- Paperback: 480 pages
- Publisher: Orbit (24 Oct. 2019)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0356506886
- ISBN-13: 978-0356506883
Synopsis
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 texts, 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 door that she can’t explain.
And the growing feeling that she’s being watched . . .
Review
If like me you are not totally up with social media you will be interested to know that ‘ghosting’ is when someone cuts all social media ties with you, and this is the premise for this book. Kate has given up her job in Leeds to move to Brighton and move in with her boyfriend Scott, but when she gets there the flat is empty; no Scott, no furniture, no note. All that she finds is his mobile phone which she finds on the balcony. This is her only link to Scott and of course she unlocks the phone and reads all his social media, and finds things she can’t explain. Add in strange phone calls, marks on the door that resemble scratch marks and the feeling she is being watched and you have a fast paced, tense, dark and totally creepy thriller.
There aren’t many books that make me go OMG (or WTF), but Ghoster did that when I had read the last page. I couldn’t believe where this book went, and was trying to explain it to my husband and daughter even though they are non readers (shocking, I know). Jason Arnopp keeps the tension throughout as he slowly reveals details of Scott and his life, and then just over half way through the book turns on its head so to speak. Sinister and twisted is an understatement in this case and I’m glad I wasn’t reading this in the dark on my own. Kate is the main narrator so it is through her eyes the story unfolds. We also learn more about their relationship and how Kate and Scott met as some of the chapters go back to these events.
Kate seems to have had a difficult past but has done well for herself in her job as a paramedic for fifteen years. She has had addiction issues around social media, becoming obsessed with a past lover and no longer has a smart mobile phone, so Scott’s phone is like the forbidden fruit to her, and one she cant resist. She has the pressure of a new job, with a new partner Tyler, who she doesn’t completely trust, the feeling of being watched and sees strange things so it is no wonder she starts to question her own sanity. As we watch her life spiral out of control you begin to wonder just how much is true, and if she is loosing her mind which adds to the suspense of this book.
Ghoster is a deliciously dark thriller that completely messed with my mind, in a good way. When you start this book be prepared to be totally consumed into Kate’s story and will find it hard to put the book down. The plot took me to places I never expected to go and the build up to the twisted conclusion left me with shivers down my spine. You can probably tell I thought this an extraordinary read and it was; Spine tingling, shocking and seriously sinister, a fabulous read.
I would like to thank Tracy Fenton at Compulsive Readers and Orbit Books for inviting me on the blog tour for this brilliant book.
