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The John and Alvis Sessions #3
Ghost Notes
Exiled, broke, and drowning in cheap whiskey, John MacAlister is sick of his robot's lectures about the past. But the past won't stay buried.
When a shady contractor offers John a simple job—recover critical data from the Revelator, a research vessel lost in hyperspace for over a year—he takes it. Anything beats Alvis's disappointed silences.
But the job is already compromised. Ruthless scrapjackers have boarded the derelict first, and inside its fractured hull lurks something far worse. The Revelator is fractured, its dimensions twisting into shifting realities and spectral horrors that threaten the sanity of anyone on board.
Teaming up with Anika, a disgraced UniSec operative with her own demons, John and Alvis must fight through scavengers and nightmare realities to reach the data. If they can't escape with their minds intact, the Revelator will collapse into a singularity and take them with it.
When a shady contractor offers John a simple job—recover critical data from the Revelator, a research vessel lost in hyperspace for over a year—he takes it. Anything beats Alvis's disappointed silences.
But the job is already compromised. Ruthless scrapjackers have boarded the derelict first, and inside its fractured hull lurks something far worse. The Revelator is fractured, its dimensions twisting into shifting realities and spectral horrors that threaten the sanity of anyone on board.
Teaming up with Anika, a disgraced UniSec operative with her own demons, John and Alvis must fight through scavengers and nightmare realities to reach the data. If they can't escape with their minds intact, the Revelator will collapse into a singularity and take them with it.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2024
About the author
Tom Dell'Aringa
22 books26 followersTom Dell'Aringa writes sci-fi that doesn't take itself too seriously — except when it does, and the robot is usually right either way.
He's the creator of The John and Alvis Sessions, a sci-fi series packed with sharp dialogue, flawed heroes, and busted-up galaxies. Tom's stories are fast reads — readers call them page-turners for a reason. Each chapter ends like the last episode of that Netflix show you swore you'd stop watching at midnight. Okay, just . . . one . . . more.
When he's not chasing a good bottle of whiskey or burning through the latest audiobook, he's walking around Chicago debating whether emotional damage counts as character growth.
He's the creator of The John and Alvis Sessions, a sci-fi series packed with sharp dialogue, flawed heroes, and busted-up galaxies. Tom's stories are fast reads — readers call them page-turners for a reason. Each chapter ends like the last episode of that Netflix show you swore you'd stop watching at midnight. Okay, just . . . one . . . more.
When he's not chasing a good bottle of whiskey or burning through the latest audiobook, he's walking around Chicago debating whether emotional damage counts as character growth.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 17, 2024
An unusual mission for John and Alvis, coupled with a Unisec member, Anika. Sent to retrieve data from an alleged derelict ship which went missing then reappeared months later, they discover an anomaly when they board, along with a salvage team seeking the same information. Deception, lies, betrayal and confusion follow as they discover and become embroiled with 3 ships and survivors combined. A battle of wills and the determination to escape ensues with dangerous implications. I received an ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 17, 2024
Shadows appeared to flow across the walls. Voices murmured just out of hearing...
Is this why ships lost in hyperspace were called ghosts?
Another absolutely riveting, white-knuckle adventure featuring one of my all-time favorite snarky duos, namely one John “Space Cowboy” MacAlister – also known as “the guy who gets things done when nobody else can” despite his best efforts – and his ever-faithful (+/-) artie Alvis. And for this, or them, your call, author Tom Dell'Aringa has once again knocked the proverbial ball out of orbit (stick with me here, ok?) and thrown our team into an amazing adventure, all while keeping his perfect string of music-themed titles holding steady. Seriously, after too many years of piano, trumpet and even French horn, I had to look it up, but 'Ghost Notes' is a thing! Check it out on Wikipedia or ask your friendly neighborhood bass player about it! Oh who am I kidding: bass players don't have friends… just kidding Tommy, you rock!
You’ve spent most of our money in bars, bail payments, whiskey, and rare jazz recordings!
All kidding aside – at least for this sentence – probably my favorite 'aspect' of 'The John and Alvis Sessions' (yep, more nods to music!) is that the author never puts our heroes in the same situation twice even though they stay true to form throughout. The first installment, 'Blanchland Blues' took place on a planet that made Arrakis look like a Welsh beach holiday, with all kinds of cool and not-so-cool aliens included along the way. Then 'Robot Bebop' had us on an important mission aboard a massive space station in the Periphery, seeing our heroes do their best to not only defeat the bad guy but save pretty much all organic life in the Universe. This time, however, we scooch well into “hard scifi” territory as we come face-to-face with the consequences of hyperspace travel gone wrong, all the while dealing with moral conundrums and self-examinations galore!
You look like the personification of a mental disorder.
But I've got to say, despite all the big words and hoity toity concepts – go ahead and explain this to me please: "the critical failure is at the root of the temporal fragmentation leading to multiple realities inhabiting the ship" - Dell'Aringa not only makes it all work but it is perfectly convincing in its execution! And I know that the current hot topic out there is all things “multiverse”, but by keeping this story in a relatively compact environment, our 'exotic particles' and oscillating convergences really work to perfection! Naturally, there's not only going to be a wrench or two thrown into the works but an entire toolbox, but as all of their fans know by now, that's really when our Dynamic Duo does their best work! And despite their constant griping (it's really love, right?), to be allowed to ride along with them as they each become only too aware how much they need each other to succeed – bet the algorithms didn't show that being the case – adds a degree of humanity to the story that can't be beaten!
Ah, he thought as he began to pass out. Here comes my near-death moment…
Overall then, this is an absolutely must-read for not only scifi fans but lovers of good books, full stop. Dell'Aringa's style continues to remind me favorably of my favorite writers in this genre, including both John Scalzi and Rhett C. Bruno. The characters and all their incarnations (trust me on this) are extremely well-formed and we the readers really get into what's going through the heads and hearts along the way. The pacing is set to somewhere around Warp Factor 12 or so and, again, even if a lot of the technical jargon flew over my head and gave my hairline even more of a tug than age already has, it just made so much sense! Just like its predecessors then, I was impressed with how all of our heroes – and John and Alvis certainly aren't the only ones once its all said and done – rise to the occasion and prevail! Some of the moments we experience are beyond tense but, man, was it fun!
The two of you need couples therapy.
Again, my thanks to the author for selecting me to participate in the launch preparation team and for an eARC of this book.
Is this why ships lost in hyperspace were called ghosts?
Another absolutely riveting, white-knuckle adventure featuring one of my all-time favorite snarky duos, namely one John “Space Cowboy” MacAlister – also known as “the guy who gets things done when nobody else can” despite his best efforts – and his ever-faithful (+/-) artie Alvis. And for this, or them, your call, author Tom Dell'Aringa has once again knocked the proverbial ball out of orbit (stick with me here, ok?) and thrown our team into an amazing adventure, all while keeping his perfect string of music-themed titles holding steady. Seriously, after too many years of piano, trumpet and even French horn, I had to look it up, but 'Ghost Notes' is a thing! Check it out on Wikipedia or ask your friendly neighborhood bass player about it! Oh who am I kidding: bass players don't have friends… just kidding Tommy, you rock!
You’ve spent most of our money in bars, bail payments, whiskey, and rare jazz recordings!
All kidding aside – at least for this sentence – probably my favorite 'aspect' of 'The John and Alvis Sessions' (yep, more nods to music!) is that the author never puts our heroes in the same situation twice even though they stay true to form throughout. The first installment, 'Blanchland Blues' took place on a planet that made Arrakis look like a Welsh beach holiday, with all kinds of cool and not-so-cool aliens included along the way. Then 'Robot Bebop' had us on an important mission aboard a massive space station in the Periphery, seeing our heroes do their best to not only defeat the bad guy but save pretty much all organic life in the Universe. This time, however, we scooch well into “hard scifi” territory as we come face-to-face with the consequences of hyperspace travel gone wrong, all the while dealing with moral conundrums and self-examinations galore!
You look like the personification of a mental disorder.
But I've got to say, despite all the big words and hoity toity concepts – go ahead and explain this to me please: "the critical failure is at the root of the temporal fragmentation leading to multiple realities inhabiting the ship" - Dell'Aringa not only makes it all work but it is perfectly convincing in its execution! And I know that the current hot topic out there is all things “multiverse”, but by keeping this story in a relatively compact environment, our 'exotic particles' and oscillating convergences really work to perfection! Naturally, there's not only going to be a wrench or two thrown into the works but an entire toolbox, but as all of their fans know by now, that's really when our Dynamic Duo does their best work! And despite their constant griping (it's really love, right?), to be allowed to ride along with them as they each become only too aware how much they need each other to succeed – bet the algorithms didn't show that being the case – adds a degree of humanity to the story that can't be beaten!
Ah, he thought as he began to pass out. Here comes my near-death moment…
Overall then, this is an absolutely must-read for not only scifi fans but lovers of good books, full stop. Dell'Aringa's style continues to remind me favorably of my favorite writers in this genre, including both John Scalzi and Rhett C. Bruno. The characters and all their incarnations (trust me on this) are extremely well-formed and we the readers really get into what's going through the heads and hearts along the way. The pacing is set to somewhere around Warp Factor 12 or so and, again, even if a lot of the technical jargon flew over my head and gave my hairline even more of a tug than age already has, it just made so much sense! Just like its predecessors then, I was impressed with how all of our heroes – and John and Alvis certainly aren't the only ones once its all said and done – rise to the occasion and prevail! Some of the moments we experience are beyond tense but, man, was it fun!
The two of you need couples therapy.
Again, my thanks to the author for selecting me to participate in the launch preparation team and for an eARC of this book.
August 25, 2024
Quantum entanglement brings three realities together for brief intervals - 5 Stars
When a quantum drive fails, people's lives become distorted in a collapsing reality. As five-minute interludes of reality between ghosting intervals occur faster, terror builds on the fear that their spaceship will be destroyed. Ghosts appear in shimmering views only to be interrupted with a pop. Space pirates and a makeshift rescue team converge on a derelict spaceship surrounded by exotic particles. The value of the experimental data and the quantum drive each have high value even if the people die.
This presentation offers an awesome account of Murphy's law; not only with things going wrong but thay go horribly wrong at the worst possible time. Every being with a synapse-type brain is subject to a confused reality -- even an AI driven robot. Plans for plunder to salvage a scientific breakthrough are compounded by ego driven individuals, two shipboard based AIs, and people who have an innate grasp of possible solutions that are just a bit off center.
The original journey was intended to prove an experimental quantum drive which fails disastrously. The spaceship leaves known space. When the spaceship mysteriously reappears a year later in normal space, the real adventure begins. The sensations of shifting reality and impending doom build as time is running out. Good intent, guilt, and greed each have a part in this adventure. Artificial intelligence - even for strictly computer chip type "brains" - both helps and befuddles.
Distorted perceptions, lack of food and sleep, and disturbing visions contribute to the feeling of being out of control and that is before guns and knives change the picture. Hang onto your hats; this ride will get your juices flowing. This story is a winner.
When a quantum drive fails, people's lives become distorted in a collapsing reality. As five-minute interludes of reality between ghosting intervals occur faster, terror builds on the fear that their spaceship will be destroyed. Ghosts appear in shimmering views only to be interrupted with a pop. Space pirates and a makeshift rescue team converge on a derelict spaceship surrounded by exotic particles. The value of the experimental data and the quantum drive each have high value even if the people die.
This presentation offers an awesome account of Murphy's law; not only with things going wrong but thay go horribly wrong at the worst possible time. Every being with a synapse-type brain is subject to a confused reality -- even an AI driven robot. Plans for plunder to salvage a scientific breakthrough are compounded by ego driven individuals, two shipboard based AIs, and people who have an innate grasp of possible solutions that are just a bit off center.
The original journey was intended to prove an experimental quantum drive which fails disastrously. The spaceship leaves known space. When the spaceship mysteriously reappears a year later in normal space, the real adventure begins. The sensations of shifting reality and impending doom build as time is running out. Good intent, guilt, and greed each have a part in this adventure. Artificial intelligence - even for strictly computer chip type "brains" - both helps and befuddles.
Distorted perceptions, lack of food and sleep, and disturbing visions contribute to the feeling of being out of control and that is before guns and knives change the picture. Hang onto your hats; this ride will get your juices flowing. This story is a winner.
August 24, 2024
Starting with the fact that I'm an early reader, having received an ARC, but I'm more than happy to give this review!
John and Alvis are at it again, this time on a ship with converging dimensions. They're joined by a not-so-willing UniSec member, Anika, for a mission to retrieve data from a seemingly derelict ship, but they find that it's not so easy to do, especially with another group on board searching for the same data and, of course, the aforementioned converging dimensions (dun, dun, DUUUUNNN!)
Part sci-fi, part thiller, even part buddy cop, this book doesn't dumb down the science, and makes things believable so that you're biting your nails along with the characters. The best thing about the story is that Dell'Aringa puts forth the set of rules for this book and sticks with them! Definitely not something I can say about all sci-fi novels.
John can't help his brand of humor and his charm to get through situations, and Alvis can't help poking at John whenever he can, but there's some real character development here. There's always some great backstory to navigate, and you get great insight on the new characters as well.
Intriguing characters, "How will they get out of this?" situations, some chuckles (and at least one guffaw) - there's nothing I didn't like about this book!
John and Alvis are at it again, this time on a ship with converging dimensions. They're joined by a not-so-willing UniSec member, Anika, for a mission to retrieve data from a seemingly derelict ship, but they find that it's not so easy to do, especially with another group on board searching for the same data and, of course, the aforementioned converging dimensions (dun, dun, DUUUUNNN!)
Part sci-fi, part thiller, even part buddy cop, this book doesn't dumb down the science, and makes things believable so that you're biting your nails along with the characters. The best thing about the story is that Dell'Aringa puts forth the set of rules for this book and sticks with them! Definitely not something I can say about all sci-fi novels.
John can't help his brand of humor and his charm to get through situations, and Alvis can't help poking at John whenever he can, but there's some real character development here. There's always some great backstory to navigate, and you get great insight on the new characters as well.
Intriguing characters, "How will they get out of this?" situations, some chuckles (and at least one guffaw) - there's nothing I didn't like about this book!
August 19, 2024
This third installment in the John& Alvis Sessions takes us on a wild ride, and you'd better hang on tight.
John MacAlister has been getting into, and losing, bar brawls on a frequent basis, and Alvis is having a hard time keeping him from drinking the earnings of their partnership. Their ship is in serious need of repairs, and business has been slow... So, of course, that means they're going to end up taking a job that rapidly gets out of control. As always!
John and Alvis, are the stars of this story, but they're forced to work with Anika, a UniSec agent with a rough streak of her own. The three of them are sent to investigate the sudden reappearance of an experimental ship, missing for over a year, and recovering the scientific data. It sounds so simple, right?
Now add in dimensional mishaps, a group of scrapjackers aiming to salvage whatever they can from the apparent derelict, and the usual mix of bad decisions. What you get is a story that brings thrills, revelations, and surprises that will threaten everyone's lives, and delivers on a very satisfying ending.
Having read the first two books isn't essential, but it definitely helps.
John MacAlister has been getting into, and losing, bar brawls on a frequent basis, and Alvis is having a hard time keeping him from drinking the earnings of their partnership. Their ship is in serious need of repairs, and business has been slow... So, of course, that means they're going to end up taking a job that rapidly gets out of control. As always!
John and Alvis, are the stars of this story, but they're forced to work with Anika, a UniSec agent with a rough streak of her own. The three of them are sent to investigate the sudden reappearance of an experimental ship, missing for over a year, and recovering the scientific data. It sounds so simple, right?
Now add in dimensional mishaps, a group of scrapjackers aiming to salvage whatever they can from the apparent derelict, and the usual mix of bad decisions. What you get is a story that brings thrills, revelations, and surprises that will threaten everyone's lives, and delivers on a very satisfying ending.
Having read the first two books isn't essential, but it definitely helps.
July 9, 2026
Ghost Notes - book 3 space opera
I thought the first two books in the series were good, so I picked up the third one.
Our hero and his robot sidekick are off on another adventure. I actually had great hopes because it took him to a different area in space working for quasi military/corporate entity. I was expecting some exciting problem to solve, maybe spying, maybe some corporate espionage.
Unfortunately, this one was basically the story of being trapped in an escape room. The iterations became (to me) repetitive to the point of being painful. About halfway through I had completely lost interest.
I did think it was interesting was the acknowledgment that the hero is a jerk towards the robot (an ongoing theme in all three books of belittling and insulting it). In this book, there is a moment where the hero almost realizes the problem, but it doesn’t sink in, and he continues to be a jerk. (then again maybe I’m empathizing too much with the robot because I like the Murderbot series.)
I thought the first two books in the series were good, so I picked up the third one.
Our hero and his robot sidekick are off on another adventure. I actually had great hopes because it took him to a different area in space working for quasi military/corporate entity. I was expecting some exciting problem to solve, maybe spying, maybe some corporate espionage.
Unfortunately, this one was basically the story of being trapped in an escape room. The iterations became (to me) repetitive to the point of being painful. About halfway through I had completely lost interest.
I did think it was interesting was the acknowledgment that the hero is a jerk towards the robot (an ongoing theme in all three books of belittling and insulting it). In this book, there is a moment where the hero almost realizes the problem, but it doesn’t sink in, and he continues to be a jerk. (then again maybe I’m empathizing too much with the robot because I like the Murderbot series.)
August 20, 2024
Funny SciFi! In previous books I have enjoyed the friendship of John and Alvis, especially enjoyed John’s easy acceptance of the sentient artie as more than a friend, a partner. This runs throughout the series but forefront would be the tangles John finds himself in each time he tries to do the “right thing.” I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did.
August 20, 2024
How were the Lone Ranger and Tonto reincarnated as a comedy duo?
Upfront let me tell you that I have read this story more than three times now as beta reader and as an ARC reader and I still enjoy it. Some may say that it won't hold up as well as anything written by Mark Twain but as a good four hour read (I go slowly) I really like it. Very reminiscent of Hope and Crosby "On the Road".
Upfront let me tell you that I have read this story more than three times now as beta reader and as an ARC reader and I still enjoy it. Some may say that it won't hold up as well as anything written by Mark Twain but as a good four hour read (I go slowly) I really like it. Very reminiscent of Hope and Crosby "On the Road".
March 21, 2025
Complicated
Not kidding, this beauty is complicated! Not sure about the scientific part of it being spot on but, it is a genius of a good story! Having said that, you have to keep up wihit, can't put it down for a couple of weeks and come back where you left off, so there, that's my story, enjoy!!
Not kidding, this beauty is complicated! Not sure about the scientific part of it being spot on but, it is a genius of a good story! Having said that, you have to keep up wihit, can't put it down for a couple of weeks and come back where you left off, so there, that's my story, enjoy!!
May 23, 2025
In Book 3 John and Alvis delve into quantum entanglement, literally battling different dimensions, space and time when they take on a mission to retrieve data from a ghost ship. But the most dangerous element out there are the other doppelgangers and those with secret agendas. Something happens to Alvis at the end of the book which has me wondering what Dell'Aringa has in store for Alvis next, but I'm pretty sure it will be interesting.
October 15, 2024
Delightful
This series, read in the right voice, is so engaging and delightful. The interaction between John and Alvis is highly reminiscent of that between Hans and Chewie. It really doesn’t get much better and I hope there will be a fourth episode soon.
This series, read in the right voice, is so engaging and delightful. The interaction between John and Alvis is highly reminiscent of that between Hans and Chewie. It really doesn’t get much better and I hope there will be a fourth episode soon.
August 17, 2024
More interactions between the main characters and with the people trapped on the experimental ship. The trouble is expanded due to raiders and the three different intertangled dimensions.
August 22, 2024
Amazing book. Great characters and one nail-bitingly great story! Could not put it down once I got started! Absolutely loved it!!
November 28, 2024
God entertainment
Very entertaining. Not high drama just fun scifi. Love it.
Ten more words ten more words ten more words. Done
Very entertaining. Not high drama just fun scifi. Love it.
Ten more words ten more words ten more words. Done
December 5, 2024
It was enjoyable.
John and Alvis was enjoyable. They were slow paced at first, but they are warming up. Alvis may be getting better , maybe his wiring is straightening out.
John and Alvis was enjoyable. They were slow paced at first, but they are warming up. Alvis may be getting better , maybe his wiring is straightening out.
January 7, 2026
A thrilling ride and split personalities.......
The storyline was outstanding, and the new characters were a mixed bunch. That made the read all the more entertaining.
The storyline was outstanding, and the new characters were a mixed bunch. That made the read all the more entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews