feels bad for what happened to James. Plus she needs comfort because of her husband being dead.
Her excuse for sneaking around his house at night and (let’s not forget) making creepy noises, was that she was "unsure how to tell him". How to break the news.
But I don't fucking buy that.
Back when my heart beat heavier than a tethered rock cast to the depths of the cold loveless sea, I suffered countless hours of torture, pacing my bedroom, thinking of ways to apologise to my Ex-Girlfriend in such a way that would, instead, make her feel guilty and apologize to me.
But at least I didn't do that in the attic of her own fucking house!!!
This is just the first of a multitude of absurd ideas. This is where the story fell apart. I decided James was an asshole and I didn't care his wife was dead. I decided Annette was a terrible character. Her only function was to suck James's dick. The "ghost" of his wife was all but forgotten as Ransom instead seemed to focus on this most vapid story which would have Richard Curtis withdrawing to the bathroom to be sick. I mean, call me prudish, but the second time they ever speak to each other they literally talk for about five minutes, then Annette's bending over the kitchen table - (I recall there being some gross description like "her curled pussy lips smiled from between her splayed white legs") - and here, Mr Modernist who likes to be minimal suddenly turns into Charles Dickens, describing every physical sensation as James’s penis plunges deeper and deeper inside her.
Now I understand these characters would have been sexually repressed. The idea of having trashy sex would have been an appealing one. But Ransom just goes about it in such the wrong way. There isn't any desire expressed in James's mind prior to this moment. Nor does he reveal any gratification after he fucks Annette. To me it just seems like the author was bored writing generic ghost stuff and boring conversations. So he began improvising sex scenes, one hand already snaking down his pants. Except after washing his hands, he couldn't be bothered deleting them. It came across sad and desperate: “Hey, look at me guys!! I can write sex like no one’s business!! Obviously I’m not a virgin, I mention the clitoris and everything!!"
Apart from creating future abortions, nothing of note happens. Sure, James keeps seeing this strange boy in a hooded jacket standing in the garden from time to time. But it’s L.A. isn’t it: fucking homeless are everywhere. The majority of this book is filled with stuff that's either pointless or boring. Forgive me for thinking the Haunting Of James Hastings would be about a haunting, you fucking idiot. What’s with all the weird digressions about shopping in Santa Monica? You’re doing social commentary now? Having a dig at consumerism are you? How’s the book going by the way? And stop doing random things that have no relevance whatsoever to anything you're saying. Example? I’m just about to give you one, if you’ll just -
There is one scene when Annette collapses in the shower. She sees something scary in a rabbit portrait. Scene ought to have been exciting. But the author ruins it by giving - mid-fucking-explanation - a page-long story about the bidet in the corner.
One of the characters might be dead. James is panicking. He must save her. There’s blood everywhere and - Say, is that a bidet in the corner? Where did you buy that? No, no, forget about her!! I've always wanted to try one of these!!!
I’m surprised he didn’t take another two pages afterwards, explaining how the shop he got the shower curtain from is going under because the manager’s daughter gave his credit card details to a scammer in Mumbai who is actually a decent person, he just hasn’t got any opportunity for an honest mode of living there.
The story then spirals away from being shit into just plain being boring. He and his dick-socket drive to the barren wastelands of Arizona and she starts acting strange. The reader, not that they give a damn at this point anyway, are purposefully left not knowing what is going on. Not even the
Is Annette turning into Stacey?
Is James himself dead?
Is he even James?
Am I near the end yet?
But you have to constantly ask yourself whether you even care. For me, the answer was no. And the ending was by no means worth the wait. I would find a more satisfying ending waiting in line with these guys ...
July 25, 2015
This one is a little bit on the confusing side in places, although that is mostly due to the mind-set of the main character. The character himself is a little bit on the unsure side of things at many points in the story and this confusion is very efficiently passed onto the read leaving you unsure of what the truth of the book is.
It is a very good book to leave you second guessing, constantly curious to the truth, taking you through the motions to figure out the truth. The characters themselves are interesting, grabbing your attention, with your knowledge of them growing at the right points in time instead of you knowing their full stories at the start. Whilst there is a lot I could say about this book most of it would give too much away: just know that the confusion in the middle does fade away and it important to the book.
It is a very good book to leave you second guessing, constantly curious to the truth, taking you through the motions to figure out the truth. The characters themselves are interesting, grabbing your attention, with your knowledge of them growing at the right points in time instead of you knowing their full stories at the start. Whilst there is a lot I could say about this book most of it would give too much away: just know that the confusion in the middle does fade away and it important to the book.
January 3, 2011
The fact that I sat up till 1.00am trying to finish this would indicate it's not a bad read. The reason this book held my interest is the writing, which is really very good. The plot, however...
As its title would suggest, this is a ghost story--of sorts. James Hastings' wife dies and a year later strange things start to happen. But this is also a story about vengeance. Why Ransom felt he needed both elements to make this work, I'll never know. This story would have been better in many ways if he'd ditched to whole supernatural element and stuck with the psycho woman out to avenge her child's death. And then there is the disjointed way he switches from first person narrative to third in order to give readers glimpses into his characters' past, an effect that might have been less disjointed if he'd intorduced it earlier, rather than slotting the first one in halfway into the story.
In any event, this did have me up till the wee hours, so it has good entertainment value. Given Ransom's obvious skill as a writer (if not plot developer), he's worth keeping an eye on.
As its title would suggest, this is a ghost story--of sorts. James Hastings' wife dies and a year later strange things start to happen. But this is also a story about vengeance. Why Ransom felt he needed both elements to make this work, I'll never know. This story would have been better in many ways if he'd ditched to whole supernatural element and stuck with the psycho woman out to avenge her child's death. And then there is the disjointed way he switches from first person narrative to third in order to give readers glimpses into his characters' past, an effect that might have been less disjointed if he'd intorduced it earlier, rather than slotting the first one in halfway into the story.
In any event, this did have me up till the wee hours, so it has good entertainment value. Given Ransom's obvious skill as a writer (if not plot developer), he's worth keeping an eye on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2016
Really bizarre fanfiction about a fictitious Eminem. I liked the book well enough. I enjoy weird fiction but this love letter to a fictional white rapper was very odd to like.
October 2, 2016
Das Buch war spannend, aber irgendwie undurchsichtig. Mir ist bis zum Ende die Wahrheit hinter dem Ganzen nicht klar geworden.
December 27, 2011
Mixed feelings with this one. I found it a little over descriptive and some of the language used is a bit odd for me. If you are a fan of hip-hop/rap music then maybe it will make sense to you. The author's dedication to Marshall Mathers (Eminem) explains a LOT.
The story idea itself is not a bad one, it has some good suspense moments and some passages are damn creepy which is what you want from a ghost tale. It is a shame that some of the descriptive passages detract from the main plot. So much so that I found myself rolling my eyes and thinking 'just get to the point here already'. I don't really care how many right turns there are in your car journey etc. The ending was a bit WTF?? I actually had to read some parts twice just to try and understand what the hell was going on. The plot built up for an ending that felt rather rushed and muddled to be honest. I think it spoils the overall effect which is a shame. A part of it makes you doubt the main character which is a huge risk...I felt like I had been lied to at one point and nearly threw the book aside in frustration. Apparantly we were not lied to, then we were oh no hang on, we weren't. Confusing right? And as for the sections at the end that try to wrap up loose ends. Meh!
October 19, 2010
This was so bad. The writing was horrible, the plot was unbelievable and just didn't make any sense. I would not read another book by this author.
April 30, 2020
INTRODUCTION:
I read this one quite a few months back. You might be curious about the delay in reviewing it. Well, the spontaneous answer probably will be my disinterest. But then I wanted to warn my fellow readers to avoid this particular disasterpiece. And believe me, I delayed reviewing it purposely. I wanted to dilute the pain of despair so that I could review it without swearing.
But wait, before we start digging in, let’s take a moment and savor the beauty of the cover. Isn’t it beautiful? It is. It is eerie, it is dark and it is so very promising. Makes you wonder what might be in there. But then do remember the old wise saying: ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’
WHY I PICKED THIS ONE?
It was a year back ago. I was an amateur reader at that time and I still consider the same of me as of now. (Just a little less-amateur!) There was a technique I used to adopt then while selecting a book from an ocean. It wasn’t something calculative or scholarly. I used to run my eyes through the covers and whichever caught my eye with its fascinating cover and catchy title, I used to pick it up. (all the glitters are so not gold!). I used to then read its synopsis, caress its embossed title, feel the pages, smell them and rely on intuition to buy it or not. (but as usual, my intuition betrayed me.)
It was a ‘Books-by-weight’ sale in Pune. Second time there but still unfamiliar with all those names. I was busy sifting through the rows and columns and I eventually came across this big hefty lad and it had everything to make me carry it home. (at least I felt at that time.) The title sounded intriguing and was a straightforward shoutout to horror-lovers. The cover was dense, with a gory hue. It was an instant recipe to grab attention and I was lured me into this ‘pick-bait.’
CHARACTERS:
There are just a handful of characters but what a mess has the author created! The characters seem distant and unrelatable. Also, the sequences in which they unfolded are too abrupt. Everything looks like a poached egg (i.e underdeveloped.’) Also, there were many ‘brain-fade (aka WTF) scenes’ which are peppered generously after the mid-section to keep the drag.
PLOT: SPOILER FREE .. (though I don’t know what’s there to spoil.)
The protagonist is from Tulsa (US) and his name is James Hastings (’cause the Title is so unhelpful.) He has a wife who dies accidentally one day. He then meets his new neighbor who is a widow named Annette. Their boredom culminates into sex. Then some sub-characters enter and try to steal the already-deranged show. Then there’s more (boring) sex. And then we finally arrive at the most-hyped part of the book. You guessed it right!- ‘The TWIST! (which comes after a drag which tests the patience of the readers). And after all that pretentious drama, we are left with nothing but a sense of regret… (which lingers for a long time while we keep staring at our ceiling and walls.)
REVIEW:
The start was promising, had me excited with a popcorn in hand and buckles on.. but then, we headed nowhere. Why?- ’cause the launch just never happened. Maybe the gas just leaked off or the engine malfunctioned, (aka ‘fuska bar’- a slang used in Maharastra for a failure) or who knows what..
The middle portion is helpful, as it hints to the readers that the course will reach an inevitable shipwreck. And do you want to hear about the end? God! It is nothing but a pure, unadulterated ‘disastrous piece of turd‘. And the drag, good heavens! Might even shame Bollywood’s daily-soaps!
I’m not overreacting. Why would I do that? Just for the sake of grabbing your attention to make you read this review? No, I am not ‘sphere publications’. I even strongly despise the idea of bashing an author just for the sake of ‘ranting‘- which is being considered a ‘cool‘ thing among readers community.
We all know that there are various exhaustive painstaking processes behind the curtains. From manuscripts to editing, then proofreading, marketing, promotions, etc. and then the books find their way to the stalls and malls. It is hard work, and that’s the very reason why I’ve always tried to neglect shortcomings and focus on the virtuous side. On a sincere note, I try best to understand what the author is trying to tell. I look to extract something worthwhile from what is being presented..
..But this book man. This book was such an utter disgrace! I wonder what the editors and publishers had in their minds. Was it a blind risk? or did they just doze off? How badly do I want to ask them a single-worded question that “WHY?” *again with an agonizing shriek * WHHHYY!?? (Yeah thanks for imitating, that was just perfect.)
I was left with such an excruciating pain of disappointment, considering the effort and time I’d put into it (439 pages), that it seemed so unfair and unjust. Now you might say that I had that liberty to abstain from reading further. But I choose to cancel that option. Partly because I was well past the middle section and wanted to finish it anyhow (masochists shall rejoice), and partially because I was hoping for a miracle to change the course of the plot. (But the long-awaited divine intervention never came.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christopher Ransom is an L.A based author (How I wish to hold Christopher for a ‘ransom’!). But lemme tell you he is not THAT bad author. (Bear with my paradoxy.) I had read his other work ‘The people next door’ and it certainly wasn’t that bad. It had that suspense element, that something-seems-wrong feeling, that unpredictable factor which we generally look in thriller fiction. It was a decent pick, n doubts about that. But this one? ‘The Haunting of James Hastings’ just hits rock bottom. (Somebody please replace James Hastings with the readers. That’ll be apt.)
Now if you still ask me, do I recommend this book or not..? Well, I’ve already made myself pretty clear. But if you still insist, there you go: “DO NOT BUY IT.”
Please don’t waste your precious time and do not fall for catchy covers. Please.
#Thereviewtank #bookreviews #christopherransom
I read this one quite a few months back. You might be curious about the delay in reviewing it. Well, the spontaneous answer probably will be my disinterest. But then I wanted to warn my fellow readers to avoid this particular disasterpiece. And believe me, I delayed reviewing it purposely. I wanted to dilute the pain of despair so that I could review it without swearing.
But wait, before we start digging in, let’s take a moment and savor the beauty of the cover. Isn’t it beautiful? It is. It is eerie, it is dark and it is so very promising. Makes you wonder what might be in there. But then do remember the old wise saying: ‘Never judge a book by its cover.’
WHY I PICKED THIS ONE?
It was a year back ago. I was an amateur reader at that time and I still consider the same of me as of now. (Just a little less-amateur!) There was a technique I used to adopt then while selecting a book from an ocean. It wasn’t something calculative or scholarly. I used to run my eyes through the covers and whichever caught my eye with its fascinating cover and catchy title, I used to pick it up. (all the glitters are so not gold!). I used to then read its synopsis, caress its embossed title, feel the pages, smell them and rely on intuition to buy it or not. (but as usual, my intuition betrayed me.)
It was a ‘Books-by-weight’ sale in Pune. Second time there but still unfamiliar with all those names. I was busy sifting through the rows and columns and I eventually came across this big hefty lad and it had everything to make me carry it home. (at least I felt at that time.) The title sounded intriguing and was a straightforward shoutout to horror-lovers. The cover was dense, with a gory hue. It was an instant recipe to grab attention and I was lured me into this ‘pick-bait.’
CHARACTERS:
There are just a handful of characters but what a mess has the author created! The characters seem distant and unrelatable. Also, the sequences in which they unfolded are too abrupt. Everything looks like a poached egg (i.e underdeveloped.’) Also, there were many ‘brain-fade (aka WTF) scenes’ which are peppered generously after the mid-section to keep the drag.
PLOT: SPOILER FREE .. (though I don’t know what’s there to spoil.)
The protagonist is from Tulsa (US) and his name is James Hastings (’cause the Title is so unhelpful.) He has a wife who dies accidentally one day. He then meets his new neighbor who is a widow named Annette. Their boredom culminates into sex. Then some sub-characters enter and try to steal the already-deranged show. Then there’s more (boring) sex. And then we finally arrive at the most-hyped part of the book. You guessed it right!- ‘The TWIST! (which comes after a drag which tests the patience of the readers). And after all that pretentious drama, we are left with nothing but a sense of regret… (which lingers for a long time while we keep staring at our ceiling and walls.)
REVIEW:
The start was promising, had me excited with a popcorn in hand and buckles on.. but then, we headed nowhere. Why?- ’cause the launch just never happened. Maybe the gas just leaked off or the engine malfunctioned, (aka ‘fuska bar’- a slang used in Maharastra for a failure) or who knows what..
The middle portion is helpful, as it hints to the readers that the course will reach an inevitable shipwreck. And do you want to hear about the end? God! It is nothing but a pure, unadulterated ‘disastrous piece of turd‘. And the drag, good heavens! Might even shame Bollywood’s daily-soaps!
I’m not overreacting. Why would I do that? Just for the sake of grabbing your attention to make you read this review? No, I am not ‘sphere publications’. I even strongly despise the idea of bashing an author just for the sake of ‘ranting‘- which is being considered a ‘cool‘ thing among readers community.
We all know that there are various exhaustive painstaking processes behind the curtains. From manuscripts to editing, then proofreading, marketing, promotions, etc. and then the books find their way to the stalls and malls. It is hard work, and that’s the very reason why I’ve always tried to neglect shortcomings and focus on the virtuous side. On a sincere note, I try best to understand what the author is trying to tell. I look to extract something worthwhile from what is being presented..
..But this book man. This book was such an utter disgrace! I wonder what the editors and publishers had in their minds. Was it a blind risk? or did they just doze off? How badly do I want to ask them a single-worded question that “WHY?” *again with an agonizing shriek * WHHHYY!?? (Yeah thanks for imitating, that was just perfect.)
I was left with such an excruciating pain of disappointment, considering the effort and time I’d put into it (439 pages), that it seemed so unfair and unjust. Now you might say that I had that liberty to abstain from reading further. But I choose to cancel that option. Partly because I was well past the middle section and wanted to finish it anyhow (masochists shall rejoice), and partially because I was hoping for a miracle to change the course of the plot. (But the long-awaited divine intervention never came.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christopher Ransom is an L.A based author (How I wish to hold Christopher for a ‘ransom’!). But lemme tell you he is not THAT bad author. (Bear with my paradoxy.) I had read his other work ‘The people next door’ and it certainly wasn’t that bad. It had that suspense element, that something-seems-wrong feeling, that unpredictable factor which we generally look in thriller fiction. It was a decent pick, n doubts about that. But this one? ‘The Haunting of James Hastings’ just hits rock bottom. (Somebody please replace James Hastings with the readers. That’ll be apt.)
Now if you still ask me, do I recommend this book or not..? Well, I’ve already made myself pretty clear. But if you still insist, there you go: “DO NOT BUY IT.”
Please don’t waste your precious time and do not fall for catchy covers. Please.
#Thereviewtank #bookreviews #christopherransom
February 12, 2019
Very quick but dull read to be honest. The characters had no substance to them.
I was hoping that this book would be better than The Birthing House but yet again I was unimpressed by his writing.
I was hoping that this book would be better than The Birthing House but yet again I was unimpressed by his writing.
August 15, 2025
As an avid reader of most classical literature alongside the occasional thriller or horror novel, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would. There are several points I could ramble on about, going from the slightly good plot, bad execution, confusing plot points, etc, etc...
However!
I will try my best not to grumble on and on, considering this is my first and possibly only review on here. There will probably be spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, and you want to, BEWARE!!!
The Plot:
If I had to give a super summarised version of the plot, it would go something like this: "James Hastings, a body double for super famous rapper 'Ghost', grieves after his wife, Stacey, is murdered in the back alley of their house. Eventually, he begins to move on with his new neighbour, Annette, who was married to the man she claims killed Stacey - but why does she look like Stacey, and how does she know things only Stacey would know? Plot Twist! She is Stacey (I think), and James is actually the real Ghost, or is he? Don't forget that Annette was the one who killed Stacey! Shit happens, and by the end of the book, James is slowly moving on, right?"
While I know that my plot summary may sound like utter garbage compared to some of the gold I have read on here, that is genuinely the plot in my eyes. There is no other way that I could describe it.
Although I did end up kind of enjoying the book, despite being mildly disappointed at the ending, the plot did get messy at points (which is probably why I took so long to read it). Certain points seem 'supernatural', but not supernatural enough if you know what I mean? An example would be the whole rabbit metaphor with the painting in the bathroom. Ransom holds this metaphor well throughout the book; I'll admit, however, it feels messy when you involve the painting. For starters, who has a painting in their bathroom? I don't know if that's an American thing or not, but I would be too scared to get water on it or anything!
Anyway, the whole metaphor is about the rabbits James and Stacey used to visit at a farm, and Stacey loved them a lot. Much later on in the book, we see them run into a road-kill jackrabbit, which triggers Stacey into buying 'The Painting'. This painting is of two rabbits, one is white, one is black (from what I remember) - and as the story goes on, Annette sees the painting while in the shower causes her to... have an episode, I guess? She collapses in the shower and mumbles to James about the painting changing or moving. I presume the rabbits are supposed to resemble Stacey and James, but that's not made wholly clear, in my opinion, considering James is lowkey a hater about it.
Moving away from that point, some other confusing bits for me (thankfully) didn't come until later in the book; otherwise, I fear I wouldn't have finished it. A major spoiler warning here cause I'll be going into more detail about a slightly major plot-point (I think it's important-ish anyway).
Annette takes James to her old house in a small town that never got bought out. While there, a lot of things happen. I'll give you a listed rundown.
- They go to a furniture store to get some things for Annette's house, cause James is obviously still loaded. Annette has a small, and presumably weak, child run into her. This makes him collapse. Annette claims to try and help him, but he ends up choking on his blood before James does something. This felt mildly unnecessary, as it only really shows her character deterioration, but this has been consistently shown before this anyway.
- James gets locked out of Annette's house, meets this guy called Rick Butterfield (amazing name), who is a voluntary police officer? Rick adamantly thinks James is actually Ghost, James is confused, and they go to 'the Rick Room' to relax while they wait for Annette to call for James or something. James passes out, and when he wakes up, his hair is suddenly bleached blond! Did Rick dye it? Of course not, silly. James' hair has always been like that (it hasn't).
- Back at Annette's house, James finally gets back in. He puts Annette to bed after finding her on the sofa. He wanders around the house before going into a room that Annette told him not to go into. Wow! It's a child's bedroom! Cool chest... Holy shit, there's loads of Ghost memorabilia, and headlines from newspapers... someone was doing their homework.
- Eventually, push comes to shove as James keeps on questioning Rick where Annette is, and it is revealed that Rick and Annette are siblings *gasp* no wayy! Rick then proceeds to chase James down the street in his boxers and a t-shirt and tackle him in his muscley glory - James is then drugged, obviously.
After being drugged, the plot gets a bit messy for me. Turns out that Rick had somehow broken James's back when he tackled him, and keeps him on some presumably heavy painkillers. Makes him watch a video, which is of Annette and Rick initially trying to kill Ghost after a concert, but they fail and instead follow 'Ghost' (it's actually James) to his house. They stake out for the night and see Stacey coming out of the garage. Annette goes up to her, and they yell a lot before Annette gets back into the vehicle. This is when they first crash into Stacey. It doesn't kill her, just hurts her a bit. She makes threats to call the police if Annette and Rick don't leave, and eventually, a guy who looks like Ghost (James thinks it was him, but that James died, I'm 99% sure it's actually him, and he just doesn't remember it) comes out of the garage to help Stacey. They both get run over after shots are fired.
Wow, that was a lot.
That whole video leads to James having an existential crisis, which makes him go on to this that he is actually Ghost. This helps him a bit in the long run, I guess, as he views Ghost as a more untouchable and stronger guy.
I think I've gone on enough about the plot, so I'll move on to the characters, even though I don't have all that much to say.
The Characters:
If there was anything I enjoyed most about this book, it would definitely be the small number of characters. There are five main characters, and (thank the lord) a very small amount of side characters, most of which only show up for a few scenes.
The main characters include: James Hastings, Stacey Hastings, Ghost, Annette Copeland, and Rick Butterfield. I have never been more joyful at the severe lack of characters, but I fear that if there were any more, I'd be much more confused.
James and Stacey Hastings are a pretty generic couple from what I can tell, considering Stacey dies right at the start. James is constantly working as a double for Ghost, so he's rarely at home, and when he is, he's usually tired. Due to this, Stacey takes to gardening, and she gets herself a dog! Oh, and she kind of turns to drugs, but that's somehow not that important..? Overall, they're pretty generic and happy-ish until she dies, then she haunts his ass.
Ghost is the stereotypical rapper character. Super Paranoid, Super Rich, and Super High 24/7. While he doesn't physically appear in the book (only in the video JH watches, and briefly in the final chapter), he is frequently mentioned. He's a major defining character/feature of James himself, which is kind of sad, but it makes sense considering how often James had to pretend to be Ghost. Most of the main characters hate this guy.
Annette and Rick are a weird duo. Annette initially seems like a sweet woman, but she begins to be possessed by Stacey. However, it's this possession that makes all of her ugliness come to light, which is obviously a good thing for JH. Rick, on the other hand, is very strange. He tries to befriend James (whom he thinks is Ghost), presumably to kill him. Then shit with Annette happens, and he does a full 180, slightly loses his mind before he gets killed by Stacey (in Annette's body, it's a bit confusing).
Overall, most of the characters are pretty one-dimensional until their shitshow comes to light. It's a nice change from books with overly complicated characters, even if those types are incredibly fun to read.
I fear that I have rambled much too long, but if I had to give my overarching opinion on this book:
It's pretty decent, definitely not one of my favourites, and I definitely will not be rereading it. Unless you're into paranormal, romance, who-the-fuck-dunnit, and 'who the hell is this guy?', you probably wouldn't enjoy this book. If I'm being honest, I only read it cause it was £1.99 at a charity shop, and no other books looked interesting cause most of them were kids' books. Definitely not higher than three stars, but y'know. Not every book is going to be showstopping.
I would be interested in a movie adaptation of this book, though...
However!
I will try my best not to grumble on and on, considering this is my first and possibly only review on here. There will probably be spoilers, so if you haven't read the book, and you want to, BEWARE!!!
The Plot:
If I had to give a super summarised version of the plot, it would go something like this: "James Hastings, a body double for super famous rapper 'Ghost', grieves after his wife, Stacey, is murdered in the back alley of their house. Eventually, he begins to move on with his new neighbour, Annette, who was married to the man she claims killed Stacey - but why does she look like Stacey, and how does she know things only Stacey would know? Plot Twist! She is Stacey (I think), and James is actually the real Ghost, or is he? Don't forget that Annette was the one who killed Stacey! Shit happens, and by the end of the book, James is slowly moving on, right?"
While I know that my plot summary may sound like utter garbage compared to some of the gold I have read on here, that is genuinely the plot in my eyes. There is no other way that I could describe it.
Although I did end up kind of enjoying the book, despite being mildly disappointed at the ending, the plot did get messy at points (which is probably why I took so long to read it). Certain points seem 'supernatural', but not supernatural enough if you know what I mean? An example would be the whole rabbit metaphor with the painting in the bathroom. Ransom holds this metaphor well throughout the book; I'll admit, however, it feels messy when you involve the painting. For starters, who has a painting in their bathroom? I don't know if that's an American thing or not, but I would be too scared to get water on it or anything!
Anyway, the whole metaphor is about the rabbits James and Stacey used to visit at a farm, and Stacey loved them a lot. Much later on in the book, we see them run into a road-kill jackrabbit, which triggers Stacey into buying 'The Painting'. This painting is of two rabbits, one is white, one is black (from what I remember) - and as the story goes on, Annette sees the painting while in the shower causes her to... have an episode, I guess? She collapses in the shower and mumbles to James about the painting changing or moving. I presume the rabbits are supposed to resemble Stacey and James, but that's not made wholly clear, in my opinion, considering James is lowkey a hater about it.
Moving away from that point, some other confusing bits for me (thankfully) didn't come until later in the book; otherwise, I fear I wouldn't have finished it. A major spoiler warning here cause I'll be going into more detail about a slightly major plot-point (I think it's important-ish anyway).
Annette takes James to her old house in a small town that never got bought out. While there, a lot of things happen. I'll give you a listed rundown.
- They go to a furniture store to get some things for Annette's house, cause James is obviously still loaded. Annette has a small, and presumably weak, child run into her. This makes him collapse. Annette claims to try and help him, but he ends up choking on his blood before James does something. This felt mildly unnecessary, as it only really shows her character deterioration, but this has been consistently shown before this anyway.
- James gets locked out of Annette's house, meets this guy called Rick Butterfield (amazing name), who is a voluntary police officer? Rick adamantly thinks James is actually Ghost, James is confused, and they go to 'the Rick Room' to relax while they wait for Annette to call for James or something. James passes out, and when he wakes up, his hair is suddenly bleached blond! Did Rick dye it? Of course not, silly. James' hair has always been like that (it hasn't).
- Back at Annette's house, James finally gets back in. He puts Annette to bed after finding her on the sofa. He wanders around the house before going into a room that Annette told him not to go into. Wow! It's a child's bedroom! Cool chest... Holy shit, there's loads of Ghost memorabilia, and headlines from newspapers... someone was doing their homework.
- Eventually, push comes to shove as James keeps on questioning Rick where Annette is, and it is revealed that Rick and Annette are siblings *gasp* no wayy! Rick then proceeds to chase James down the street in his boxers and a t-shirt and tackle him in his muscley glory - James is then drugged, obviously.
After being drugged, the plot gets a bit messy for me. Turns out that Rick had somehow broken James's back when he tackled him, and keeps him on some presumably heavy painkillers. Makes him watch a video, which is of Annette and Rick initially trying to kill Ghost after a concert, but they fail and instead follow 'Ghost' (it's actually James) to his house. They stake out for the night and see Stacey coming out of the garage. Annette goes up to her, and they yell a lot before Annette gets back into the vehicle. This is when they first crash into Stacey. It doesn't kill her, just hurts her a bit. She makes threats to call the police if Annette and Rick don't leave, and eventually, a guy who looks like Ghost (James thinks it was him, but that James died, I'm 99% sure it's actually him, and he just doesn't remember it) comes out of the garage to help Stacey. They both get run over after shots are fired.
Wow, that was a lot.
That whole video leads to James having an existential crisis, which makes him go on to this that he is actually Ghost. This helps him a bit in the long run, I guess, as he views Ghost as a more untouchable and stronger guy.
I think I've gone on enough about the plot, so I'll move on to the characters, even though I don't have all that much to say.
The Characters:
If there was anything I enjoyed most about this book, it would definitely be the small number of characters. There are five main characters, and (thank the lord) a very small amount of side characters, most of which only show up for a few scenes.
The main characters include: James Hastings, Stacey Hastings, Ghost, Annette Copeland, and Rick Butterfield. I have never been more joyful at the severe lack of characters, but I fear that if there were any more, I'd be much more confused.
James and Stacey Hastings are a pretty generic couple from what I can tell, considering Stacey dies right at the start. James is constantly working as a double for Ghost, so he's rarely at home, and when he is, he's usually tired. Due to this, Stacey takes to gardening, and she gets herself a dog! Oh, and she kind of turns to drugs, but that's somehow not that important..? Overall, they're pretty generic and happy-ish until she dies, then she haunts his ass.
Ghost is the stereotypical rapper character. Super Paranoid, Super Rich, and Super High 24/7. While he doesn't physically appear in the book (only in the video JH watches, and briefly in the final chapter), he is frequently mentioned. He's a major defining character/feature of James himself, which is kind of sad, but it makes sense considering how often James had to pretend to be Ghost. Most of the main characters hate this guy.
Annette and Rick are a weird duo. Annette initially seems like a sweet woman, but she begins to be possessed by Stacey. However, it's this possession that makes all of her ugliness come to light, which is obviously a good thing for JH. Rick, on the other hand, is very strange. He tries to befriend James (whom he thinks is Ghost), presumably to kill him. Then shit with Annette happens, and he does a full 180, slightly loses his mind before he gets killed by Stacey (in Annette's body, it's a bit confusing).
Overall, most of the characters are pretty one-dimensional until their shitshow comes to light. It's a nice change from books with overly complicated characters, even if those types are incredibly fun to read.
I fear that I have rambled much too long, but if I had to give my overarching opinion on this book:
It's pretty decent, definitely not one of my favourites, and I definitely will not be rereading it. Unless you're into paranormal, romance, who-the-fuck-dunnit, and 'who the hell is this guy?', you probably wouldn't enjoy this book. If I'm being honest, I only read it cause it was £1.99 at a charity shop, and no other books looked interesting cause most of them were kids' books. Definitely not higher than three stars, but y'know. Not every book is going to be showstopping.
I would be interested in a movie adaptation of this book, though...
April 7, 2012
Christopher Ransom's latest, Killing Ghost, is creepy, very modern exploration of the psyche and self, dressed up in the trappings of a classic ghost story. Ransom exploits the first person narrative skillfully, manipulating the reader in unobtrusive ways. The result is a thoroughly entertaining - and often thought provoking - journey into a man's search for both healing and self-identity.
James Hastings had a unique job. Working as a body double for the wildly and controversial white-rapper Ghost, James spent several years of his life pretending to be someone else. He dressed like Ghost, sported matching tattoos, walked and talked like him, even spent time in the gym matching Ghost's muscular physique.
And it's a great gig. Pays for a life-style James and his wife Stacey couldn't have otherwise afforded. But exposure to the glamor and excesses of the entertainment industry takes its toll. James' script writing for his own work goes nowhere. He's on the road all the time. Stacey is left at home, slipping deeper into depression, relying more and more on drugs - both prescribed and illicit - to make it through each day.
Worse, James is losing touch with who he is. Is he James Hasting, a guy lucky to land such a lucrative gig? Or is he Ghost? Who's the rapper, and who's the body double?
When Stacey is killed by an apparent hit and run outside their home - while James is sleeping off another arduous road trip pretending to be Ghost - everything falls apart. James quits the life. Becomes a recluse. A voyeur who lives vicariously through others by watching them through a high powered telescope from his home. A refugee from life, in all aspects.
Until Annette Copeland moves in next door. An attractive, scarred widow looking to start over. At first, this seems like the perfect way for James to heal, by starting over himself. But there's more to Annette than meets the eye. Her past is full of shocking half-truths and clever deception. Also, James can't shake the feeling that something lives in his house. Something left over from Stacey, a residue. And it either wants to get rid of Annette...
Or take her over completely.
But nothing here is what it seems. Not Annette, the eerie presence he feels in his home...not even James himself. It's said that truth will set one free. In this case, the truth may destroy everything James thinks he knows.
Killing Ghost is a surreal and enthralling experience from page one. Ransom's deft narrative touch pulls readers into James Hastings's fractured world, leaving doubt about his reliability and his sanity. This one is not to be missed.
James Hastings had a unique job. Working as a body double for the wildly and controversial white-rapper Ghost, James spent several years of his life pretending to be someone else. He dressed like Ghost, sported matching tattoos, walked and talked like him, even spent time in the gym matching Ghost's muscular physique.
And it's a great gig. Pays for a life-style James and his wife Stacey couldn't have otherwise afforded. But exposure to the glamor and excesses of the entertainment industry takes its toll. James' script writing for his own work goes nowhere. He's on the road all the time. Stacey is left at home, slipping deeper into depression, relying more and more on drugs - both prescribed and illicit - to make it through each day.
Worse, James is losing touch with who he is. Is he James Hasting, a guy lucky to land such a lucrative gig? Or is he Ghost? Who's the rapper, and who's the body double?
When Stacey is killed by an apparent hit and run outside their home - while James is sleeping off another arduous road trip pretending to be Ghost - everything falls apart. James quits the life. Becomes a recluse. A voyeur who lives vicariously through others by watching them through a high powered telescope from his home. A refugee from life, in all aspects.
Until Annette Copeland moves in next door. An attractive, scarred widow looking to start over. At first, this seems like the perfect way for James to heal, by starting over himself. But there's more to Annette than meets the eye. Her past is full of shocking half-truths and clever deception. Also, James can't shake the feeling that something lives in his house. Something left over from Stacey, a residue. And it either wants to get rid of Annette...
Or take her over completely.
But nothing here is what it seems. Not Annette, the eerie presence he feels in his home...not even James himself. It's said that truth will set one free. In this case, the truth may destroy everything James thinks he knows.
Killing Ghost is a surreal and enthralling experience from page one. Ransom's deft narrative touch pulls readers into James Hastings's fractured world, leaving doubt about his reliability and his sanity. This one is not to be missed.
July 5, 2013
It’s been a few years since I read The Birthing House, also by this author, but I remember feeling that it was just OK when I finished. Still, I had high hopes for The Haunting of James Hastings, but I have come away disappointed.
This book is a mess of ideas. It starts out well, with some creepy ‘is it a ghost or not?’ scenes, but then the book changes location and seems to completely change tone, becoming some kind of Misery type story, and then it changes again into… I don’t even know what, because the ending of this book totally baffled me. I really don’t know what happened, what was real and what was imagined. It was all over the place!
I did consider the possibility that I was just being a bit thick, but when I looked on Amazon, the majority of reviewers on there didn’t seem to understand the ending either, so maybe the blame should fall with the author.
It’s really baffling to me how an author with the profile of Ransom, with a major publisher and, I would assume, professional editors behind him, can let poorly plotted rubbish like this be published.
I’m particularly annoyed because Ransom CAN write, but this book will set his career back if not destroy it and for that, all involved need a good, firm slap.
This book is a mess of ideas. It starts out well, with some creepy ‘is it a ghost or not?’ scenes, but then the book changes location and seems to completely change tone, becoming some kind of Misery type story, and then it changes again into… I don’t even know what, because the ending of this book totally baffled me. I really don’t know what happened, what was real and what was imagined. It was all over the place!
I did consider the possibility that I was just being a bit thick, but when I looked on Amazon, the majority of reviewers on there didn’t seem to understand the ending either, so maybe the blame should fall with the author.
It’s really baffling to me how an author with the profile of Ransom, with a major publisher and, I would assume, professional editors behind him, can let poorly plotted rubbish like this be published.
I’m particularly annoyed because Ransom CAN write, but this book will set his career back if not destroy it and for that, all involved need a good, firm slap.
December 7, 2017
After being disappointed by "The Birthing House" I didn't have high hopes for this. So I was presently surprised when I found myself absorbed by the story, wondering whether Annette was possessed by Stacey or was James going mad, & it chugged along nicely for the first half of the book but once they moved to Annette's home at Sheltering Palms it went a bit pear-shaped for me!
The Rick Butterfield episode seemed pointless to me, although it was explained later I guess with his connection to Annette, & then the whole thing became a bit surreal. Aaron's part in the story didn't really work for me & the red-eyed rabbit thing , well, I couldn't explain that to you now! But mainly by the end I had totally lost the plot... for a while I had no idea whether it was James or Ghost who was still alive!!!
While the last few chapters did resolve most of my issues, my enjoyment was marred by the confusion of the second half of the book - but hey, that's only my humble opinion.
Read as part of the 2011 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (#136)
The Rick Butterfield episode seemed pointless to me, although it was explained later I guess with his connection to Annette, & then the whole thing became a bit surreal. Aaron's part in the story didn't really work for me & the red-eyed rabbit thing , well, I couldn't explain that to you now! But mainly by the end I had totally lost the plot... for a while I had no idea whether it was James or Ghost who was still alive!!!
While the last few chapters did resolve most of my issues, my enjoyment was marred by the confusion of the second half of the book - but hey, that's only my humble opinion.
Read as part of the 2011 ULTIMATE CHALLENGE (#136)
August 16, 2010
The book gripped me from the first chapter to the last with its rich, sometimes gritty, and occasionally downright nasty details. As an aspiring author, his is the standard of descriptive writing I dream of achieving. The terror felt by James Hastings was felt by me, and I often found myself speeding through the passages, screaming, ”Come on already, get to the point! What happens next?” Yet, at the same time, I felt I should take my time to savour each cleverly constructed sentence, so as to fully experience what was being described.
My only complaint about the book is a petty one: I spotted a couple of typos–missing or extra ‘to’s and ‘and’s–that, although small, interrupted the flow of the rich story somewhat. But, like I said, that was my only gripe. All in all, this was the best book I’ve read in a good while.
My only complaint about the book is a petty one: I spotted a couple of typos–missing or extra ‘to’s and ‘and’s–that, although small, interrupted the flow of the rich story somewhat. But, like I said, that was my only gripe. All in all, this was the best book I’ve read in a good while.
Read
June 18, 2022I committed to reading this through to the end because there was a part of me that wanted to know what happened but equally because it annoys me when I leave a half finished book (rare!).
It started of well and I was really getting into it until they went to Sheltering Palms. Thereafter, I was just super confused.
The confusion did clear up…kind of.
In summary, an okay read. The author writes well but the story got muddled for me.
It started of well and I was really getting into it until they went to Sheltering Palms. Thereafter, I was just super confused.
The confusion did clear up…kind of.
In summary, an okay read. The author writes well but the story got muddled for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2016
I've read... And enjoyed, other Christopher Ransom books, but I found this 'hard to get into'. I found myself struggling to finish chapters, and having to re-read some. This may purely be down to the 'rap-speak', used in many of the chapters.
October 24, 2020
Second read and disappointing
October 12, 2025
How to describe Christopher Ransom’s The Haunting of James Hastings? I suppose I’d say it’s like one of those moments where somebody says something utterly fascinating. There’s a second of mind-blowing interest that makes you look at their statement with a profound appreciation…but then they keep talking and slowly, sentence by sentence they expand the concept and the magic dissipates. What, at first, was impressive now has you questioning if they shouldn’t have quit while they’re ahead.
James Hastings is the appearance double for world renowned (and controversial) rapper Ghost. He’s paid to look, act, memorize lyrics, make guest appearances and sign autographs on behalf of the artist. His world comes tumbling down however when he misses a call from his wife only to find her dead in the alley by their house - the victim of a hit and run. A year later, during the anniversary of her death, strange things start happening. Stacey’s presence lingers over him. He swears sometimes he sees her image. It all culminates when a new neighbour moves in next door and she has some shocking confessions to make.
For me the book started out strong! The haunting visage of his wife appearing to him, the tragedy of their relationship, the ups and downs, the hardships of his work; especially being in the public eye and mistaken for a controversial figure. Ransom is descriptive but never in a way that feels like exposition, more as if the characters themselves are coming to terms with the world around them. It’s fantastic and makes for a breezy reading experience that feels highly applicable to the narrator in question.
Sadly for me the story itself is the downfall. As the plot unfurls its branches it starts to feel more and more convoluted. It always went one step further than was needed, one twist on a twist on a twist that took away from rather than added to the experience. In the end it started to feel very ‘and then’ storytelling; things began to lose meaning and became just more notches in the plot machine. The lead was interesting and well written but there were aspects to the writing that felt a bit male fantasy-esque. Every woman in the book wants to sleep with the main character (and most do); they can be boiled down to being either drug users, overly sexualised, brainless bimbos or absolutely insane. A couple of characters you can understand but not every single woman in this fictitious world.
The book starts out promising. Just remember this is a case of a hat on a hat and the female cast members are unanimous in being underwhelming written. Ransom has some promise and could be an author I revisit to check out some of their more recent works. But for now I’d say that James Hastings is haunted by some much needed editorial interference.
James Hastings is the appearance double for world renowned (and controversial) rapper Ghost. He’s paid to look, act, memorize lyrics, make guest appearances and sign autographs on behalf of the artist. His world comes tumbling down however when he misses a call from his wife only to find her dead in the alley by their house - the victim of a hit and run. A year later, during the anniversary of her death, strange things start happening. Stacey’s presence lingers over him. He swears sometimes he sees her image. It all culminates when a new neighbour moves in next door and she has some shocking confessions to make.
For me the book started out strong! The haunting visage of his wife appearing to him, the tragedy of their relationship, the ups and downs, the hardships of his work; especially being in the public eye and mistaken for a controversial figure. Ransom is descriptive but never in a way that feels like exposition, more as if the characters themselves are coming to terms with the world around them. It’s fantastic and makes for a breezy reading experience that feels highly applicable to the narrator in question.
Sadly for me the story itself is the downfall. As the plot unfurls its branches it starts to feel more and more convoluted. It always went one step further than was needed, one twist on a twist on a twist that took away from rather than added to the experience. In the end it started to feel very ‘and then’ storytelling; things began to lose meaning and became just more notches in the plot machine. The lead was interesting and well written but there were aspects to the writing that felt a bit male fantasy-esque. Every woman in the book wants to sleep with the main character (and most do); they can be boiled down to being either drug users, overly sexualised, brainless bimbos or absolutely insane. A couple of characters you can understand but not every single woman in this fictitious world.
The book starts out promising. Just remember this is a case of a hat on a hat and the female cast members are unanimous in being underwhelming written. Ransom has some promise and could be an author I revisit to check out some of their more recent works. But for now I’d say that James Hastings is haunted by some much needed editorial interference.
December 20, 2020
for me this was a 4* book up until we get to Sheltering Palms and then from there it was wtf... I even read the ending twice and I'm still not sure I have it figured out not to mention there were many things that didn't really make sense or fit together.. one thing that bothered my was why were Rick & Annette filming the whole time they were trying to get near Ghost? That was pretty convenient that they filmed everything but why did they do it in the first place? Most people that are about to commit a crime or do something bad don't film themselves doing it.. I have no idea what the rabbits had to do with anything..? Was that to prove that Stacey had possessed Annette? Is that even what happened? Stacey possessed Annette and then had plastic surgery/a new hairstyle to make herself look like Stacey again??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2018
The book started off promising. I love a good horror story. Then nothing. I have to admit I did try, but I just couldn't make myself finish this book because I really don't give a crap what happens to James, the main character.
For one his occupation as an impersonator was unbelievable due to the fact this guy is way too wealthy. He lives in a mansion and obviously has a lot of money. I just don't believe that he would be that well off.
As for scary, OMG if you think cute little pictures of bunny rabbits suddenly get red eye and sneering at you as scary then go for it. Laughable. His so called love life after his wife's death only a year ago, made me really hate this guy.
1 star for me because I couldn't finish this book!
For one his occupation as an impersonator was unbelievable due to the fact this guy is way too wealthy. He lives in a mansion and obviously has a lot of money. I just don't believe that he would be that well off.
As for scary, OMG if you think cute little pictures of bunny rabbits suddenly get red eye and sneering at you as scary then go for it. Laughable. His so called love life after his wife's death only a year ago, made me really hate this guy.
1 star for me because I couldn't finish this book!
April 24, 2019
I'm a 90s kid and grew up listening to Jay-Z, Eminem and Dr.Dre.
I understood this book and it was terrific.
I've never been more terrified and gripped. The writer's talent lies in his way of luring into the story. Yes the main character is a moron and you can't root for him but the narration and the plot are wonderful. It's like a freak show from beginning to end. The book starts slow, you notice that everything is slightly not quite right and as the storyline progresses you are thrown into more and more madness until things start to be surreal. And when you think it's all over it hits you again.
I understood this book and it was terrific.
I've never been more terrified and gripped. The writer's talent lies in his way of luring into the story. Yes the main character is a moron and you can't root for him but the narration and the plot are wonderful. It's like a freak show from beginning to end. The book starts slow, you notice that everything is slightly not quite right and as the storyline progresses you are thrown into more and more madness until things start to be surreal. And when you think it's all over it hits you again.
March 26, 2018
I am sad that I wasted my precious reading time on this to be honest. It is not a ghost story because it does not know what it is, the story is overly complex and at the end you are left utterly bewildered by what has happened. There is not a single likable character that you can identify with, about 2/3rds of the way through I was just wishing for his captures to do him in so the book could be over and there would be some answers as to what had been going on. Sadly neither thing ever happened.
November 2, 2020
"Dies ist keine Geistergeschichte."
Nach diesem ersten Satz war ich beinahe schon enttäuscht. Aber ok, es steht ja auch Thriller drauf, also kann kein Fantasy drin sein. Oder so ein bisschen vielleicht?
Mir gefiel diese Story wirklich unheimlich gut!! Wirklich überraschend, mit einigen Twists, die ich so nicht kommen sah. Zwischendurch habe auch ich, wie James Hastings, immer mal an meinem Verstand gezweifelt. Ich kannte auch den Autor zuvor gar nicht. Aber sollte ich vermutlich im Hinterkopf behalten.
Nach diesem ersten Satz war ich beinahe schon enttäuscht. Aber ok, es steht ja auch Thriller drauf, also kann kein Fantasy drin sein. Oder so ein bisschen vielleicht?
Mir gefiel diese Story wirklich unheimlich gut!! Wirklich überraschend, mit einigen Twists, die ich so nicht kommen sah. Zwischendurch habe auch ich, wie James Hastings, immer mal an meinem Verstand gezweifelt. Ich kannte auch den Autor zuvor gar nicht. Aber sollte ich vermutlich im Hinterkopf behalten.
February 2, 2022
It started off good. Scary and I thought.. ok supernatural. The middle was ok, now I get it, but I was confused if there was anything supernatural.. there wasn't supposed to be but this thing with the kid confused me big time, plus did he get so disoriented and hullicnated that he was ghost?? It makes no sense.. then then ending was worse than watching matrix for the 1st time. Did they kill ghost and then did he become ghost .. but then how does he know rap.. he's a doppelganger and what's with the end.. is she haunted or is he.. I think even the author got confused with the plot!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2018
Takes a long walk of character development to allow us into James' character a man who once was the decoy actor/lookalike for infamous rapper Ghost (clearly based on a certain white rapper with peroxide hair) and now grieving over the death of his wife he continues to go about his life until he meets Annette and rather odd things start happening-is his wife Stacy back from the dead or is it all in his head?
Really picks up more in the second half of the book as the pacing takes hold and flows.
Really picks up more in the second half of the book as the pacing takes hold and flows.
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