What do you think?
Rate this book
The Ghost
WHAT NO ONE KNOWS, CAN’T HURT HIM…
A vicious rapist is loose on the Scalian University campus. He thinks he’s invisible with campus authorities covering things up. He likes it that way. But she was not his first and she will not be his last.
UNTIL…
The Ghost accidently beats his victim to death and becomes a killer. Can he still hide from authorities?
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO CATCH THE GHOST?
Detective Jeanne de Leon is on the case, wading through a campus cover up and the layers of lies that have followed. What will she uncover in this tangled web? How will it all end?
THE MANHUNT IS ON
A vicious rapist is loose on the Scalian University campus. He thinks he’s invisible with campus authorities covering things up. He likes it that way. But she was not his first and she will not be his last.
UNTIL…
The Ghost accidently beats his victim to death and becomes a killer. Can he still hide from authorities?
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO CATCH THE GHOST?
Detective Jeanne de Leon is on the case, wading through a campus cover up and the layers of lies that have followed. What will she uncover in this tangled web? How will it all end?
THE MANHUNT IS ON
237 pages, Paperback
Published January 13, 2022
8 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 1, 2019
The Ghost, a thriller, is the first novel I've read by author H. Berkeley Rourke. It will not be the last because I find myself very in-sync with his writing style, plot, and characters. Imagine a rapist is loose on a college campus where the administration refuses to do anything but squash all reports? They're afraid of the school's reputation and will do anything to keep it under wraps... until the latest victim dies after attempting to report the truth to campus security. All bets are off then, and Rourke takes you on a wild ride of deception, corruption, and salvation. We've then got a serial killer on our hands, fellow readers.
From perusing the notes at the beginning and end of the book, I learned this was partially based on some realities, of course, with appropriate author liberties. To think that any administration would keep something like this quiet is abominable. I want to believe that level of dirtiness doesn't exist, but unfortunately it does. Rourke takes the basic elements of a failed system to show how victims can easily be further harmed after a rape, if proper action and treatment isn't received. By putting readers at the center of the crimes, we're almost experiencing the pain ourselves. I wanted to throttle the campus security officers, then the administration, and finally, a few other players who did the least they could. A great writer makes you feel that way; it's never just the plot alone.
Rourke is direct and blunt in his style. There are no flowery passages that weave you through the life of a victim or the rapist. Through mostly third-person (we do get some passages from the rapist in poetry / first-person narrative), we follow every 'logical' step to get from the initial attack to the capture of the villain. I make a point of saying this because the author ramped up the suspense by doing this. I kept flipping pages because the action was so clear, I felt some of the racing heart moments when the cops were getting close to solving the case or discovering the corruption. I loved that approach. Some other stories focus for chapters on the secondary impacts of the crimes (which are also great reads), but it was here where I felt wholly involved and invested in the chase-down-the-bad-guy-and-kill-him mode.
The protagonist, a female cop whose family comes from Mexico, adds a strong arc from both her personal stance on the crimes and the focus / goals of her job. She's likable, forceful, and crosses the line where necessary to get her job done -- always to protect the victim and catch the criminal. It makes you wonder whether always playing by the rules when trying to capture the bad guy is worth it... true, we have to worry about the law and punishment being fair, but still... when the creep is as bad as this one, do whatever's necessary to stop him! Rourke delivered this story with passion, and while some may want more of the emotional side in what has happened to the victims, this isn't that type of story. This is the procedure and passion of nailing the rapist to the proverbial wall! Really, really enjoyed its conclusion too.
From perusing the notes at the beginning and end of the book, I learned this was partially based on some realities, of course, with appropriate author liberties. To think that any administration would keep something like this quiet is abominable. I want to believe that level of dirtiness doesn't exist, but unfortunately it does. Rourke takes the basic elements of a failed system to show how victims can easily be further harmed after a rape, if proper action and treatment isn't received. By putting readers at the center of the crimes, we're almost experiencing the pain ourselves. I wanted to throttle the campus security officers, then the administration, and finally, a few other players who did the least they could. A great writer makes you feel that way; it's never just the plot alone.
Rourke is direct and blunt in his style. There are no flowery passages that weave you through the life of a victim or the rapist. Through mostly third-person (we do get some passages from the rapist in poetry / first-person narrative), we follow every 'logical' step to get from the initial attack to the capture of the villain. I make a point of saying this because the author ramped up the suspense by doing this. I kept flipping pages because the action was so clear, I felt some of the racing heart moments when the cops were getting close to solving the case or discovering the corruption. I loved that approach. Some other stories focus for chapters on the secondary impacts of the crimes (which are also great reads), but it was here where I felt wholly involved and invested in the chase-down-the-bad-guy-and-kill-him mode.
The protagonist, a female cop whose family comes from Mexico, adds a strong arc from both her personal stance on the crimes and the focus / goals of her job. She's likable, forceful, and crosses the line where necessary to get her job done -- always to protect the victim and catch the criminal. It makes you wonder whether always playing by the rules when trying to capture the bad guy is worth it... true, we have to worry about the law and punishment being fair, but still... when the creep is as bad as this one, do whatever's necessary to stop him! Rourke delivered this story with passion, and while some may want more of the emotional side in what has happened to the victims, this isn't that type of story. This is the procedure and passion of nailing the rapist to the proverbial wall! Really, really enjoyed its conclusion too.
July 30, 2018
The Ghost, by H. Berkeley Rourke, is a police investigatory crime-novel. A serial rapist is on the loose on the campus of Scalian University. His taste for sexual assaults culminates in murder, and when the first body of a young university student shows up, the dominos start to fall. Corrupt campus police and University officials desperately try to outrun the train of bad publicity using cover-up and lies, but one investigator with local city police sees through their smokescreen and gets on the hunt. The trail doesn't stop there, as a string of more brutal assaults and deaths follow. The rapist, emboldened by his attacks and his ability to remain undetected, announces himself to a local journalist as The Ghost, and through this contact, he taunts and teases the police. Much of the dialogue and events are about the trail of Sherlocking that gets done. There are no fast "CSI" discoveries, just good-old-fashioned police work. As to the outcome and whether The Ghost remains a ghost, you'll just have to read the book to find out.
April 4, 2017
This is an intriguing book and the author did an amazing job with a subject that is a bit taboo. A serial rapist is on the loose of a college campus, when the rapist who the university calls the Campus Rapist and who calls himself the ghost, kills one of the women already raped, Detective Jeanne De Leon is brought in and thank goodness. While local cops are making a mockery of everything, Jeanne is on a hunt to bring the rapist/killer to justice. This story is well written and gives different aspects to not only the crimes, but to the investigation. The author knows his stuff and this story could easily have been one ripped from the headlines. The author tells a intense, gritty story that I couldn't put down. This is a highly recommended read because of not only the murder and mystery but the way the author looked at different sides to the crimes.
May 16, 2019
H. Berkeley Rourke has penned a confronting, hard-hitting thriller of a serial-rapist/killer, written in the style of a police procedural. Detective Jeanne De Leon investigates as the local cops look on with derision. Right from the prologue the reader is made aware of the ground they are being invited to traverse and only those with a strong stomach for this most heinous of crimes will continue. They will be rewarded with a thorough, delicate and apposite exploration of the theme and, significantly, the attempts by the university campus to cover up the crimes. Rourke dares to tread where most authors fear to go, not only putting forward the perspective of investigator but also the rapist himself. The plotting, pacing and characterisation are superb in this no holds barred, tell it as you find it, killer of a thriller.
April 14, 2017
Eloquently written and very descriptive.
5-star review for - The Ghost, by Berkeley Rourke.
This is an eloquently written and well thought out novel. The writer clearly has a great deal of knowledge and understanding of police procedure, as well as the bullshit from high up. It may be a work of fiction, but crimes of this nature are commonplace all over America, in a campus near you.
The story is written in a formal manner, although no punches are pulled as you are drawn into the action and investigation. We follow Jeanne, a tough young cop with a no-nonsense approach, and her colleagues at Phoenix PD as they cast the net, looking for a rapist, turned killer.
The writing is very descriptive, allowing you to picture the scenes as they unfold. The crimes are truly heinous, as the identity of the rapist/killer is sought after.
I would highly recommend this book.
5-star review for - The Ghost, by Berkeley Rourke.
This is an eloquently written and well thought out novel. The writer clearly has a great deal of knowledge and understanding of police procedure, as well as the bullshit from high up. It may be a work of fiction, but crimes of this nature are commonplace all over America, in a campus near you.
The story is written in a formal manner, although no punches are pulled as you are drawn into the action and investigation. We follow Jeanne, a tough young cop with a no-nonsense approach, and her colleagues at Phoenix PD as they cast the net, looking for a rapist, turned killer.
The writing is very descriptive, allowing you to picture the scenes as they unfold. The crimes are truly heinous, as the identity of the rapist/killer is sought after.
I would highly recommend this book.
May 10, 2017
I found this book to be fascinating. The topic of serial rapists/killers and the cover ups at colleges and universities concerning them create a very intriguing plot. Jeanne is a very empowered detective, she is sure of herself and what she is able to do legally. I liked seeing how she began her investigation and throughout the entire book. It is frustrating to realize that many times it takes a mistake by the perp to get him/her caught.
I enjoyed the book. I gave it 4 stars because I did have issues with her involving her friend the reporter in the investigation, I find it hard to swallow that her superiors did not have a problem with that, especially since they had personal history. I also thought her treatment of the college police, which was awesome, was probably not something a detective would be doing. Her whole demeanor was totally unprofessional.
I enjoyed the book. I gave it 4 stars because I did have issues with her involving her friend the reporter in the investigation, I find it hard to swallow that her superiors did not have a problem with that, especially since they had personal history. I also thought her treatment of the college police, which was awesome, was probably not something a detective would be doing. Her whole demeanor was totally unprofessional.
May 25, 2018
Best book of the year !
So very well written. We worry about a lot of things when our children go to college, but this should be first and foremost in our minds. Every thirty minutes some one in the USA becomes a victim of rape. Thank you for writing this book!!
So very well written. We worry about a lot of things when our children go to college, but this should be first and foremost in our minds. Every thirty minutes some one in the USA becomes a victim of rape. Thank you for writing this book!!
May 31, 2018
Wow!!
The author did a great job on the serial rapist/ murder topic. I have to say though, the detective Jeanne was a piece of work. She has a strong personality and knows her stuff! Takes Scrap from No One! I loved how she put people in their place and dared them (unspoken) to challenge her.
The author did a great job on the serial rapist/ murder topic. I have to say though, the detective Jeanne was a piece of work. She has a strong personality and knows her stuff! Takes Scrap from No One! I loved how she put people in their place and dared them (unspoken) to challenge her.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews