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Jack White #1
Ghostman
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY. Ett välplanerat casinorån går fruktansvärt fel. Det blir ett blodbad. En av rånarna skjuts i magen, men lyckas fly med en miljon dollar. Pengarna är vakuumförpackade och försedda med en sprängladdning som exploderar om den inte inaktiveras inom fyrtioåtta timmar. Det är därför Jack Delton kallas in. Jack är en Ghostman han får saker att försvinna: rånbyte, rånare, vad som än krävs. Han är specialiserad på stora, spektakulära rån, men på grund av en skuld tvingas han nu städa upp efter det misslyckade casinorånet. Han är dock inte ensam. Han jagas av både FBI och, än värre, av The Wolf.
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First published January 1, 2013
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About the author
Roger Hobbs
11 books228 followersRoger Hobbs was the author of Ghostman and Vanishing Games. Hobbs graduated in 2011 from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, where he studied ancient languages, film noir, and literary theory. He wrote Ghostman during his senior year. Also in 2011, he sold the adaption rights to his crime fiction Ghostman to Warner Brothers. In 2014, Hobbs was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author. Hobbs died of a drug overdose at the age of 28.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,199 reviews
July 29, 2016
The main character from Ghostman makes some toast:
I went into the kitchen and put two pieces of sliced sourdough bread into the toaster. You can use any type of bread to make toast, but I prefer sourdough. Other professional toast makers use whole grain or even raisin bread, but I like the taste and consistency of sourdough when toasted properly. Only a fool or an amateur would use white Wonder Bread.
I was using a Proctor Silex 22605 Cool-Wall 2-Slice Toaster with white plastic sides and chrome top. I put the bread in the slots and pressed down the handle which activated the contacts and applied power to the circuit board. 120 volts of power ran through the contacts to the nichrome wires at temperatures exceeding 300 degrees to toast the bread. When the capacitor reached a certain voltage, it cut the power to the electromagnet inside and allowed the spring to pop the toast up.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to burn the bread, or not have it toasted enough, but I had practiced with the Proctor Silex enough to have the settings memorized. Some may use fancier toasters capable of holding four slices, and a real showboat might have one of those fancy bagel toasters. The Proctor Silex had always gotten the job done for me.
So that’s the deal with this book. You’re going to learn a whole lot of shit about every single piece of hardware or procedure involved whether you want to or not. But since I’m a junkie for heist novels, I still liked it.
Jack is a ‘ghostman’, a professional armed robber who lives off the grid and is a master of disguise. After a hit on the money delivery from an armored car to an Atlantic City casino goes horribly wrong, the guy who planned the job, Marcus, calls Jack in to track down the missing cash and heisters. Jack ordinarily wouldn’t touch something this messy, but he owes Marcus a debt for a job that went sideways in Kuala Lumpur. Besides, he’s bored.
There was a lot about this debut book from Roger Hobbs that I loved. In the early chapters from the armored car robbery through our introduction to Jack, it seemed like we may be getting a new version of Parker for the digital age. The action and pace are brisk, the plot makes for an original page turner filled with all kinds of underworld types, and the flashbacks to the botched job in Kuala Lumpur added another layer to it.
I especially liked that Jack was kind of a slippery character to the reader, too. He shows himself capable of decisive and cold blooded action. When he threatens others and boasts of a nature that seems to delight in bloodshed and misery to avoid boredom, you’re not entirely sure how much of that is true. It makes him an enigma and that’s a nice way to handle a main guy when we don’t even know his real name.
However, what dragged this one down from 4 to 3 stars was that Roger Hobbs didn’t know when to just say, “I made some toast.” instead of elaborating on every detail like I spoofed at the beginning of this review. From the interview I read with Hobbs here on Goodreads, I get the feeling that he got so caught up with his research and invention of criminal procedures that he didn’t know when to stop. So we get a whole lot of info-dumping.
For example, with every gun that makes an appearance in the story, we also learn the magazine capacity, caliber, muzzle velocity, etc. etc whether it gets fired or not. I’d chalk that up as gun porn, but Hobbs does it with everything, not just firearms. So when Jack confronts a shotgun wielding thug, we get treated to a graphic description of the type of shells in the weapon and what they would do to a fleeing person. (Which also begs the question how Jack would know what type of ammo was loaded into the gun without some kind of x-ray specs. For all he knows, it could be rock salt or bird shot in there.) Then minutes later he breaks down all the reasons why a shovel makes a terrible weapon.
When he provides details critical to the story, it’s fascinating. The idea of booby trapped federal reserve money is great not just because it’s awesome Gee-Whiz tech, but because it’s an important plot point. But Hobbs doesn’t discriminate. At one point, Jack finds an apartment that has been broken into and the lock on the front door was splintered where it was pried open. He notes that the police wouldn’t enter like that so he knows someone else was there, but then he goes on to detail all the ways that the police would access an apartment from getting a pass key to using a battering ram. Why? It has nothing to do with the story. All he had to say was that the police don’t break into places like that. We didn’t need a laundry list of how they would do it if necessary.
I probably got more hung up on these details than I should have because I was so interested in the main story that I resented deviations from it. Still, I hope that Hobbs continues to refine what he did here and delivers some more crime novels in the future because he’s got a lot of very cool ideas and a helluva readable style. He just needs to learn not to tell us everything he learned in one book.
Cross posted at Shelf Inflicted.
I went into the kitchen and put two pieces of sliced sourdough bread into the toaster. You can use any type of bread to make toast, but I prefer sourdough. Other professional toast makers use whole grain or even raisin bread, but I like the taste and consistency of sourdough when toasted properly. Only a fool or an amateur would use white Wonder Bread.
I was using a Proctor Silex 22605 Cool-Wall 2-Slice Toaster with white plastic sides and chrome top. I put the bread in the slots and pressed down the handle which activated the contacts and applied power to the circuit board. 120 volts of power ran through the contacts to the nichrome wires at temperatures exceeding 300 degrees to toast the bread. When the capacitor reached a certain voltage, it cut the power to the electromagnet inside and allowed the spring to pop the toast up.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to burn the bread, or not have it toasted enough, but I had practiced with the Proctor Silex enough to have the settings memorized. Some may use fancier toasters capable of holding four slices, and a real showboat might have one of those fancy bagel toasters. The Proctor Silex had always gotten the job done for me.
So that’s the deal with this book. You’re going to learn a whole lot of shit about every single piece of hardware or procedure involved whether you want to or not. But since I’m a junkie for heist novels, I still liked it.
Jack is a ‘ghostman’, a professional armed robber who lives off the grid and is a master of disguise. After a hit on the money delivery from an armored car to an Atlantic City casino goes horribly wrong, the guy who planned the job, Marcus, calls Jack in to track down the missing cash and heisters. Jack ordinarily wouldn’t touch something this messy, but he owes Marcus a debt for a job that went sideways in Kuala Lumpur. Besides, he’s bored.
There was a lot about this debut book from Roger Hobbs that I loved. In the early chapters from the armored car robbery through our introduction to Jack, it seemed like we may be getting a new version of Parker for the digital age. The action and pace are brisk, the plot makes for an original page turner filled with all kinds of underworld types, and the flashbacks to the botched job in Kuala Lumpur added another layer to it.
I especially liked that Jack was kind of a slippery character to the reader, too. He shows himself capable of decisive and cold blooded action. When he threatens others and boasts of a nature that seems to delight in bloodshed and misery to avoid boredom, you’re not entirely sure how much of that is true. It makes him an enigma and that’s a nice way to handle a main guy when we don’t even know his real name.
However, what dragged this one down from 4 to 3 stars was that Roger Hobbs didn’t know when to just say, “I made some toast.” instead of elaborating on every detail like I spoofed at the beginning of this review. From the interview I read with Hobbs here on Goodreads, I get the feeling that he got so caught up with his research and invention of criminal procedures that he didn’t know when to stop. So we get a whole lot of info-dumping.
For example, with every gun that makes an appearance in the story, we also learn the magazine capacity, caliber, muzzle velocity, etc. etc whether it gets fired or not. I’d chalk that up as gun porn, but Hobbs does it with everything, not just firearms. So when Jack confronts a shotgun wielding thug, we get treated to a graphic description of the type of shells in the weapon and what they would do to a fleeing person. (Which also begs the question how Jack would know what type of ammo was loaded into the gun without some kind of x-ray specs. For all he knows, it could be rock salt or bird shot in there.) Then minutes later he breaks down all the reasons why a shovel makes a terrible weapon.
When he provides details critical to the story, it’s fascinating. The idea of booby trapped federal reserve money is great not just because it’s awesome Gee-Whiz tech, but because it’s an important plot point. But Hobbs doesn’t discriminate. At one point, Jack finds an apartment that has been broken into and the lock on the front door was splintered where it was pried open. He notes that the police wouldn’t enter like that so he knows someone else was there, but then he goes on to detail all the ways that the police would access an apartment from getting a pass key to using a battering ram. Why? It has nothing to do with the story. All he had to say was that the police don’t break into places like that. We didn’t need a laundry list of how they would do it if necessary.
I probably got more hung up on these details than I should have because I was so interested in the main story that I resented deviations from it. Still, I hope that Hobbs continues to refine what he did here and delivers some more crime novels in the future because he’s got a lot of very cool ideas and a helluva readable style. He just needs to learn not to tell us everything he learned in one book.
Cross posted at Shelf Inflicted.
April 6, 2017
The Trouble with Thrillers
When you wander through your local bookstore, or a drugstore or Wal-Mart, you’ll probably pass by a rack of paperback books with lurid covers that are usually labeled as thrillers. Pick up one of these books, and what are you likely to find? A superhero cop, spy, or private investigator — one who combines the strength of an Olympic gold medalist with an IQ of 165 and the ability to outfight the biggest, baddest bad guy ever to come down the pike. Apparently, a former British naval intelligence officer named Ian Fleming started this unfortunate tradition half a century ago. Now, it seems, we can’t shake it.
Here, then, comes young Roger Hobbs with a new twist on the thriller. Hobbs’ protagonist — his hero, it would seem — is not a superhero cop, spy, or private investigator. He is, in fact, an unrepentant, lifelong armed robber and murderer who combines the strength of an Olympic gold medalist with an IQ of 165 and the ability to outfight the biggest, baddest bad guy ever to come down the pike. Oh, but this guy never murders anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary! And, in the course of Roger Hobbs’ debut novel, Ghostman, he only kills maybe six or eight guys. (He doesn’t like to murder women, we’re told. Unless it’s absolutely necessary.)
The title character is the guy on a team of bankrobbers who makes things disappear, including himself. He seamlessly shifts from one disguise to another, adopting a wide variety of names but never revealing his own. By applying makeup, coloring his hair, changing his voice and his gait, he manages to put on 20 years in an hour — and we’re expected to believe that he remains undetected even by someone sitting within two feet of him. The few people who really know him call him Ghostman. He’s rootless as well as ruthless, and he could turn up anywhere in the world there’s a huge bank job waiting.
Blood, guts, and impossibilities aside, there are a couple of things about Hobbs’ writing that are laudable. His prose flows smoothly, uninterrupted by lyrical turns of phrase to hint that he’s really a “serious” writer. And he’s clearly done a masterful job of research into the procedural niceties and the argot of bank robbery as well as the workings of Atlantic City casinos and other topics closely related to his story. And, by the way, when I say Hobbs is young, I mean young: having graduated in 2011 from Reed College, he appears to be in his early twenties.
What’s missing from Ghostman and other novels of the same ilk is soul. Though Hobbs appends an “autobiography” of his killer-hero to illustrate his motivation for doing what he does, there’s not so much as a shred of evidence that the man — or, for that matter, Roger Hobbs — ever considers the needs, the feelings, or the value of other people. As I said, no soul.
Why do these nihilistic books get written so often, let alone published? And why do we read them? (Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!) Is there some bloodthirsty streak in our national character that impels us to make heroes out of people who seem to kill for a living?
When you wander through your local bookstore, or a drugstore or Wal-Mart, you’ll probably pass by a rack of paperback books with lurid covers that are usually labeled as thrillers. Pick up one of these books, and what are you likely to find? A superhero cop, spy, or private investigator — one who combines the strength of an Olympic gold medalist with an IQ of 165 and the ability to outfight the biggest, baddest bad guy ever to come down the pike. Apparently, a former British naval intelligence officer named Ian Fleming started this unfortunate tradition half a century ago. Now, it seems, we can’t shake it.
Here, then, comes young Roger Hobbs with a new twist on the thriller. Hobbs’ protagonist — his hero, it would seem — is not a superhero cop, spy, or private investigator. He is, in fact, an unrepentant, lifelong armed robber and murderer who combines the strength of an Olympic gold medalist with an IQ of 165 and the ability to outfight the biggest, baddest bad guy ever to come down the pike. Oh, but this guy never murders anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary! And, in the course of Roger Hobbs’ debut novel, Ghostman, he only kills maybe six or eight guys. (He doesn’t like to murder women, we’re told. Unless it’s absolutely necessary.)
The title character is the guy on a team of bankrobbers who makes things disappear, including himself. He seamlessly shifts from one disguise to another, adopting a wide variety of names but never revealing his own. By applying makeup, coloring his hair, changing his voice and his gait, he manages to put on 20 years in an hour — and we’re expected to believe that he remains undetected even by someone sitting within two feet of him. The few people who really know him call him Ghostman. He’s rootless as well as ruthless, and he could turn up anywhere in the world there’s a huge bank job waiting.
Blood, guts, and impossibilities aside, there are a couple of things about Hobbs’ writing that are laudable. His prose flows smoothly, uninterrupted by lyrical turns of phrase to hint that he’s really a “serious” writer. And he’s clearly done a masterful job of research into the procedural niceties and the argot of bank robbery as well as the workings of Atlantic City casinos and other topics closely related to his story. And, by the way, when I say Hobbs is young, I mean young: having graduated in 2011 from Reed College, he appears to be in his early twenties.
What’s missing from Ghostman and other novels of the same ilk is soul. Though Hobbs appends an “autobiography” of his killer-hero to illustrate his motivation for doing what he does, there’s not so much as a shred of evidence that the man — or, for that matter, Roger Hobbs — ever considers the needs, the feelings, or the value of other people. As I said, no soul.
Why do these nihilistic books get written so often, let alone published? And why do we read them? (Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!) Is there some bloodthirsty streak in our national character that impels us to make heroes out of people who seem to kill for a living?
May 13, 2015
“I was doing a nickel bit in the hoosegow…under glass because of a loose jawed stoolie who'd snitched to the bulls.”
That line wasn't penned by Roger Hobbs. Actually, it probably doesn't even make sense, but I've always operated under the notion that if I can't be a hardboiled criminal, at least I can try to coopt their lingo. So, if for that reason alone, reading Ghostman was a worthwhile endeavor (especially since the Sam Spade terminology is probably getting a bit dated).
The titular role of “ghostman” is among the more difficult to define. Probably because “there isn't a proper name for what we [they] do.” Professional imposters in the business of disappearing is the best I can do for now. But, despite their solitary nature, a ghostman doesn't do a job alone (far from it).
But, there's kind of a catch: “jugmarkers are notorious for taking revenge on people who rat on them. Some don't even kill snitches right away. They kill a guy’s whole family first, just to get his attention.” And, though our guy, Jack, is no snitch, he's dealing with one twisted marker…the kind who will force feed a guy a jar of nutmeg and leave him “to bite off his own tongue and drown in the blood.”
Though I can't speak to the verisimilitude of the criminal lexicon, it does make for fun reading. This ghostman's a pro—heck, he even accounts for exigent circumstances and the plain view doctrine.
Oh, and if you actually want to know what the book is about, then I suggest you check out Kemper and/or James' reviews…
That line wasn't penned by Roger Hobbs. Actually, it probably doesn't even make sense, but I've always operated under the notion that if I can't be a hardboiled criminal, at least I can try to coopt their lingo. So, if for that reason alone, reading Ghostman was a worthwhile endeavor (especially since the Sam Spade terminology is probably getting a bit dated).
The titular role of “ghostman” is among the more difficult to define. Probably because “there isn't a proper name for what we [they] do.” Professional imposters in the business of disappearing is the best I can do for now. But, despite their solitary nature, a ghostman doesn't do a job alone (far from it).
“This was a job with strict plans, timing and endgame—a jugmarker’s heist from beginning to end.”A jugmarker, of course, can “[write] heists the way Mozart wrote music.” The jugmarker, from miles away, can bring all the right people together. If a safe's involved you'll need a boxman —preferably one who's “half computer programmer, half demolition expert,” maybe a linguist, and a solid wheelman for sure. A pair of buttonmen who, though they rarely look tough, “hurt people for a living,” are a must as well.
But, there's kind of a catch: “jugmarkers are notorious for taking revenge on people who rat on them. Some don't even kill snitches right away. They kill a guy’s whole family first, just to get his attention.” And, though our guy, Jack, is no snitch, he's dealing with one twisted marker…the kind who will force feed a guy a jar of nutmeg and leave him “to bite off his own tongue and drown in the blood.”
Though I can't speak to the verisimilitude of the criminal lexicon, it does make for fun reading. This ghostman's a pro—heck, he even accounts for exigent circumstances and the plain view doctrine.
Oh, and if you actually want to know what the book is about, then I suggest you check out Kemper and/or James' reviews…
November 15, 2013
Ghostman is a very good debut novel told from the first-person POV of the Ghostman, whose real name no one really knows, though some refer to him as "Jack." He's a master criminal who lives way, way off the grid and specializes in disappearing. He only emerges when a job especially interests him.
Five years earlier, "Jack" was part of a crew that attempted to pull off a huge heist in Kuala Lumpur that was organized by another master criminal named Marcus. The caper blew up in spectacular fashion and the score was lost. Jack managed to escape and disappear, though other members of the team were not so lucky.
Jack blames himself for the fact that the job went south and, more to the point, so does Marcus. Now five years down the road, Marcus wants payback. Marcus has organized a hit on a casino in Atlantic City. He sends two men to hit an armored car that is delivering 1.2 million dollars to the casino. But one of the robbers is killed during the holdup and the other escapes with the loot. Marcus tracks down the Ghostman and instructs him to recover the money. If he does so, Marcus will finally consider them even.
Naturally, the cops and some other bad guys are also searching for the money and all sorts of crosses and double-crosses ensue. To add insult to injury, the 1.2 mil is shrink wrapped into a bundle that will explode and render the money useless in only a few hours. Needless to say, the Ghostman has his hands full, and we watch intently as he attempts to cope with all the obstacles placed in his way. At the same time he gradually reveals the back story of the job in Kuala Lumpur that got him into this mess in the first place.
There's an enormous amount of detail in this book and some of it, like the way the money is packaged, is pretty intriguing; one wonders how Hobbs managed to learn all this minutia. After a while, though, the detail begins to overwhelm the story itself and starts to be a distraction. Also, his screw-up in Malaysia notwithstanding, Jack the Ghostman seems, finally, to be just a little bit too damned good and you get (or at least this reader did) to the point where you just can't take him seriously any longer.
That said, this is still a very entertaining book and Roger Hobbs is clearly a writer to look for. It will be interesting to see how he follows Ghostman.
Five years earlier, "Jack" was part of a crew that attempted to pull off a huge heist in Kuala Lumpur that was organized by another master criminal named Marcus. The caper blew up in spectacular fashion and the score was lost. Jack managed to escape and disappear, though other members of the team were not so lucky.
Jack blames himself for the fact that the job went south and, more to the point, so does Marcus. Now five years down the road, Marcus wants payback. Marcus has organized a hit on a casino in Atlantic City. He sends two men to hit an armored car that is delivering 1.2 million dollars to the casino. But one of the robbers is killed during the holdup and the other escapes with the loot. Marcus tracks down the Ghostman and instructs him to recover the money. If he does so, Marcus will finally consider them even.
Naturally, the cops and some other bad guys are also searching for the money and all sorts of crosses and double-crosses ensue. To add insult to injury, the 1.2 mil is shrink wrapped into a bundle that will explode and render the money useless in only a few hours. Needless to say, the Ghostman has his hands full, and we watch intently as he attempts to cope with all the obstacles placed in his way. At the same time he gradually reveals the back story of the job in Kuala Lumpur that got him into this mess in the first place.
There's an enormous amount of detail in this book and some of it, like the way the money is packaged, is pretty intriguing; one wonders how Hobbs managed to learn all this minutia. After a while, though, the detail begins to overwhelm the story itself and starts to be a distraction. Also, his screw-up in Malaysia notwithstanding, Jack the Ghostman seems, finally, to be just a little bit too damned good and you get (or at least this reader did) to the point where you just can't take him seriously any longer.
That said, this is still a very entertaining book and Roger Hobbs is clearly a writer to look for. It will be interesting to see how he follows Ghostman.
July 31, 2014
The Ghost Man by Roger Hobbs
Well let's clear two interesting facts, one this is a debut author, second he finished this book when he was still at college in his early twenties.
When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favour from someone who's sometimes called Jack. While it's doubtful anyone knows his actual name or anything at all about his true identity, or even if he's still alive, he's in his mid-30's and lives completely off the grid, a criminal's criminal who does entirely as he pleases and is almost impossible to get in touch with.
Within hours a private jet is flying this exceptionally experienced fixer and cleaner-upper from Seattle to New Jersey and right into a spectacular mess: one heister dead in the parking lot, another winged but on the run, the shooter a complete mystery, the $1.2 million in freshly printed bills god knows where, and the FBI already waiting for Jack at the airport. To contend with all this will require every gram of his skill, ingenuity, and self protective instincts.
They don't call him Ghostman for nothing...
A great impressive debut thriller from young Roger Hobbs, as you are taken through two stories, one that is the present, and one that is a flashback, both as gripping as each other and important to the story.
Winner of the CWA Thriller of the Year 2013
A gripping intelligent tense fast paced action packed thriller, with a new star in the Ghost Man, to rival Lee Childs, Joe Pike, Will Robie and others.
I enjoyed the writing, the plot and the tension as the book comes to a conclusion with both stories and now looking forward to his second book.
Well let's clear two interesting facts, one this is a debut author, second he finished this book when he was still at college in his early twenties.
When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favour from someone who's sometimes called Jack. While it's doubtful anyone knows his actual name or anything at all about his true identity, or even if he's still alive, he's in his mid-30's and lives completely off the grid, a criminal's criminal who does entirely as he pleases and is almost impossible to get in touch with.
Within hours a private jet is flying this exceptionally experienced fixer and cleaner-upper from Seattle to New Jersey and right into a spectacular mess: one heister dead in the parking lot, another winged but on the run, the shooter a complete mystery, the $1.2 million in freshly printed bills god knows where, and the FBI already waiting for Jack at the airport. To contend with all this will require every gram of his skill, ingenuity, and self protective instincts.
They don't call him Ghostman for nothing...
A great impressive debut thriller from young Roger Hobbs, as you are taken through two stories, one that is the present, and one that is a flashback, both as gripping as each other and important to the story.
Winner of the CWA Thriller of the Year 2013
A gripping intelligent tense fast paced action packed thriller, with a new star in the Ghost Man, to rival Lee Childs, Joe Pike, Will Robie and others.
I enjoyed the writing, the plot and the tension as the book comes to a conclusion with both stories and now looking forward to his second book.
July 22, 2014
I wish I read Ghostman on a plane. I have a set of plane reading rules.
1) Nothing too intense.
2) Nothing that makes me think too much.
3) Something that would make a good movie is ideal.
Since I hate planes and wasn't going anywhere, however, I read Ghostman over a long weekend. I only picked up the book because of the online hype filtered through the NY Times and Barnes and Noble sites. Now, my expectations were high, and while I didn't love the novel I read the sucker in two days and I only checked to see how much was left once or twice. I'm not going to pee my pants in praise, though, probably because I'm not a "mystery" person. In fact, the high praise bestowed on Ghostman from fans of that genre makes me wonder if the majority of mystery books on the shelves are way shitty. I don't know. Maybe the comparison doesn't fit. Ghostman functions as a well-constructed crime novel, and I think the film has potential, but I wasn't moved or excited and I'm not emailing my friends to check out the book. Good. Not great. Better than okay.
1) Nothing too intense.
2) Nothing that makes me think too much.
3) Something that would make a good movie is ideal.
Since I hate planes and wasn't going anywhere, however, I read Ghostman over a long weekend. I only picked up the book because of the online hype filtered through the NY Times and Barnes and Noble sites. Now, my expectations were high, and while I didn't love the novel I read the sucker in two days and I only checked to see how much was left once or twice. I'm not going to pee my pants in praise, though, probably because I'm not a "mystery" person. In fact, the high praise bestowed on Ghostman from fans of that genre makes me wonder if the majority of mystery books on the shelves are way shitty. I don't know. Maybe the comparison doesn't fit. Ghostman functions as a well-constructed crime novel, and I think the film has potential, but I wasn't moved or excited and I'm not emailing my friends to check out the book. Good. Not great. Better than okay.
August 12, 2022
Interesting read. Hobbs drew me in with his crime thriller tale. Drug-use seems a little close to home considering his personal life and tragic passing. Some scenes became a little unbelievable but overall an enjoyable yarn.
May 15, 2025
Ghostman was a fun book to listen to. You will find yourself immersed in the underworld of Atlantic City. The author’s descriptive style of writing is like police procedural but the story is more like crime procedural. Some scenes are quite graphic with splashing blood or splattering brain matter but that’s all part of the genre.
February 17, 2016
Pretty good thriller. The concept is a good one. Every now and then a book (or movie for that matter) that's a relatively new idea, and here we have a "Ghostman".
A Ghostman vanishes people and things...including him or herself (apparently Ghostman is generic as he was trained by a woman and she is also called a "Ghostman" during the book's story). Anyway our Ghostman can only be contacted by you if he (or she) has made that possible.
Can you track a Ghostman down? Then he's probably not much of a Ghostman.
The story unfolds on 2 time lines one in the past and one in the present. The past story of course bears on the events that are happening in the present.
A pretty good book. Some "factual" and "nomenclature" errors I was aware of (so I assume there are others I didn't spot on subjects I'm not familiar with) but then do the readers really need exact details on things like, "how to do a foolproof bank robbery? Anyway, nothing bad and a good involving story.
I suspect we'll see more of the Ghostman...if he wants us to of course.
Recommended, enjoy.
A Ghostman vanishes people and things...including him or herself (apparently Ghostman is generic as he was trained by a woman and she is also called a "Ghostman" during the book's story). Anyway our Ghostman can only be contacted by you if he (or she) has made that possible.
Can you track a Ghostman down? Then he's probably not much of a Ghostman.
The story unfolds on 2 time lines one in the past and one in the present. The past story of course bears on the events that are happening in the present.
A pretty good book. Some "factual" and "nomenclature" errors I was aware of (so I assume there are others I didn't spot on subjects I'm not familiar with) but then do the readers really need exact details on things like, "how to do a foolproof bank robbery? Anyway, nothing bad and a good involving story.
I suspect we'll see more of the Ghostman...if he wants us to of course.
Recommended, enjoy.
February 28, 2013
Jack is a Ghostman, a criminal hired by other criminals to fool people and clean up messes. A fixer,a cleaner, a man who gets things done. He lives completely off the grid. No one knows his real name. He lives for the action and the thrill. He is a master of disguises and nuances.
In Atlantic City, a heist is about to go down. Two criminals are going to steal $1,200,000 in freshly minted bills from an armored car delivery to a casino. The robbery goes off smoothly, when all hell breaks loose, another gunman opens fire on the robbers killing one and wounding the other. The money disappears.
Marcus, a jugmarker, the criminal mastermind, who hired the robbers, wants the money because he was going to use it against Wolf, another criminal, from Atlantic City. Apparently the money is in a package with an explosive die pack. There is only a limited time to find the money before its useless. He gets in touch with Jack and convinces him to fix the situation, get the money back. Jack owes him because he screwed up Marcus' Malaysian robbery 5 years before.
When Jack arrives in Atlantic City he is confronted by the FBI, must play detective, and figure out the planning of the crime from a criminal's perspective. Meanwhile, the Wolf is also on the scene and wants Jack to find the money so he can use it against Marcus. As Jack takes steps to find the money, Wolf takes more violent steps to force him to work for him.
Meanwhile, the FBI is also following Jack around.
Hobbs effortlessly switches back and forth between chapters dedicated to the clean up in Atlantic City and the screwup in Malaysia. He shows high end heists from all perspectives.
Jack is a complex character, violent, smart, a killer with few scruples. Although Wolf may think he is working for Marcus, in fact, Jack is a thrill seeker at heart, who lives for the hunt and the excitement.
Can he find the money before the FBI captures him or Wolf kills him.
Its a smooth ride, very stylistic, with a knowing and sly protagonist.
It hits all the right buttons.
In Atlantic City, a heist is about to go down. Two criminals are going to steal $1,200,000 in freshly minted bills from an armored car delivery to a casino. The robbery goes off smoothly, when all hell breaks loose, another gunman opens fire on the robbers killing one and wounding the other. The money disappears.
Marcus, a jugmarker, the criminal mastermind, who hired the robbers, wants the money because he was going to use it against Wolf, another criminal, from Atlantic City. Apparently the money is in a package with an explosive die pack. There is only a limited time to find the money before its useless. He gets in touch with Jack and convinces him to fix the situation, get the money back. Jack owes him because he screwed up Marcus' Malaysian robbery 5 years before.
When Jack arrives in Atlantic City he is confronted by the FBI, must play detective, and figure out the planning of the crime from a criminal's perspective. Meanwhile, the Wolf is also on the scene and wants Jack to find the money so he can use it against Marcus. As Jack takes steps to find the money, Wolf takes more violent steps to force him to work for him.
Meanwhile, the FBI is also following Jack around.
Hobbs effortlessly switches back and forth between chapters dedicated to the clean up in Atlantic City and the screwup in Malaysia. He shows high end heists from all perspectives.
Jack is a complex character, violent, smart, a killer with few scruples. Although Wolf may think he is working for Marcus, in fact, Jack is a thrill seeker at heart, who lives for the hunt and the excitement.
Can he find the money before the FBI captures him or Wolf kills him.
Its a smooth ride, very stylistic, with a knowing and sly protagonist.
It hits all the right buttons.
May 17, 2018
I decided to read this after seeing this Goodreads interview with the author. I do not regret the decision. I read the entire novel over a weekend.
The story is fairly straightforward, told from the first person point-of-view of Ghostman, while he is working a job to settle an old debt. Simultaneously, there are flashbacks to the bank heist that put him in that debt in the first place. The mystery of Ghostman -- including his real name, which the reader never learns -- is the truly compelling aspect of the story, more so than the mystery of the missing money, although neither are more exciting than the heist flashback.
I also loved Ghostman's habit of translating classic literature, which at first seemed like a random hobby thrown in to flesh out the character a bit, but made so much sense as I learned about why he aspired and trained to be an invisible imposter.
My biggest "complaint" is that both the main story and the flashbacks were so interesting that the switches between story lines became moments of frustration. This likely contributed to my reading the book so quickly.
I desperately hope there is a sequel to this book, as I loved reading about jugmarkers, wheelmen, boxmen, grifters, buttonmen, ghostmen and their glorified lives of crime. I'd also like to delve deeper into the mysterious Ghostman and, maybe, just maybe, meet his elusive mentor Angela.
The story is fairly straightforward, told from the first person point-of-view of Ghostman, while he is working a job to settle an old debt. Simultaneously, there are flashbacks to the bank heist that put him in that debt in the first place. The mystery of Ghostman -- including his real name, which the reader never learns -- is the truly compelling aspect of the story, more so than the mystery of the missing money, although neither are more exciting than the heist flashback.
I also loved Ghostman's habit of translating classic literature, which at first seemed like a random hobby thrown in to flesh out the character a bit, but made so much sense as I learned about why he aspired and trained to be an invisible imposter.
My biggest "complaint" is that both the main story and the flashbacks were so interesting that the switches between story lines became moments of frustration. This likely contributed to my reading the book so quickly.
I desperately hope there is a sequel to this book, as I loved reading about jugmarkers, wheelmen, boxmen, grifters, buttonmen, ghostmen and their glorified lives of crime. I'd also like to delve deeper into the mysterious Ghostman and, maybe, just maybe, meet his elusive mentor Angela.
September 1, 2021
Pretty good - pity this writer fell victim to his own fiction scenarios...
June 7, 2025
This book was in my workbag, which means it travels to and from my job and generally gets read during my train ǰourney.
Anyhow the book offers enough entertainment to be finished. This time while waiting on an electrician as my master fuse was fried, it offers nothing but time to read.
the book starts with a heist that goes deadline wrong but one of the robbers disappears with a federal payload of 1,2 million dollar.
Enter the Ghostman whose identity remains unknown through the whole book. only a name hé used in an oriental heist that went horrible wrong.
Anyhow the ghostman has to find the cash for the mastermind of the heist within a certain timeframe. Then there is the local crimeboss who dislikes other people in his sandbox and wants the cash too. Of course where would we be without a beautifull FBI agent trying to recover the federale money.
this story gets a pause when we learn about the ghostmans past and the heist in the Orient.
A smooth thriller with a first person perspective in which this person is really too smooth and all knowing. And at times you feel a literary inheritance from a certain Robert Ludlum. Which is a compliment of course, why 3 stars you ask? Well the suspense of disbelieve is at times a tad too much.
Still great litrature for a beach holiday.
Anyhow the book offers enough entertainment to be finished. This time while waiting on an electrician as my master fuse was fried, it offers nothing but time to read.
the book starts with a heist that goes deadline wrong but one of the robbers disappears with a federal payload of 1,2 million dollar.
Enter the Ghostman whose identity remains unknown through the whole book. only a name hé used in an oriental heist that went horrible wrong.
Anyhow the ghostman has to find the cash for the mastermind of the heist within a certain timeframe. Then there is the local crimeboss who dislikes other people in his sandbox and wants the cash too. Of course where would we be without a beautifull FBI agent trying to recover the federale money.
this story gets a pause when we learn about the ghostmans past and the heist in the Orient.
A smooth thriller with a first person perspective in which this person is really too smooth and all knowing. And at times you feel a literary inheritance from a certain Robert Ludlum. Which is a compliment of course, why 3 stars you ask? Well the suspense of disbelieve is at times a tad too much.
Still great litrature for a beach holiday.
July 2, 2019
Pretty good thriller. The concept is a good one. Every now and then a book (or movie for that matter) gets it right. So, here we have a "Ghostman".
A Ghostman vanishes people and things...including him or herself (apparently Ghostman is generic as he was trained by a woman and she is also called a "Ghostman" during the book's story). Anyway our Ghostman can only be contacted by you if he (or she) has made that possible.
Can you track a Ghostman down? Then he's probably not much of a Ghostman.
The story unfolds on 2 time lines one in the past and one in the present. The past story of course bears on the events that are happening in the present.
A pretty good book. Some "factual" and "nomenclature" errors I was aware (so i assume there are others I didn't spot on subjects I'm not familiar with) but then do the readers really need exact details on things like, "how to do a foolproof bank robbery? Anyway, nothing bad and a good involving story.
I suspect we'll see more of the Ghostman...if he wants us to of course.
Recommended, enjoy.
A Ghostman vanishes people and things...including him or herself (apparently Ghostman is generic as he was trained by a woman and she is also called a "Ghostman" during the book's story). Anyway our Ghostman can only be contacted by you if he (or she) has made that possible.
Can you track a Ghostman down? Then he's probably not much of a Ghostman.
The story unfolds on 2 time lines one in the past and one in the present. The past story of course bears on the events that are happening in the present.
A pretty good book. Some "factual" and "nomenclature" errors I was aware (so i assume there are others I didn't spot on subjects I'm not familiar with) but then do the readers really need exact details on things like, "how to do a foolproof bank robbery? Anyway, nothing bad and a good involving story.
I suspect we'll see more of the Ghostman...if he wants us to of course.
Recommended, enjoy.
May 6, 2019
This was fun, if a bit over the top. The Ghostman is 'a man with no name' which is apparently a sought after talent in the criminal underworld. He can change identities & take care of issues, all part of the job description. Everyone has a specific job & talent in his world. There are drivers, jobbers, & others. Rather neat & it gives us some fun characters, including plenty of bad guys to go around. There's even one person who is good, a rarity.
This is told from the first person & heavy on detail. For the most part, that's fun. There were a few that didn't sit well with me & a time or two the story skipped without explaining a particularly tricky part, but that was rare. Normally it was very well thought out, if occasionally convenient. All good, though. I really liked the way the story switched between the present job & one from 5 years before that made him take this one.
Well narrated & a good length for the story. Definitely recommended, but you'll either like it or hate it, I think. It gets an extra 1/2 star for being the author's first.
This is told from the first person & heavy on detail. For the most part, that's fun. There were a few that didn't sit well with me & a time or two the story skipped without explaining a particularly tricky part, but that was rare. Normally it was very well thought out, if occasionally convenient. All good, though. I really liked the way the story switched between the present job & one from 5 years before that made him take this one.
Well narrated & a good length for the story. Definitely recommended, but you'll either like it or hate it, I think. It gets an extra 1/2 star for being the author's first.
December 27, 2013
Ghostman is a late addition to the growing genre of “fixer thrillers”: an awesomely competent master of extra-legal anonymity is called upon to clean up some present or imminent criminal mess on behalf of a shady person or organization (usually organized crime or government intelligence, with interchangeable ethics and work practices). NBC’s
The Blacklist
is the video embodiment of this genre; Ghostman’s unnamed protagonist is “Red” Reddington’s younger, less sophisticated nephew.
In this installment, Our Antihero is sent to perform damage control after an Atlantic City casino heist goes spectacularly wrong. Naturally, the man doing the sending – a Seattle drug kingpin to whom Our Antihero owes a debt – has a subterranean motive waiting to be unearthed. A brutal local mob boss, enablers with uncertain loyalties, and a comely FBI agent all lay down various roadblocks that Our Antihero has to overcome while racing the 48-hour deadline imposed on him.
Author Hobbs’ entirely unadorned prose snaps along smartly and is the very definition of “quick read” (I finished the nearly 400 pages in a single day). While the first-person voice isn’t especially distinctive (Don Winslow the author is not), it fits the protagonist, and you’ll easily be able to believe that it’s the character’s voice and not the author’s. The plot is satisfyingly twisty. The action clicks off efficiently and in ways you won’t have a hard time picturing. Our Antihero’s elaborate backstory – which unspools in parallel with the main plot – makes up an interesting, second full-fledged caper.
If my praise sounds tepid, it’s because it is. Our Antihero is largely personality-free; while I enjoyed watching him pull his strings and escape from each chapter’s fix, I didn’t really much care whether he survived the experience – and, as it turns out, neither does he. (By contrast, I enjoy The Blacklist because Reddington, James Spader’s character, has so much fun being bad that he’s a hoot to watch.) Everything he does, he does well, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for the will-he-or-won’t-he? kind of suspense. We don’t get much of a clue what the protagonist wants or what he values, so we can’t tell whether any of it is at risk. The competing mob bosses are both such monsters that it’s easy to hope they’ll both lose. Finally, the protag’s flirtation with that comely FBI agent makes very little sense and seems to come out of left field; it doesn’t help that not even he understands or can explain it. Is she his type? Does he have a type? Does he even like women? No clue.
Ghostman is a tidy, efficient crime thriller that moves the pieces around the board in a reasonably satisfying way. Unfortunately, the game isn’t particularly memorable. Don’t expect to bond with the protagonist, just enjoy watching his two days at the office and cheer when he does away with the really bad bad guys. It’s a debut; allowances can be made. I’m sure there’s a sequel in our future. For now, I give it 3.5 stars for the plot, then round down for the other stuff.
In this installment, Our Antihero is sent to perform damage control after an Atlantic City casino heist goes spectacularly wrong. Naturally, the man doing the sending – a Seattle drug kingpin to whom Our Antihero owes a debt – has a subterranean motive waiting to be unearthed. A brutal local mob boss, enablers with uncertain loyalties, and a comely FBI agent all lay down various roadblocks that Our Antihero has to overcome while racing the 48-hour deadline imposed on him.
Author Hobbs’ entirely unadorned prose snaps along smartly and is the very definition of “quick read” (I finished the nearly 400 pages in a single day). While the first-person voice isn’t especially distinctive (Don Winslow the author is not), it fits the protagonist, and you’ll easily be able to believe that it’s the character’s voice and not the author’s. The plot is satisfyingly twisty. The action clicks off efficiently and in ways you won’t have a hard time picturing. Our Antihero’s elaborate backstory – which unspools in parallel with the main plot – makes up an interesting, second full-fledged caper.
If my praise sounds tepid, it’s because it is. Our Antihero is largely personality-free; while I enjoyed watching him pull his strings and escape from each chapter’s fix, I didn’t really much care whether he survived the experience – and, as it turns out, neither does he. (By contrast, I enjoy The Blacklist because Reddington, James Spader’s character, has so much fun being bad that he’s a hoot to watch.) Everything he does, he does well, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for the will-he-or-won’t-he? kind of suspense. We don’t get much of a clue what the protagonist wants or what he values, so we can’t tell whether any of it is at risk. The competing mob bosses are both such monsters that it’s easy to hope they’ll both lose. Finally, the protag’s flirtation with that comely FBI agent makes very little sense and seems to come out of left field; it doesn’t help that not even he understands or can explain it. Is she his type? Does he have a type? Does he even like women? No clue.
Ghostman is a tidy, efficient crime thriller that moves the pieces around the board in a reasonably satisfying way. Unfortunately, the game isn’t particularly memorable. Don’t expect to bond with the protagonist, just enjoy watching his two days at the office and cheer when he does away with the really bad bad guys. It’s a debut; allowances can be made. I’m sure there’s a sequel in our future. For now, I give it 3.5 stars for the plot, then round down for the other stuff.
November 6, 2015
A Ghostman vanishes not simply by disappearing, but by becoming someone else. He’s also hired to make problems go away. I could use one of these guys on a daily basis.
I give Ghostman 3.5 stars because the story is well driven, the pace is constant, and the set-up of the book is pretty cool. I like Jack Delton, the main character in the book who is our Ghostman. Delton is not his true name. It could be White. The reader doesn’t actually learn Jack’s true name. That lends to the mysteriousness of the character, and just what makes him so good at what he does.
As the plot alternates between the present and the past, we are taken on a fast ride into an underworld of criminals and high-stake robberies. The past job is a heist that Jack screwed up big time. It’s the one he’s been on the run from ever since. As Jack (or not Jack) currently works to fix a problem, find a missing bag of stolen federal currency in Atlantic City, we learn in flashback sequences just how the job in Kuala Lampur went wrong. The crux of the problem is that Jack may be in a middle of a set-up caused by the one that went bad.
The technical details seem well researched, and other reviewers have said just that. There are a lot of cool little details about things like federal currency, wheelmen, and bank operations, to name a few. I found that some pieces in the book came off a bit too clean, things that would probably never occur so smoothly outside the pages of a book. But, those parts in the book were seldom, so I don’t take away much for it in this review. Let’s be real: If fiction books didn’t suspend reality, then Jack Reacher and Lucas Davenport would have been six-feet-under a long time ago.
In summary, Ghostman was fun read. I’m pretty sure that’s what the author was going for. All in all, it’s a pretty good first novel for a young writer. There’s already a second book out Vanishing Games, so I think he’s creating a solid niche for himself with the Jack White series.
I give Ghostman 3.5 stars because the story is well driven, the pace is constant, and the set-up of the book is pretty cool. I like Jack Delton, the main character in the book who is our Ghostman. Delton is not his true name. It could be White. The reader doesn’t actually learn Jack’s true name. That lends to the mysteriousness of the character, and just what makes him so good at what he does.
As the plot alternates between the present and the past, we are taken on a fast ride into an underworld of criminals and high-stake robberies. The past job is a heist that Jack screwed up big time. It’s the one he’s been on the run from ever since. As Jack (or not Jack) currently works to fix a problem, find a missing bag of stolen federal currency in Atlantic City, we learn in flashback sequences just how the job in Kuala Lampur went wrong. The crux of the problem is that Jack may be in a middle of a set-up caused by the one that went bad.
The technical details seem well researched, and other reviewers have said just that. There are a lot of cool little details about things like federal currency, wheelmen, and bank operations, to name a few. I found that some pieces in the book came off a bit too clean, things that would probably never occur so smoothly outside the pages of a book. But, those parts in the book were seldom, so I don’t take away much for it in this review. Let’s be real: If fiction books didn’t suspend reality, then Jack Reacher and Lucas Davenport would have been six-feet-under a long time ago.
In summary, Ghostman was fun read. I’m pretty sure that’s what the author was going for. All in all, it’s a pretty good first novel for a young writer. There’s already a second book out Vanishing Games, so I think he’s creating a solid niche for himself with the Jack White series.
Read
March 7, 20132, 3, 4 stars, I am so conflicted on where to rate this novel, so much so that I've decided to leave the rating blank. It wasn't amazing, at least not for me, I wouldn't pan it and ok doesn’t quite capture my feelings either.
Ghostman is a debut that is cleverly crafted, the type of story I generally crave. The premise of an Atlantic City heist gone bad is my kind of story. Figuring out the good guys. the bad guys and how the main character Jack Delton or whatever his name is, is going to prevail would usually be enough for me. So why didn't I quite buy into Ghostman? There was lots of action, let me repeat that, lots of action. Stings, a deadline, a plot racing to the finish, high octane stuff all. If you've followed my reviews, you'll know that plots that are slightly implausible don't bother me. I often state "hey this is fiction" but Ghostman was just too much for me. Jack should have been dead and I wasn't exactly routing for him in the end. I have no desire to meet up with him again. I think I'm going to be the minority in this regard.
So why not just give Ghostman a 2 or a 3 star rating? I want to be fair to the author, Roger Hobbs. For his first effort, he seems to have created a winner with the critics. So what do I know? Christopher Reich, author of some great financial thrillers thought it was "just plain fun to read". Kirkus who doesn't like everything gave it a good review. Readers on GR are averaging 4 stars.
Read it and judge it for yourself. I'll be reading what you have to say.
Ghostman is a debut that is cleverly crafted, the type of story I generally crave. The premise of an Atlantic City heist gone bad is my kind of story. Figuring out the good guys. the bad guys and how the main character Jack Delton or whatever his name is, is going to prevail would usually be enough for me. So why didn't I quite buy into Ghostman? There was lots of action, let me repeat that, lots of action. Stings, a deadline, a plot racing to the finish, high octane stuff all. If you've followed my reviews, you'll know that plots that are slightly implausible don't bother me. I often state "hey this is fiction" but Ghostman was just too much for me. Jack should have been dead and I wasn't exactly routing for him in the end. I have no desire to meet up with him again. I think I'm going to be the minority in this regard.
So why not just give Ghostman a 2 or a 3 star rating? I want to be fair to the author, Roger Hobbs. For his first effort, he seems to have created a winner with the critics. So what do I know? Christopher Reich, author of some great financial thrillers thought it was "just plain fun to read". Kirkus who doesn't like everything gave it a good review. Readers on GR are averaging 4 stars.
Read it and judge it for yourself. I'll be reading what you have to say.
November 14, 2015
Bad guy (jugmarker) Marcus calls in a debt owed to him by ghostman, Jack White, when the theft of Federal Reserve money to a casino goes horribly wrong. Jack flies into Atlantic City on Marcus's jet, and immediately flagged by the FBI; however, he manages to stay out of their clutches, while trying to locate the money and avoid the maniacal Wolf, another baddie. There was plenty of action, but I did not care for the switching timeline to the Malaysian job that failed (creating Jack's debt to Marcus) or Jack's mysterious personality as a cypher, feeling the author skimped on most details, other than his mentor.
October 15, 2021
Finished it a while ago but forgot to review it. This might have been just the right time for me to read this books as it was most definitely what I was in the mood for while reading it. Exciting and page turnery that never got dull and I just had to know what was going to happened next
February 18, 2013
Learn from my mistakes. It was almost bedtime, but I thought I would sample a few chapters of Ghostman by Roger Hobbs before calling it a night. Yeah, good plan - didn't work. And I was very bleary eyed at work the next morning.
Atlantic City. The perfect heist, perfectly planned- treasury bills on their way to a casino. But.....the best laid schemes of mice and men....
When things go horribly wrong, Marcus, the orchestrator (jugmarker) of the heist gets in touch with 'Jack' (aren't all the best anti-heroes named Jack?!) in hopes of salvaging part of his plan. Jack owes Marcus for something that happened on another job. Since that job Jack has disappeared - like a ghost.
"My name isn't really Jack. My name isn't John, George, Robert, Michael or Steven, either. It isn't any of the names that appear on my drivers licenses and it isn't on my passports or credit cards. My real name isn't anywhere, except maybe on a college diploma and a couple of school records in my safety-deposit box. Jack Delton was just an alias, and it was long since retired. I'd used it for a job five years ago and never again since......Only two people in the world knew that name."
Jack is caught between warring criminals, his own proclivity for living on the edge and the past. We slowly learn what happened in the botched robbery five years ago and how Jack came to be the Ghostman.
Hobbs had me hooked from page one. The opening scenes are action filled, addictive and set the pace for the rest of the book. The story never falters or stalls and had me enthralled until I (reluctantly) turned the last page. The plot twists and turns in unexpected directions, taking the reader on a thrill packed ride.
Hobbs has obviously done a great deal of research into the criminal underworld of robberies, casinos, security and more. (Who knew you could kill someone with nutmeg?) The details included are fascinating and really add depth to the story. This is not a glossed over paint by the numbers plot. In fact, I stopped at one point to go online and read about the author. I really could not believe this was a debut novel.
"Roger Hobbs graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2011, where he majored in English. His first book, GHOSTMAN, was written during the summer between his junior and senior years at Reed. He spent the school year rewriting it and editing. The manuscript was sent off on the day he graduated. A few weeks later it caused an uproar at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair, and has since sold in more than fifteen countries around the world."
Who is going to love this book? Well, in my opinion, everyone. But if you're a fan of Reacher and the 'Oceans' heist movies, then this is one for you. I absolutely loved it - Five stars all the way.
Roger Hobbs: "My protagonist may be on the other side of the law from Lee's (Childs) heroic Jack Reacher, but he's just as smart, rough and principled. If I can get anyone to stay up all night reading, then I've done my job." Job done, Roger - in spades. More please.
Atlantic City. The perfect heist, perfectly planned- treasury bills on their way to a casino. But.....the best laid schemes of mice and men....
When things go horribly wrong, Marcus, the orchestrator (jugmarker) of the heist gets in touch with 'Jack' (aren't all the best anti-heroes named Jack?!) in hopes of salvaging part of his plan. Jack owes Marcus for something that happened on another job. Since that job Jack has disappeared - like a ghost.
"My name isn't really Jack. My name isn't John, George, Robert, Michael or Steven, either. It isn't any of the names that appear on my drivers licenses and it isn't on my passports or credit cards. My real name isn't anywhere, except maybe on a college diploma and a couple of school records in my safety-deposit box. Jack Delton was just an alias, and it was long since retired. I'd used it for a job five years ago and never again since......Only two people in the world knew that name."
Jack is caught between warring criminals, his own proclivity for living on the edge and the past. We slowly learn what happened in the botched robbery five years ago and how Jack came to be the Ghostman.
Hobbs had me hooked from page one. The opening scenes are action filled, addictive and set the pace for the rest of the book. The story never falters or stalls and had me enthralled until I (reluctantly) turned the last page. The plot twists and turns in unexpected directions, taking the reader on a thrill packed ride.
Hobbs has obviously done a great deal of research into the criminal underworld of robberies, casinos, security and more. (Who knew you could kill someone with nutmeg?) The details included are fascinating and really add depth to the story. This is not a glossed over paint by the numbers plot. In fact, I stopped at one point to go online and read about the author. I really could not believe this was a debut novel.
"Roger Hobbs graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2011, where he majored in English. His first book, GHOSTMAN, was written during the summer between his junior and senior years at Reed. He spent the school year rewriting it and editing. The manuscript was sent off on the day he graduated. A few weeks later it caused an uproar at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair, and has since sold in more than fifteen countries around the world."
Who is going to love this book? Well, in my opinion, everyone. But if you're a fan of Reacher and the 'Oceans' heist movies, then this is one for you. I absolutely loved it - Five stars all the way.
Roger Hobbs: "My protagonist may be on the other side of the law from Lee's (Childs) heroic Jack Reacher, but he's just as smart, rough and principled. If I can get anyone to stay up all night reading, then I've done my job." Job done, Roger - in spades. More please.
April 15, 2013
Ghosting is different from vanishing. Vanishing among professional criminals is discouraged if not condemned. After the job, you are obliged to follow the plan; if you disappear, especially with the money, all bets are off, and everyone will be after you.
Ghosting is very different as it involves assuming different identities and becoming different people. In this book, our protagonist -- the name is hardly relevant since he assumes so many different ones, but we'll call him Jack -- is obliged to fly to Atlantic City to clean up after a Federal Payload job that has gone all wrong. The details of what makes transport of billions of dollars from the Federal Reserve to banks (and especially casinos) around the country is really interesting) and our hero has but 48 hours to clean things up or everything goes to hell for Marcus, the mastermind of the operation who is trying to steal not just from the Treasury department, but the drug cartel. How it was to work is rather ingenious. But things go wrong and one man is killed and another has vanished. Jack is charged with cleaning it up and fixing it.
Some critics have criticized Hobbs for lack of character development. I wonder if this wasn't partly deliberate as the anti-hero is supposed to be colorless, formless and ghostlike. It doesn’t matter that we don’t like him; it's a good story, in this case very well read by Jake Weber ( a narrator I had not heard before but will add to my list of narrators to watch, err, listen for.)
BTW, the protagonist read the Aeneid in Latin as a boy (some kids played with model trains, he read Latin) and he always wanted to be Aeneas. His motto became: 'Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.'
My motto has always been Cave ab homine unius libri.
Ghosting is very different as it involves assuming different identities and becoming different people. In this book, our protagonist -- the name is hardly relevant since he assumes so many different ones, but we'll call him Jack -- is obliged to fly to Atlantic City to clean up after a Federal Payload job that has gone all wrong. The details of what makes transport of billions of dollars from the Federal Reserve to banks (and especially casinos) around the country is really interesting) and our hero has but 48 hours to clean things up or everything goes to hell for Marcus, the mastermind of the operation who is trying to steal not just from the Treasury department, but the drug cartel. How it was to work is rather ingenious. But things go wrong and one man is killed and another has vanished. Jack is charged with cleaning it up and fixing it.
Some critics have criticized Hobbs for lack of character development. I wonder if this wasn't partly deliberate as the anti-hero is supposed to be colorless, formless and ghostlike. It doesn’t matter that we don’t like him; it's a good story, in this case very well read by Jake Weber ( a narrator I had not heard before but will add to my list of narrators to watch, err, listen for.)
BTW, the protagonist read the Aeneid in Latin as a boy (some kids played with model trains, he read Latin) and he always wanted to be Aeneas. His motto became: 'Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo.'
My motto has always been Cave ab homine unius libri.
October 22, 2015
First-time author Roger Hobbs launches from the gate with a noir-ish heist novel featuring a ghostman. A ghostman is recruited by a crew of criminals to facilitate anonymity. He helps with disguises, passports, subterfuge; the subsuming of a recognizable identity. Our ghostman is at the top of his field, and lives his life on the back of his trade. He's constantly altering his location, his appearance, patterns of behavior, connective capability. On the luckiest of days he'll be nearly impossible to locate - and there aren't many of those since a certain bank job went south on him five years back. He bears responsibility for this and owes a debt. That debt is called in, directing him to Atlantic City where a casino robbery has gone bad. Very bad.
It takes some pluck to throw down a casino heist (and all the requisite insider intelligence) in the wake of Ocean's Eleven. Soderbergh's jaunt was pure Hollywood, sure, but the truth is that's the way I like it. Stylish, witty, ridiculously ambitious and relatively neat. Throw too much realism into the mix - say, crackheads with Kalashnikovs and an armored car guard choking on his own blood - and things are going to flatten out a bit. The mystique of that "ghostman" is going to take a hit, and it's going to be tough to keep this character from descending to the level of a common, everyday fixer. The good news is that Hobbs appears to be aware of this.
If you're flexible with regard to a truly Clancy-ian level of extraneous detail vis-à-vis guns, computers, security systems, et.al., well then you're in for a treat. There's a story here that's worth reading - and not at all the one you might suspect. This is definitely an author to watch.
It takes some pluck to throw down a casino heist (and all the requisite insider intelligence) in the wake of Ocean's Eleven. Soderbergh's jaunt was pure Hollywood, sure, but the truth is that's the way I like it. Stylish, witty, ridiculously ambitious and relatively neat. Throw too much realism into the mix - say, crackheads with Kalashnikovs and an armored car guard choking on his own blood - and things are going to flatten out a bit. The mystique of that "ghostman" is going to take a hit, and it's going to be tough to keep this character from descending to the level of a common, everyday fixer. The good news is that Hobbs appears to be aware of this.
If you're flexible with regard to a truly Clancy-ian level of extraneous detail vis-à-vis guns, computers, security systems, et.al., well then you're in for a treat. There's a story here that's worth reading - and not at all the one you might suspect. This is definitely an author to watch.
August 3, 2022
Ξεκίνησε πολύ δυνατά, πήγαινε για χαλαρό 5άρι, σα να διαβάζεις λίγο la casa de papel και λίγο ocean's eleven. Αλλά πολύ σπλάτερ χωρίς λόγο, πολλές λεπτομέρειες τραυμάτων και σφαιρών και ουφ. Too much info. 3.5⭐ η τελική μου εκτίμηση.
April 1, 2013
Of all the Goodreaders' reviews, only one that I read echoed my feelings and gave a lukewarm review. The rest, as always, loved the book which is almost always the case. I wonder often, not for long however because it's too depressing, what people get out of a book. This one had some potential. It introduced a unique character with a special skill set and an intriguing plot. After about a third of the book, however, the author used cruise control and absurdity to continue navigating. Hobbs has an eye for detail, but detail alone is mind numbing unless the writing is exceptional. In this case, for me, everything fell apart. The main character is totally unbelievable and each new situation becomes even more ridiculous.
Hopefully, the Ghostman will stay hidden and encased in his myriad identities. Perhaps, at the same time, a young writer, with potential, and not a very good writing style will overlook the millions he will make from this book and it's potential screen play, and say I can do better. Then again, this is America- Ghostman 2 Bet on it.
Hopefully, the Ghostman will stay hidden and encased in his myriad identities. Perhaps, at the same time, a young writer, with potential, and not a very good writing style will overlook the millions he will make from this book and it's potential screen play, and say I can do better. Then again, this is America- Ghostman 2 Bet on it.
March 6, 2014
Dut-Doo!
Bing-Bong!
NEXT
February 18, 2013
Full review originally over at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: I first found out about this book via twitter when Patsy Irwin had tweeted about it. Intrigued by its blurb, I requested a review copy and soon got one, which I began reading immediately. The book really drew me in and I think I have found another author to follow for the future.
The story begins with a detailed heist in Atlantic City that goes all right until the very end when someone jumps the would-be robbers and leaves a death trail to confound everyone. The story then skips to our protagonist who calls himself Jack and receives an email asking for his help with the events of the heist in Atlantic City. Marcus Hayes is the mastermind behind the heist and is asking for Jack’s help because of his past association with him in another heist that perhaps could have gone down better. Marcus wants Jack to help him locate the stolen money and there’s a time limit (48 hours) because of reasons revealed in the story. Jack agrees because of his past obligation and he feels its necessary. What he doesn’t realize is that the Atlantic City heist is a can of worms that should have never been opened. Interspersed with Jack’s recent investigations are the events of the past namely the heist that went sideways five years ago and the main reason why Jack feels he owes Marcus.
That’s the basic plot of the story and it has dual storylines running throughout, as the reader will be racing to read what happens in both plot threads and how it all ties into the recent events. With such an enticing plot, the author provides us with a story that is a near perfect thriller and basically screams to be translated on the silver screen. Here’s why I thought this was such a great debut. Since this is a first person narrative, the character voice has to be very charismatic and the author absolutely nails this part down. Our main character Jack is a chameleon who “becomes” a different person as per the situational necessity, the reader will be completely enthralled as he explains how he does his jobs and a few events of his past that have shaped him into the person he is currently. The author manages to create enough intrigue about Jack, never quite tipping his hand at the reliability of the main protagonist. We as readers are given hints and told about the past and then are left to draw our own conclusions about Jack, this is what I liked as each reader will form a different perception/opinion about him and each of them might be correct. The author also never clearly reveals the character’s features thereby truly making him a ghost o sorts in the reader’s minds.
Then there’s the time frame of the storyline, all the events happens in less than 48 hours and this is a very characteristic feature of all Jeffrey Deaver’s books. I liked the fact that Roger Hobbs has also set his debut in the same mold and this makes the reader that much more invested in the story, as there’s the constant reminder of the deadline that spurs the characters ever onwards. The author’s tight plotting skills help as there are numerous twists inserted in the story that make it a tad unpredictable and the past plot thread also has some significant revelations that will come into play in the sequel books. Then there’s the side character cast and with this, the author gives our protagonist not one but two deadly antagonists to deal with. Jack is never absolutely certain as to who is the deadlier of the two and that causes him to be even more careful in his investigation. The author also peppers the storyline with enough background info about the nitty-gritty of Jack's profession and thus makes the story that much more believable. In this regards it reminded me a lot of The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton and this was a plus point for me and should of interest to those who liked/loved that book.
Overall this debut has a very strong plot that is also aided by pace through out the book with both timelines given the proper due. The author makes it a very intriguing thriller that’s hard to put down and as far as thrillers go, this is a great example of it. Now on to some points that take some of the sheen of this title. One of the points described by the narrator by the protagonist is how he changes his appearance by simply relaxing his muscles, which I felt was a bit far-fetched but this was a pet peeve of mine. The author also gives some past threads that are left hanging at the end of this story and that might cause some consternation to some readers, but I think the author was laying the groundwork for the future sequels. Lastly one of the antagonists’ real name [Harrihar] is spelt in a different way than it should be [Harihar] and I don’t know if this was a simple mistake that never got corrected or the correction was never implemented. Either ways it’s a simple thing that shouldn't have occurred [Clarification: The author spoke about this point on twitter and has said the spelling is purposefully done as it is, to pay homage to a real life persona who used it so].
CONCLUSION: Roger Hobbs’ debut Ghostman comes highly recommended going by the author blurbs on it and I would like my voice to be added to them. Full of twists and with an enthralling narrator, the author has written a successful debut, which is also an exceptional thriller, and one that will be remembered fondly by thriller fans. Be sure to check it out, as this is one debut that is sure to gain more of a following as the years go by and will be making my year end lists.
November 10, 2018
This was an interesting look behind the scenes of a professional bank robber. I was less enthused about the violence, though.
Also, at the end of each chapter, it would count down “__ hours to go”. I found that annoying.
Also, at the end of each chapter, it would count down “__ hours to go”. I found that annoying.
April 24, 2013
This book, the first by Roger Hobbs, reminded me quite a bit of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books. In fact, the main character is named Jack some of the time (though we never learn his real name) and his is more of an enigma that Reacher is.
Jack is a strange fellow. He was bored in life until he learned Latin and began translating the old classics. In fact, he did that during his college days and now he does it even when hiding out after a heist to relax. That alone makes him strange to me as translating Latin texts drives me insane and is not relaxing at all. He started out as a kid robbing banks. A woman named Angela who was once an actress and able to change her looks, voice, and other identifying markers taught him how to be the perfect ghostman (in robberies) and he now can change his looks like a pro and not only that even change how his voice sounds.
Throughout the book we slowly learn of a bank job in Malaysia where he and Angela worked for Marcus who is based in Seattle and puts together big jobs. Marcus once was good friends growing up with a man named Harry who is called The Wolf. The Wolf is a rich thug in Atlantic City. If you wonder what kind of guy The Wolf is, once a little preschooler was playing outside her home which was next door to where his guys were making meth. They had the fumes coming out and it made her sick and she passed out. He didn't want to move his meth kitchen so he went to her home, knocked out her parents and then took the scared little girl to the kitchen where he forced her to drink Drano drain cleaner in milk. It was burning her mouth and so he held her little nose and forced the rest down her throat and sat watching her die in agony over 20 minutes. Not a nice man! Marcus blames Jack for the job going bad in Malaysia (though it was not really his fault) and Jack has been living off the grid and hiding when he gets an email from Marcus at one of his secret email addresses. He will be forgiven if he can do one little thing for Marcus right now. Since Marcus has a habit of poisoning people by making them consume a container of nutmeg (poisonous in high doses with horrible results) Jack decides to try to do it.
Marcus has challenged The Wolf on his own turf by stealing $18 million from a casino so large it is certified as a bank. Unfortunately during the heist, The Wolf's men shot Marcus' men and left one dead while the other disappeared with the money, bleeding. Marcus had wanted to plant the money in one of the places The Wolf owns so he will get blamed and go down but things go terribly awry and the man disappears with the money. Jack's job is to find him and the money.
Jack has a hard time due to the fact that the criminal concierge company Marcus hired to provide Jack with cars, hotel rooms, etc happens to be owned by the Wolf! This leads to the FBI being tipped off to his location, all of the cars having secret GPS on them, and The Wolf's men trying to kill Jack. And this is the easy part!
This is more thriller than mystery and suspense and I would be thrilled myself if this newbie writer would write more books about Jack. An exciting and fast paced read.
Jack is a strange fellow. He was bored in life until he learned Latin and began translating the old classics. In fact, he did that during his college days and now he does it even when hiding out after a heist to relax. That alone makes him strange to me as translating Latin texts drives me insane and is not relaxing at all. He started out as a kid robbing banks. A woman named Angela who was once an actress and able to change her looks, voice, and other identifying markers taught him how to be the perfect ghostman (in robberies) and he now can change his looks like a pro and not only that even change how his voice sounds.
Throughout the book we slowly learn of a bank job in Malaysia where he and Angela worked for Marcus who is based in Seattle and puts together big jobs. Marcus once was good friends growing up with a man named Harry who is called The Wolf. The Wolf is a rich thug in Atlantic City. If you wonder what kind of guy The Wolf is, once a little preschooler was playing outside her home which was next door to where his guys were making meth. They had the fumes coming out and it made her sick and she passed out. He didn't want to move his meth kitchen so he went to her home, knocked out her parents and then took the scared little girl to the kitchen where he forced her to drink Drano drain cleaner in milk. It was burning her mouth and so he held her little nose and forced the rest down her throat and sat watching her die in agony over 20 minutes. Not a nice man! Marcus blames Jack for the job going bad in Malaysia (though it was not really his fault) and Jack has been living off the grid and hiding when he gets an email from Marcus at one of his secret email addresses. He will be forgiven if he can do one little thing for Marcus right now. Since Marcus has a habit of poisoning people by making them consume a container of nutmeg (poisonous in high doses with horrible results) Jack decides to try to do it.
Marcus has challenged The Wolf on his own turf by stealing $18 million from a casino so large it is certified as a bank. Unfortunately during the heist, The Wolf's men shot Marcus' men and left one dead while the other disappeared with the money, bleeding. Marcus had wanted to plant the money in one of the places The Wolf owns so he will get blamed and go down but things go terribly awry and the man disappears with the money. Jack's job is to find him and the money.
Jack has a hard time due to the fact that the criminal concierge company Marcus hired to provide Jack with cars, hotel rooms, etc happens to be owned by the Wolf! This leads to the FBI being tipped off to his location, all of the cars having secret GPS on them, and The Wolf's men trying to kill Jack. And this is the easy part!
This is more thriller than mystery and suspense and I would be thrilled myself if this newbie writer would write more books about Jack. An exciting and fast paced read.
October 1, 2013
An irresistible crime thriller/caper. I think capers make tricky books to read--all the details slow the pace. They often make better movies. But Hobbs manages to keep us enthralled, in fact fascinated, with all the details of the crime and its trappings (including a role for every member of the team), the dangers, how money is marked--lots of "stuff" for fans like me who appreciate elaborate frames. Lots of comparisons to Lee Child's Jack Reacher--but he's the dark side of that character, yet not so dark that he's not sympathetic and interesting (translates Greek and Roman in his spare time). An addictive read with urgent pacing (he reminds us that the clock is ticking--the stolen marked bills will explode in 48 hours), a fully fleshed out hero (well, not really an anti-hero), step-by-step details of heists, and a menacing tone. It's violent, but Jack's not much of a killer himself, a fact which gets him into trouble. Jake Weber has a lovely deep voice that helps establish the noir tone, although he does women well too. He does an excellent job of distinguishing among characters, changing Jake's voice when he changes his disguise. Smart writing, but I must say those dangling modifiers are certainly more obvious in the audio version.
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