Ghostman

By: Roger Hobbs

Narrated by: Jake Weber

Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Stunningly dark, hugely intelligent and thoroughly addictive, Ghostman announces the arrival of an exciting and highly distinctive novelist.

When a casino robbery in Atlantic City goes horribly awry, the man who orchestrated it is obliged to call in a favor from someone who's occasionally called Jack. While it's doubtful that 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-30s 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. But 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 be joined shortly by other extremely interested and elusive parties. He has only 48 hours until the twice-stolen cash literally explodes, taking with it the wider, byzantine ambitions behind the theft. To contend with all this will require every gram of his skill, ingenuity and self-protective instincts, especially when offense and defense soon become meaningless terms. And as he maneuvers these exceedingly slippery slopes, he relives the botched bank robbery in Kuala Lumpur five years earlier that has now landed him this unwanted new assignment.

From its riveting opening, Ghostman effortlessly pulls the listener into Jack's refined and peculiar world - and the sophisticated shadowboxing grows ever more intense as he moves, hour by hour, toward a constantly reimprovised solution. With a quicksilver plot, gripping prose and masterly expertise, Roger Hobbs has given us a novel that will immediately place him in the company of our most esteemed crime writers.

©2013 Roger Hobbs (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Fast, hard and knowing: this is an amazing debut full of intrigue, tradecraft and suspense. Read it immediately!” (Lee Child)

“A slam-bang, pedal-to-the-metal crime story that fires on all cylinders and then some! Ghostman is a gritty, lean, mean adrenaline machine. Mostly, though, it was just plain fun to read. I absolutely loved this book and cannot recommend it highly enough.” (Christopher Reich)

“This watertight debut [is] at once slick and gritty… Straight out of the gate, Hobbs has mastered the essentials of a contemporary thriller: a noirlike tone, no-nonsense prose and a hero with just enough personality to ensure he doesn't come off as an amoral death machine [as well as] heart-stopping scenes that illustrate how small mistakes can turn catastrophic.” ( Kirkus, starred review)

Wow a great read/listen

Where does Ghostman rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 10 great narration and the story was close to perfection

What other book might you compare Ghostman to and why?

Some of Adrian McKinty's books

What does Jake Weber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think he got into the character very well and his variation of different accents was excellent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

One of the best audio stories I have listen to in a couple of years.

An Awesome Read

What did you love best about Ghostman?

The way its written/read

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Its so interesting that it keeps you going.

Which scene was your favorite?

The wolf/ghost scene

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You could

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for new book from this author

Narrator

This book really dragged. I finished it but I wasn't a fan of the narrator

way too hyped

What did you like best about Ghostman? What did you like least?

Cool details about heists
Unfortunately the plot is muddled and the character does not hold together

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

the character should be more consistent and the plot less complex

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

the narration was painfully slow but the narrator has a terrific voice

Could you see Ghostman being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

not a chance

Any additional comments?

it is a mystery to me Why this book has received so much press

Kept my attention...Interesting Plot.

Any additional comments?

I liked the detail about the subject matter of theft (at a high-end) skilled level

.Parts were a bit too grizzly!

The tough guy the "hero" is.Kinda like a "Jack Reach" type of guy.

Hero is smart and knows how to fight.

I initially listened to this book a couple of years ago. Second time thru is still good.

You will probably like Lee Child's books if you like this one.

The Bad triumph over the Really Bad

Where does Ghostman rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I was engrossed from beginning to end, although it would have been nice to have a good guy or two sprinkled into the plot.

Would you recommend Ghostman to your friends? Why or why not?

Sure - if they like dark books about criminals.

What does Jake Weber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Jake does a superior job of really making you feel like you are in the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No.

Great Read!

Overall, I really enjoyed this fast paced story. The characters were interesting, the plot was entertaining and the narrator was fabulous. I'll be looking forward to the next of this author's books featuring one of my new favorite heroes.

If a criminal winning does it for you...

Any additional comments?

An interesting concept, but only to answer the question, "who is the least evil?" Keeps your attention, but only if you are incessantly bored. The switch between what was and what is can only be described as "meh." If you are considering listening, save your credit.

Everything you want in a criminal thriller.

Where does Ghostman rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 5%

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Ghostman, of course. He is flawed and criminal yet you can put yourself in his shoes and see things from his perspective.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I enjoyed breaking it up into my commutes to absorb and think about it as I went along.

Any additional comments?

Great first novel. The book weaves 2 stories involving the same character at different times in a way that slowly lets you understand why the Ghostman is the person he is and why he is in his current situation. Like any good book, he teaches you a lot about the subject and makes you feel a part of the action. I listen to dozens of books a year and this is one of the best. I usually don't write reviews, but wanted to share this one with people who like criminal thrillers.

Two stories in one

If you could sum up Ghostman in three words, what would they be?

Great heist story

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It was a bit over the top at times, but it had it's moments.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I felt the narrator did a decent job creating accents and afflictions for the characters and maintaining them through the story.

Any additional comments?

Surface level adventure story about a couple of bank heists. Entertaining certainly, but no moral high ground attained.