Kate Collins has been ghosted.
She was supposed to be moving in with her new boyfriend Scott, but all she finds after relocating to Brighton is an empty flat. Scott has vanished. His possessions have all disappeared.
Except for his mobile phone.
Kate knows she shouldn't hack into Scott's phone. She shouldn't look at his Tinder, his calls, his social media. But she can't quite help herself.
That's when the trouble starts. Strange, whispering phone calls from numbers she doesn't recognise. Scratch marks on the walls that she can't explain.
And the growing feeling that she's being watched . . .
I'm delighted to be hosting the blog tour for Ghoster today. Many thanks to Jason Arnopp, Orbit Books and Tracy Fenton from Compulsive Readers Blog Tours for inviting me and for the advance digital copy of the novel which I received through Netgalley.
When Kate agrees to move in with her boyfriend, Scott, she knows she's taking a risk but when he stops answering her calls and texts just a few days before she is due to relocate to Brighton to be with him, she has no idea of the nightmare she will soon find herself in. It quickly becomes obvious that she's had a troubled relationship with social media in the past and as a result has swapped her smartphone for a basic Nokia. However, then she finds Scott's mobile and realises it may be her best chance of finding out why the man who seemed so keen has suddenly ghosted her.
Ghoster is mostly written from Kate's first person perspective and it would be fair to say that she is an intriguing, rather flawed character. It's easy to sympathise with her predicament but she does come across as rather self-obsessed at times and there are moments here, as in the past, where she is guilty of putting her own needs before others, even if it puts them at risk. That said, she is also disarmingly self-deprecating, particularly in the conversations she has in her head and as the main voice in the novel, she is a fascinating character throughout. There are also chapters which reveal more about the early days of their relationship which, when juxtaposed with Kate's discoveries, ensure that what initially seemed a passionate romance gradually becomes something apparently far more sinister. However, Scott's point of view is also represented later in the book and this benefit of hindsight adds an intriguing and shocking dimension to this twisty thriller
This could have been a straightforward domestic drama about how a woman responds to being ghosted but it quickly become evident that it is far more than that and that there are other less easily explained elements at play here. As Kate begins to look through Scott's phone, she discovers he doesn't appear to have been honest with her right from the start but his lies turn out to be the least of her problems as strange things begin to occur and she starts to suspect that somebody is guilty of foul play. Ghoster's multilayered plot means it is unsettling for a number of reasons; the mysterious scratches on the frame around the door, Kate's suspicion that she is being watched and later the weird sensations she experiences before she sees some terrifying visions are all enough on their own to make this a chilling story. However, what is perhaps just as disquieting is Kate's descent into obsession and what it eventually does to her.
Jason Arnopp has written an unnerving social commentary about the pervasiveness of 21st century addictions and the desire to make connections with people who are behind screens and not necessarily their true selves, and this is perhaps more frightening than any paranormal element. It's worth saying too, that although Ghoster is undoubtedly a dark and disturbing read, I also really enjoyed the sardonic humour which is woven throughout the story. I wasn't surprised to discover that Jason Arnopp has co-authored a Black Mirror tie-in novel because that's what Ghoster reminded me of. Uncomfortable, provocative and utterly compelling, this is the sort of book which stays with you long after you've finished it.
Ghoster is published by Orbit Books, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, purchasing links can be found here.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
About the Author
Jason Arnopp is a British author and scriptwriter. His background is in journalism: he has worked on titles such as Heat, Q, The Word and Kerrang!. He recently co-authored the Black Mirror tie-in book with Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones, and has also written comedy for Radio 4 and official tie-in fiction for Doctor Who and Friday the 13th. The cult hit The Last Days of Jack Sparks was the first novel which was entirely Jason’s own fault, and it is followed by the chilling supernatural thriller Ghoster.
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Not my thing but I can think of a few people who would like this book. Great review.
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