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Ghost Girls
A student leaps to her death.
Was the girl who she said she was?
Unable to resist the investigative instincts that run in her blood, Sophie Sandilands finds herself unravelling a sinister operation that is trawling the foreign student market for its victims. But as Sophie works on tracking down the criminals, it becomes clear that someone knows about the ghosts in her own past. Is there anyone left that Sophie can trust?
Ghost Girls richly evokes the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Sydney’s Chinatown, and imagines dark exploitative demands behind closed suburban doors.
‘Ferla has a gift for description and brings alive the small restaurants and dark corners of Sydney frequented mainly by foreign students. The characters are convincing and interesting and the plot, involving student visa fraud and the sex trade, up-to-date and chilling’ – SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
‘A riveting murder mystery about international students, violence, exploitation, sinister operatives in the underground sex world and identity fraud’ – AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
Was the girl who she said she was?
Unable to resist the investigative instincts that run in her blood, Sophie Sandilands finds herself unravelling a sinister operation that is trawling the foreign student market for its victims. But as Sophie works on tracking down the criminals, it becomes clear that someone knows about the ghosts in her own past. Is there anyone left that Sophie can trust?
Ghost Girls richly evokes the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Sydney’s Chinatown, and imagines dark exploitative demands behind closed suburban doors.
‘Ferla has a gift for description and brings alive the small restaurants and dark corners of Sydney frequented mainly by foreign students. The characters are convincing and interesting and the plot, involving student visa fraud and the sex trade, up-to-date and chilling’ – SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
‘A riveting murder mystery about international students, violence, exploitation, sinister operatives in the underground sex world and identity fraud’ – AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2016
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June 13, 2018
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The murky underworld of Sydney’s Chinatown district jumps off the pages of Australian author Cath Ferla’s debut novel, Ghost Girls. This riveting crime mystery novel explores the world of international students living in Sydney, exposing a dark side to the lives of students studying, working and living on our shores.
Ghost Girls begins in Sydney, during winter. Sophie Sandilands is a teacher at an English Language school. Sadly, when one of Sophie’s students falls to her death, Sophie begins to uncover a culture in Sydney that exposes a dark world of desperation. With the identity of the deceased young woman revealed as stolen, Sophie decides to dig further into this mystery, which has directly impacted the students of her school. Highly motivated to uncover the truth as to the dead woman’s identity and what drove her to her death, Sophie is lured into an investigation. She makes a startling discovery, learning how foreign students, such as those she teaches, have been lured into the promise of a quick buck – at a high cost. While Sophie tries to hunt down the criminals responsible for these operations, it becomes clear that she is getting too close to the truth. These figures will stop at nothing to protect their shonky dealings and make Sophie aware that they know all about her, as well as her painful past. Sophie must stop these deadly operations before she becomes another victim.
Ghost Girls is a book that has an immediate impact on the reader. The opening scenes soon lure you into the book. Ferla impressed me by her ability to transport the reader deep into the underbelly of Australia’s dark society. It is a lens that is dark, gritty and utterly believable. I believe this is fuelled by Cath Ferla’s dedication to her craft and her ability to draw on the extensive level of research she has conducted to inform her first novel.
Ghost Girls is a sensory overload. Expect all your senses to be activated in this culinary delight of a novel. Food and the art of cooking, namely Asian infused cuisine, features significantly in Ghost Girls. We are taken on a foodie adventure many times over during the course of the novel. Ferla vividly describes the sights, sounds and smells of the Chinatown food district. Never before has food and cooking had such an impact on me! I could easily visualise and almost taste many of the dishes described by Ferla. These sections of the narrative are by far the highlight of this novel and showcase Ferla’s descriptive prose.
Ferla’s character list is plentiful and well drawn. The lead, Sophie Sandilands is a wonderfully represented character, who has an interesting back story with slowly unravels as the novel gains momentum. I really enjoyed Sophie’s interactions with the supporting characters in this novel, both good and bad. The dialogue in Ghost Girls is defined and Ferla is able to convey each characters thoughts and feelings without having to use detailed and flowery descriptions. The short and succinct chapter style adopted by this book was appreciated by this reader.
There are whole host of themes that Cath Ferla explores within this engaging and layered crime mystery novel. For me, the plight of foreign students in Australia struck a chord. It is an area I really hadn’t thought of too much, but I’m glad Ferla explored this story. She also exposes exploitation, the sex trade, organised crime, fraud and prejudice. Ferla’s approach to weaving these serious issues into the one crime novel was riveting.
Overall, you can’t fault Cath Ferla’s plot for her debut novel, it is original, astute and involving. The reader is unable to take a back seat in this novel, Ferla ensures her audience is thoroughly involved in Sophie’s investigations, issuing plenty of plot twists and red herrings. When the book reaches its final stages, the action and intensity level ramps up a notch. I felt the ending was handled well and left Ferla with the room to continue on with her lead, Sophie Sandilands, in future books. I hope so! Don’t miss this exciting debut by an author to watch.
Ghost Girls is book #61 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
The murky underworld of Sydney’s Chinatown district jumps off the pages of Australian author Cath Ferla’s debut novel, Ghost Girls. This riveting crime mystery novel explores the world of international students living in Sydney, exposing a dark side to the lives of students studying, working and living on our shores.
Ghost Girls begins in Sydney, during winter. Sophie Sandilands is a teacher at an English Language school. Sadly, when one of Sophie’s students falls to her death, Sophie begins to uncover a culture in Sydney that exposes a dark world of desperation. With the identity of the deceased young woman revealed as stolen, Sophie decides to dig further into this mystery, which has directly impacted the students of her school. Highly motivated to uncover the truth as to the dead woman’s identity and what drove her to her death, Sophie is lured into an investigation. She makes a startling discovery, learning how foreign students, such as those she teaches, have been lured into the promise of a quick buck – at a high cost. While Sophie tries to hunt down the criminals responsible for these operations, it becomes clear that she is getting too close to the truth. These figures will stop at nothing to protect their shonky dealings and make Sophie aware that they know all about her, as well as her painful past. Sophie must stop these deadly operations before she becomes another victim.
Ghost Girls is a book that has an immediate impact on the reader. The opening scenes soon lure you into the book. Ferla impressed me by her ability to transport the reader deep into the underbelly of Australia’s dark society. It is a lens that is dark, gritty and utterly believable. I believe this is fuelled by Cath Ferla’s dedication to her craft and her ability to draw on the extensive level of research she has conducted to inform her first novel.
Ghost Girls is a sensory overload. Expect all your senses to be activated in this culinary delight of a novel. Food and the art of cooking, namely Asian infused cuisine, features significantly in Ghost Girls. We are taken on a foodie adventure many times over during the course of the novel. Ferla vividly describes the sights, sounds and smells of the Chinatown food district. Never before has food and cooking had such an impact on me! I could easily visualise and almost taste many of the dishes described by Ferla. These sections of the narrative are by far the highlight of this novel and showcase Ferla’s descriptive prose.
Ferla’s character list is plentiful and well drawn. The lead, Sophie Sandilands is a wonderfully represented character, who has an interesting back story with slowly unravels as the novel gains momentum. I really enjoyed Sophie’s interactions with the supporting characters in this novel, both good and bad. The dialogue in Ghost Girls is defined and Ferla is able to convey each characters thoughts and feelings without having to use detailed and flowery descriptions. The short and succinct chapter style adopted by this book was appreciated by this reader.
There are whole host of themes that Cath Ferla explores within this engaging and layered crime mystery novel. For me, the plight of foreign students in Australia struck a chord. It is an area I really hadn’t thought of too much, but I’m glad Ferla explored this story. She also exposes exploitation, the sex trade, organised crime, fraud and prejudice. Ferla’s approach to weaving these serious issues into the one crime novel was riveting.
Overall, you can’t fault Cath Ferla’s plot for her debut novel, it is original, astute and involving. The reader is unable to take a back seat in this novel, Ferla ensures her audience is thoroughly involved in Sophie’s investigations, issuing plenty of plot twists and red herrings. When the book reaches its final stages, the action and intensity level ramps up a notch. I felt the ending was handled well and left Ferla with the room to continue on with her lead, Sophie Sandilands, in future books. I hope so! Don’t miss this exciting debut by an author to watch.
Ghost Girls is book #61 of the Australian Women Writers Challenge
February 28, 2016
Ghost Girls is the first novel by Australian author, Cath Ferla. Sophie Sandilands teaches at Uniform English, a language school in Sydney catering for foreign students. When one of her students, Wendy Chan jumps off the building to her death, Sophie can’t help but investigate. She has the makings of a PI in her blood, even if she has rejected that career. As she tries to figure out why a promising student would commit suicide, her chats with other students, together with her own observations reveal a dark undercurrent of which Sophie was ignorant.
Then it turns out that the woman she knew as Wendy was not who she claimed to be. Nor is she the only Asian student standing in for another. Sophie’s inquiries soon uncover a criminal aspect to these identity swaps, and she manages to attract the attention of the less desirable element of society. She is warned off in no uncertain terms, but, like a dog with a bone, cannot let it go, even though it becomes apparent that she may become a victim herself.
Ferla’s descriptive prose easily brings forth for the reader the sights, the noise and the smells of Sydney’s Asian district while her descriptions of Asian food are truly mouth-watering. Her novel touches on the difficulties faced by foreign students in Australia, and her account of the underworld involvement is wholly believable.
Ferla’s plot is original and she gives the reader plenty of twists and red herrings to keep the true identity of certain players undisclosed until the heart-stopping climax. Not all the loose ends are neatly tied, leaving Ferla scope to explore more of Sophie’s life in a further novel. This is a riveting debut and readers will look for more from this talented author.
With thanks to Echo Publishing and TheReadingRoom for this copy to read and review.
Then it turns out that the woman she knew as Wendy was not who she claimed to be. Nor is she the only Asian student standing in for another. Sophie’s inquiries soon uncover a criminal aspect to these identity swaps, and she manages to attract the attention of the less desirable element of society. She is warned off in no uncertain terms, but, like a dog with a bone, cannot let it go, even though it becomes apparent that she may become a victim herself.
Ferla’s descriptive prose easily brings forth for the reader the sights, the noise and the smells of Sydney’s Asian district while her descriptions of Asian food are truly mouth-watering. Her novel touches on the difficulties faced by foreign students in Australia, and her account of the underworld involvement is wholly believable.
Ferla’s plot is original and she gives the reader plenty of twists and red herrings to keep the true identity of certain players undisclosed until the heart-stopping climax. Not all the loose ends are neatly tied, leaving Ferla scope to explore more of Sophie’s life in a further novel. This is a riveting debut and readers will look for more from this talented author.
With thanks to Echo Publishing and TheReadingRoom for this copy to read and review.
February 20, 2016
Gritty. Raw. Perfect!
My View:
Ghost Girls richly evokes the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Sydney's Chinatown, and imagines dark exploitative demands behind closed suburban doors – AGREE!
This was a fantastic read –dark, edgy, evocative, sparsely but succinctly worded, the edges softened with the sharing of rituals – personal, habitual, cultural.
The settings - so realistic; I don’t recall reading food and culture as such an essential ingredient for setting the scene in a work of crime fiction before now – what a wonderful device to transport the reader into the middle of this bustling narrative. I could visualise the back street traders, the back streets chaos filled, rubbish trailing out of kitchen waste dumpsters…people massing, the smells, the colours, the food, the people – in China and China Town in Sydney New South Wales- remarkably well written settings!
Cath Ferla’s writing speaks of many issues – alienation, prejudice, family expectations, guilt, exploitation and being “the other”, and importantly, draws out attention to the issues surrounding the making and distribution of pornography – pornography hurts all women and children; by the way it shape its consumers attitudes to women, to the way society sees the victims of the trade; pornography violates not only the participants but society in general. I am glad the author made this crime real, made this a personal crime - not something that “happens to the faceless few”, that can be discounted and “reasoned” away from our thoughts, generously Cath Ferla allows the antihero, Justin Lay, to somewhat redeem himself when he has an epiphany and realises that the women/girls in the material he is watching could be someone’s daughter, could be his daughter, are real people.
Food, culture, morality, exploitation, crime, a few red herrings, some very diabolical situations and a great female protagonist that you want to know more about- this book has it all! This book packs a heavy punch! A great 5 star debut!
My View:
Ghost Girls richly evokes the sights, smells, tastes and sounds of Sydney's Chinatown, and imagines dark exploitative demands behind closed suburban doors – AGREE!
This was a fantastic read –dark, edgy, evocative, sparsely but succinctly worded, the edges softened with the sharing of rituals – personal, habitual, cultural.
The settings - so realistic; I don’t recall reading food and culture as such an essential ingredient for setting the scene in a work of crime fiction before now – what a wonderful device to transport the reader into the middle of this bustling narrative. I could visualise the back street traders, the back streets chaos filled, rubbish trailing out of kitchen waste dumpsters…people massing, the smells, the colours, the food, the people – in China and China Town in Sydney New South Wales- remarkably well written settings!
Cath Ferla’s writing speaks of many issues – alienation, prejudice, family expectations, guilt, exploitation and being “the other”, and importantly, draws out attention to the issues surrounding the making and distribution of pornography – pornography hurts all women and children; by the way it shape its consumers attitudes to women, to the way society sees the victims of the trade; pornography violates not only the participants but society in general. I am glad the author made this crime real, made this a personal crime - not something that “happens to the faceless few”, that can be discounted and “reasoned” away from our thoughts, generously Cath Ferla allows the antihero, Justin Lay, to somewhat redeem himself when he has an epiphany and realises that the women/girls in the material he is watching could be someone’s daughter, could be his daughter, are real people.
Food, culture, morality, exploitation, crime, a few red herrings, some very diabolical situations and a great female protagonist that you want to know more about- this book has it all! This book packs a heavy punch! A great 5 star debut!
September 21, 2017
What a fabulous debut novel!
Sophie Sandilands is an ELICOS teacher at a well-regarded Sydney language school. When one of her students seemingly commits suicide, the detective side of Sophie's pedigree kicks in and she finds herself drawn into Sydney's seedy and dangerous underbelly, looking for some missing female Chinese students.
Set in inner Sydney, mainly around Chinatown, this book has so much atmosphere I could practically smell it! The story was fast-paced and kept me guessing right up until the final pages. Sophie is a good, well-rounded character with enough of a backstory to make me think (hope) this could be #1 of a decent crime series.
Sophie Sandilands is an ELICOS teacher at a well-regarded Sydney language school. When one of her students seemingly commits suicide, the detective side of Sophie's pedigree kicks in and she finds herself drawn into Sydney's seedy and dangerous underbelly, looking for some missing female Chinese students.
Set in inner Sydney, mainly around Chinatown, this book has so much atmosphere I could practically smell it! The story was fast-paced and kept me guessing right up until the final pages. Sophie is a good, well-rounded character with enough of a backstory to make me think (hope) this could be #1 of a decent crime series.
April 24, 2016
Sophie Sandilands is teaching English in Sydney at a school for foreign students when one of her students commits suicide by jumping out a window. When it later turns out that the student had taken on someone else’s identity, Sophie becomes curious as to what happened to the original student and soon finds herself investigating the world of foreign English students. What she finds shocks her, girls forced to work in the sex trade to make enough money to pay their rent and school fees. But it is clear to Sophie that something even more sinister is going on and she soon finds herself in danger investigating the seamy, shadowy world of the dark side of the sex industry.
The novel is wonderfully evocative of the sights and sounds of Sydney’s Chinatown. The aromas of the fragrant, steamy food that Sophie loves ooze out of the pages and you can almost hear the clatter of the busy kitchens and back lanes of Chinatown. Sophie is a complex character, herself of Chinese-Irish parentage, who has lived and taught in Beijing and has many Chinese friends. She knows what it’s like to have a loved one go missing and this makes her determined to help find the missing girls.
Overall, this is a very good debut novel with an interesting premise that makes you wonder about the sex trade and how foreign students manage to support themselves in Australia. I did find that it took me a few chapters to get into the book and sort out where we were (Sydney or Beijing?) and what was happening. Brief hints of Sophie’s backstory were dropped into the story a few times but the full details were not revealed until about half way through the book. I felt it would have been useful to have known more earlier on to understand Sophie’s motivation for finding the girls. 3.5★
The novel is wonderfully evocative of the sights and sounds of Sydney’s Chinatown. The aromas of the fragrant, steamy food that Sophie loves ooze out of the pages and you can almost hear the clatter of the busy kitchens and back lanes of Chinatown. Sophie is a complex character, herself of Chinese-Irish parentage, who has lived and taught in Beijing and has many Chinese friends. She knows what it’s like to have a loved one go missing and this makes her determined to help find the missing girls.
Overall, this is a very good debut novel with an interesting premise that makes you wonder about the sex trade and how foreign students manage to support themselves in Australia. I did find that it took me a few chapters to get into the book and sort out where we were (Sydney or Beijing?) and what was happening. Brief hints of Sophie’s backstory were dropped into the story a few times but the full details were not revealed until about half way through the book. I felt it would have been useful to have known more earlier on to understand Sophie’s motivation for finding the girls. 3.5★
October 13, 2017
1.5★ This book was not my cup of tea at all. I found it hard to follow what was happening at times, and the illegal brothel scene, along with porn films etc, isn't a world I'm interested in learning anything about. The descriptions of some of the restaurants and the sights and smells of Chinatown was quite well done, but because this isn't an area I'm familiar with, I didn't have a lot I could relate to in this book.
I actually put the book aside for several months before getting back to it - this may not have helped to improve the book, but I don't think it made it any worse.
Thanks to Carol Reading Writing and Riesling for my copy that I won earlier this year in one of her giveaways.
I actually put the book aside for several months before getting back to it - this may not have helped to improve the book, but I don't think it made it any worse.
Thanks to Carol Reading Writing and Riesling for my copy that I won earlier this year in one of her giveaways.
April 4, 2016
Steeped in the smells and sounds of Sydney’s Chinatown, weighted by the sinister atmosphere of a private world of terrible crimes,Ghost Girls is a remarkable debut novel.
The combination of plot, character and setting in Ghost Girls is perfectly balanced, and the delivery is pitched elegantly to provide insight into the depths of the depravity of the crimes, without making even the most sensitive reader turn away: Newtown Review of Books
July 6, 2017
Ghost Girls is a great debut novel by Cath Ferla. Sophie is a likable protagonist, exploring a dark side of international students in Australia.
Intriguing storyline and subplots.
It was paced well, with enough of a trail of clues and mysterious (traumatic) back-story for the reader to be hungry for more.
Thank you Netgalley the Author and Publisher for a copy of this book.
Intriguing storyline and subplots.
It was paced well, with enough of a trail of clues and mysterious (traumatic) back-story for the reader to be hungry for more.
Thank you Netgalley the Author and Publisher for a copy of this book.
March 29, 2016
Review score: 3.5/5
Cath Ferla has taken the road less travelled in her debut novel, Ghost Girls. The book is set in contemporary Chinatown in Sydney and holds nothing back in its depiction of foreign students caught up in illegal prostitution and sex work as well as visa fraud. This novel feels quite real and is a promising mystery/crime book that contains a very interesting star in protagonist, Sophie Sandilands.
The author of Ghost Girls has worked professionally as a writer for 15 years in a variety of different platforms. Ferla has also contributed to TV Series like Sea Patrol and Special Rescue Ops. She is also a qualified teacher and is interested in Chinese culture. Ghost Girls draws upon some of her knowledge and experience while also being utterly believable.
The novel begins with ESL teacher, Sophie Sandilands returning to Sydney from China in order to escape the ghosts of her past. One of Sandilands’s students will commit suicide by jumping off a tall building. This is sad enough in and of itself but the language school soon learn that the student was an imposter. This discovery leads Sophie on a wild investigation into Sydney’s very own underbelly.
In Ghost Girls Ferla’s prose is efficient and descriptive but not too flowery. The ways she describes food is a particular highlight because it is so evocative you can almost imagine sitting down and sharing a dish or two with her. There are some moments however, when some further explanation would have benefited the narrative, especially when the reader is trying to understand Sophie’s motivations and why she is so tenacious in solving the mystery. The book does answer many of the questions raised, but some elements are not resolved as neatly as they could have been.
Ghost Girls is a compelling mystery book that lifts the curtain on a dark side of Sydney that is not often discussed. Ferla’s book is vivid at conjuring up these raw and dark elements and readers will no doubt want to hear more about the strong lead character, Sophie Sandilands. In all, this book may not be perfect but it does offer a fresh and fast-paced tale that should challenge the reader to think twice about what things may be happening under their own eyes and in their very own backyards.
Cath Ferla has taken the road less travelled in her debut novel, Ghost Girls. The book is set in contemporary Chinatown in Sydney and holds nothing back in its depiction of foreign students caught up in illegal prostitution and sex work as well as visa fraud. This novel feels quite real and is a promising mystery/crime book that contains a very interesting star in protagonist, Sophie Sandilands.
The author of Ghost Girls has worked professionally as a writer for 15 years in a variety of different platforms. Ferla has also contributed to TV Series like Sea Patrol and Special Rescue Ops. She is also a qualified teacher and is interested in Chinese culture. Ghost Girls draws upon some of her knowledge and experience while also being utterly believable.
The novel begins with ESL teacher, Sophie Sandilands returning to Sydney from China in order to escape the ghosts of her past. One of Sandilands’s students will commit suicide by jumping off a tall building. This is sad enough in and of itself but the language school soon learn that the student was an imposter. This discovery leads Sophie on a wild investigation into Sydney’s very own underbelly.
In Ghost Girls Ferla’s prose is efficient and descriptive but not too flowery. The ways she describes food is a particular highlight because it is so evocative you can almost imagine sitting down and sharing a dish or two with her. There are some moments however, when some further explanation would have benefited the narrative, especially when the reader is trying to understand Sophie’s motivations and why she is so tenacious in solving the mystery. The book does answer many of the questions raised, but some elements are not resolved as neatly as they could have been.
Ghost Girls is a compelling mystery book that lifts the curtain on a dark side of Sydney that is not often discussed. Ferla’s book is vivid at conjuring up these raw and dark elements and readers will no doubt want to hear more about the strong lead character, Sophie Sandilands. In all, this book may not be perfect but it does offer a fresh and fast-paced tale that should challenge the reader to think twice about what things may be happening under their own eyes and in their very own backyards.
January 20, 2016
GHOST GIRLS took me into a world that I really hadn't thought too much about - English language students who come to Australia, mainly from China. Many of them come with high expectations, not much money, and very homesick. I probably knew all that. But the book gives the reader a "behind the scenes" look at the sleazy Sydney underworld that preys on these students, and just how vulnerable they are.
Sophie Sandilands is part Chinese herself, brought back to the "safety" of Australia from China by her Australian father. But even then her Chinese mother disappeared and Sophie has never forgiven her father, a private investigator, for the role that he played in that.
One of the themes of the book is disappearance: David, the young boy who disappeared in a playground in Beijing while Sophie was caring for him, girls who seem to disappear without trace from the English language classes in the school where Sophie teaches. And underneath all an underworld that deals in pornography, prostitution and drug distribution.
An intriguing read.
Sophie Sandilands is part Chinese herself, brought back to the "safety" of Australia from China by her Australian father. But even then her Chinese mother disappeared and Sophie has never forgiven her father, a private investigator, for the role that he played in that.
One of the themes of the book is disappearance: David, the young boy who disappeared in a playground in Beijing while Sophie was caring for him, girls who seem to disappear without trace from the English language classes in the school where Sophie teaches. And underneath all an underworld that deals in pornography, prostitution and drug distribution.
An intriguing read.
February 25, 2022
Fast paced and an engrossing fast read. I loved the well drawn setting of Sydney's Asian underbelly and all the food references. It was a sensory feast. The plot was good, loved the main character and I'd love a second book that picks up where this leaves off and deals with her father and how their backstory has affected them. Some good red herrings - had me doubting everyone.
August 4, 2021
Mediocre crime thriller that centers around missing Asian students in Sydney. I am usually more invested in stories that take place in my home town, but I found I just didn't care enough. Plus I did have a tendency to get all the Asian characters confused because the names I'm not used to. The back story of the main character Sophie wasn't well illustrated either in my opinion. Not great, but not bad.
May 28, 2016
Sophie is a teacher at an English language school for Asian students in Sydney. When one of her students commits suicide, she is drawn into investigating the tragedy. She quickly unearths a cover-up in the school involving students swapping identities. Fraud, however, is just the tip of the iceberg and many more illegal activities are being carried out by someone close to the school. Meaning Sophie’s own life is in danger should she continue to poke her nose around somewhere she shouldn’t.
Ghost Girls is what people usually refer to as a 'gritty crime thriller' and for the most I enjoyed it.
Cath Ferla’s research and background knowledge of the Asian cultures mentioned is evident.
One of the things I didn't like about Ghost Girls was that it is depressing as hell. Most of the crimes are not pleasant; kidnapping, forcing women into becoming sex workers, pornography, S&M clubs (where women prostitute themselves out to take punches etc instead of sex), making and viewing of snuff films. I don’t read this type of book often for a reason. I like living in my little bubble...
The racism mentioned in the book also makes you feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately the book shows how most of us still judge people and show bias due to their race.
Sophie’s past and the flashbacks etc is not overly confusing, but occasionally I did find it difficult to keep up with who-was-who amongst the characters. There are quite a lot of supporting ones, and I think only at the very end of the book does their existence make sense at all. And although the ending did pull all the characters together somewhat, I unfortunately found the opening crime was conveniently forgotten.
There was fabulous tension after the reveal of what one of the criminals does for a (cover, I suppose) job, which quickly suggests to the reader Sophie might be closer to the murderer than she thinks, and therefore, closer to danger than we think.
The backstory of Sophie’s mum and dad was a little ho-hum. I did quite like the plot of one of the victim’s sister, and would have quite happily read more of her point of view.
I also liked the touch of romance Sophie has with her housemate. (Even though Sophie’s sexuality is somewhat confusing given the flashbacks.)
But the best part of Ghost Girls is the scenes and passages featuring richly described Asian dishes. Yes, it seems awfully odd to describe a novel in this genre as a sensory delight, but it’s what makes it stand out in a crowd of the usual gritty crime thrillers, I believe.
In fact, if I had to describe Ghost Girls in a few words, I’d say ‘uncomfortable food porn’.
4 out of 5.
Ghost Girls is what people usually refer to as a 'gritty crime thriller' and for the most I enjoyed it.
Cath Ferla’s research and background knowledge of the Asian cultures mentioned is evident.
One of the things I didn't like about Ghost Girls was that it is depressing as hell. Most of the crimes are not pleasant; kidnapping, forcing women into becoming sex workers, pornography, S&M clubs (where women prostitute themselves out to take punches etc instead of sex), making and viewing of snuff films. I don’t read this type of book often for a reason. I like living in my little bubble...
The racism mentioned in the book also makes you feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately the book shows how most of us still judge people and show bias due to their race.
Sophie’s past and the flashbacks etc is not overly confusing, but occasionally I did find it difficult to keep up with who-was-who amongst the characters. There are quite a lot of supporting ones, and I think only at the very end of the book does their existence make sense at all. And although the ending did pull all the characters together somewhat, I unfortunately found the opening crime was conveniently forgotten.
There was fabulous tension after the reveal of what one of the criminals does for a (cover, I suppose) job, which quickly suggests to the reader Sophie might be closer to the murderer than she thinks, and therefore, closer to danger than we think.
The backstory of Sophie’s mum and dad was a little ho-hum. I did quite like the plot of one of the victim’s sister, and would have quite happily read more of her point of view.
I also liked the touch of romance Sophie has with her housemate. (Even though Sophie’s sexuality is somewhat confusing given the flashbacks.)
But the best part of Ghost Girls is the scenes and passages featuring richly described Asian dishes. Yes, it seems awfully odd to describe a novel in this genre as a sensory delight, but it’s what makes it stand out in a crowd of the usual gritty crime thrillers, I believe.
In fact, if I had to describe Ghost Girls in a few words, I’d say ‘uncomfortable food porn’.
4 out of 5.
September 6, 2023
Ghost Girls had me hooked from the first few pages and was an exciting story, unafraid to show some grit.
The seedy, dirty and dark elements of this book were a little confronting if you’re not familiar with this genre but I enjoyed the way this was weaved with some really beautiful storytelling of Chinese culture.
I enjoyed getting to know Sophie and thought she was a great female protagonist.
The edgy style and fast chapter style made me power through this book - one of the fastest novels I’ve read this year. A highly engaging story and one I would definitely recommend for anyone that’s a fan of crime or thriller genres.
The seedy, dirty and dark elements of this book were a little confronting if you’re not familiar with this genre but I enjoyed the way this was weaved with some really beautiful storytelling of Chinese culture.
I enjoyed getting to know Sophie and thought she was a great female protagonist.
The edgy style and fast chapter style made me power through this book - one of the fastest novels I’ve read this year. A highly engaging story and one I would definitely recommend for anyone that’s a fan of crime or thriller genres.
June 1, 2016
A seedy side to Sydney that you hope doesn't exist but there are sometimes snippets in the news to indicate that it may well be lurking around the fringes. Cath Ferla has written a fascinating story about Chinese students attending English colleges in Sydney and their overwhelming desire for a better life in Australia. The grass is not always greener... A fast-paced mystery that will keep you intrigued right up to the last page. Thank you to The Reading Room for this copy.
January 5, 2021
- captures the mini-world of international students wonderfully
- combines commonplace feelings of foreignness with a detective-thriller that positions characters at various points in a chain of sex trafficking that feels sadly (and impressively) real
- the ordinariness of the characters involved in a horrible system was a real strong point, such as the guy who's into watching violent porn or the students who are targeted at parties for sex work or the teachers who feel relief when they find out the girl who kills herself at the start of the book is a nameless immigrant rather than one of their "real" students
- which is why the English teacher who can barely repress her true calling as a private investigator felt an odd choice as the protagonist sometimes, but for me she was mostly just the vehicle for the world of the story, which I liked, so it's ok
- small details and anecdotes showed that the writer really knows what she's talking about when it comes to her main themes, even if the plot as a whole doesn't bear much scrutiny
- key thing is that it somehow managed the difficult balance of presenting a story about the real-world awful realities of discrimination, sexual abuse, and murder of vulnerable young women while keeping things light and entertaining, never too graphic or upsetting, although some of those unlikely quips and flirtations could probably have been axed for the better
- bits were a bit clichée and silly (some characters felt like they were wearing t-shirts with RED HERRING written on them), and some of the choices and actions seemed to have more to do with plot necessity than character motivation or likeliness, but luckily these weren't too intrusive. also the beginning was too slow and it definitely could've been shorter
- all the food descriptions were great, they really gave some unique flavour (ah ha) to the book - there may be another student-visa-fraud thriller out there, but is there another Chinese-cuisine-student-visa-fraud thriller out there? i doubt it! i'm glad this book exists <3
- combines commonplace feelings of foreignness with a detective-thriller that positions characters at various points in a chain of sex trafficking that feels sadly (and impressively) real
- the ordinariness of the characters involved in a horrible system was a real strong point, such as the guy who's into watching violent porn or the students who are targeted at parties for sex work or the teachers who feel relief when they find out the girl who kills herself at the start of the book is a nameless immigrant rather than one of their "real" students
- which is why the English teacher who can barely repress her true calling as a private investigator felt an odd choice as the protagonist sometimes, but for me she was mostly just the vehicle for the world of the story, which I liked, so it's ok
- small details and anecdotes showed that the writer really knows what she's talking about when it comes to her main themes, even if the plot as a whole doesn't bear much scrutiny
- key thing is that it somehow managed the difficult balance of presenting a story about the real-world awful realities of discrimination, sexual abuse, and murder of vulnerable young women while keeping things light and entertaining, never too graphic or upsetting, although some of those unlikely quips and flirtations could probably have been axed for the better
- bits were a bit clichée and silly (some characters felt like they were wearing t-shirts with RED HERRING written on them), and some of the choices and actions seemed to have more to do with plot necessity than character motivation or likeliness, but luckily these weren't too intrusive. also the beginning was too slow and it definitely could've been shorter
- all the food descriptions were great, they really gave some unique flavour (ah ha) to the book - there may be another student-visa-fraud thriller out there, but is there another Chinese-cuisine-student-visa-fraud thriller out there? i doubt it! i'm glad this book exists <3
August 17, 2019
Cath Ferla comes with a decent ouevre and (what looks like) an all-girl production team. Ghost Girls is part-thriller, part-adventure and part-detective. It's an enjoyable read, best taken in just a few sittings because there's a bunch of characters to follow. The plot is not complicated but there are enough little twists to keep you wondering, especially one near the end (well done, Cath!). Some of the encounters between characters might have more to do with plot mechanics than believability, but the coincidences are too few to be grating.
The story is set in Sydney's Chinatown and Cath writes with the authority of someone who's been there, and in China. She deals with sexual exploitation of young women with an unsensational ethic. I'll look for more by Cath Ferla.
The story is set in Sydney's Chinatown and Cath writes with the authority of someone who's been there, and in China. She deals with sexual exploitation of young women with an unsensational ethic. I'll look for more by Cath Ferla.
April 27, 2020
I did quite enjoy reading this book, a fast-paced compelling mystery. The description of the sights and scenery was very good, I found myself googling places to see if they were real. I know parts of Chinatown from years ago, and it was nice revisiting.
I didn't quite see the end coming but I did feel a couple of the red herrings were a little bit forced, though I understood Sophie's fear, it kind of felt a bit like I was meant to dislike a particularly character to take attention off a different character.
Otherwise, the seedy underworld of Sydney, porn, sex trafficking and the like made this book an interesting read that makes you think twice about what might be hiding in the shadows.
I didn't quite see the end coming but I did feel a couple of the red herrings were a little bit forced, though I understood Sophie's fear, it kind of felt a bit like I was meant to dislike a particularly character to take attention off a different character.
Otherwise, the seedy underworld of Sydney, porn, sex trafficking and the like made this book an interesting read that makes you think twice about what might be hiding in the shadows.
March 10, 2019
Ferla’s novel is thrilling to the point where once the story really gets going, it’s addictive. The way she jumps from the various points of view is almost effortless and it does so in a way to heighten the tension and further the plot without hindering the pace. The characters are great to follow along with and they all deal with the themes of identity, loss, morality, and struggle all in their own ways. If you’re looking for a thriller that’s set in Australia and has a compelling plot, this is a book you should definitely pick up.
December 15, 2019
A good novel, but not an easy read. It's a look into the world of sex slavery in the Sydney underworld, so well done that it was almost too much - several times I was tempted to put the book down, not because it was bad but because it felt too real.
I was slightly irritated by the author's obsession with describing smells, but that's a minor thing. I docked a star for the ending - the heroine meets a character who has spoken to an insider who told her every detail of the gang's operations. Mystery solved. It felt too pat.
I was slightly irritated by the author's obsession with describing smells, but that's a minor thing. I docked a star for the ending - the heroine meets a character who has spoken to an insider who told her every detail of the gang's operations. Mystery solved. It felt too pat.
April 8, 2018
I found this on the $10 shelf at Target and bought it for a plane trip. I couldn't put it down. It revolves around an English Language school in Sydney and a teacher there who becomes involved with a student's death. It has themes of alienation, dislocation, unhappiness, racism, family expectations and society's failure to support and understand migrants. It's also an excellent thriller and a study of Chinese culture, belief and values. Excellent reading!
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August 25, 2020
Purchase Ghost Girls here for just $8!
Ghost Girls is the first novel by Australian writer Cath Ferla. This taut thriller vividly evokes the murky underworld of Sydney's Chinatown - an explores a dark side to the lives of international students studying, working and living in Australia.
Christina - The Book Grocer
Ghost Girls is the first novel by Australian writer Cath Ferla. This taut thriller vividly evokes the murky underworld of Sydney's Chinatown - an explores a dark side to the lives of international students studying, working and living in Australia.
Christina - The Book Grocer
August 23, 2017
easy reading with a few red herrings thrown in to put doubt in to whom were the "baddies". Hopefully this is the beginning of a series, with the characters established but still some unknown qualities and back stories to fill in.
January 21, 2018
This book is great for it's Sydney references, and it's insights into English Language schools and the sub class of Asian students our politics and job market have created. It's also an ode to Asian food. An interesting read. A who-dunnit worth investing in.
February 5, 2018
couldnt put it down! at first i was like not sure if this is my tyoe of book, but once i got into it i couldnt stop. it has a realistic feel to it knowing of the underwrold of sydney, a eye openier didnt want it to end. could have a sequel it i would deffentantly read it..
April 18, 2021
A believable storyline however the plot jumped around making it more difficult to keep track of the characters. Enjoyable but a tight edit was required to ensure all details were necessary for the plot arc.
March 13, 2022
Fast paced and addictive!
Once I picked it up I struggled to put it down, engrossing story and a feast for the senses. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had just the right amount of mystery, violence and detail.
Once I picked it up I struggled to put it down, engrossing story and a feast for the senses. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It had just the right amount of mystery, violence and detail.
May 9, 2017
Riveting read that had me on the edge of my seat. I also loved the author's descriptions of tastes and sounds of China and Sydney which pulled me in to the story as though it was happening around me.
October 17, 2018
An interesting insight into exploitation, and a story of remarkable persistence.
March 2, 2019
A great crime thriller set in Sydney. An engrossing read that got its hooks in me that seems like it comes straight from the newspapers.
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