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Ghost of a Chance A Ghost Finders Novel Simon R Green Books

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Ghost of a Chance A Ghost Finders Novel Simon R Green Books

"Ghost Of A Chance" is the first novel in the Ghost Finders-series by Simon R. Green, and as I'm a fan of his work, it was a no-brainer for me to buy this urban-fantasy action adventure story. But being a fan doesn't mean I can't be critical when he produces a real stinker. While this one isn't (quite) that bad, it is way below par, especially when compared to his Nightside- or Secret Histories-series.

The basic concept has a lot of potential: you've got these so-called Ghost Finders, a British version of the Ghostbusters, only these are agents of the Carnacki Institute, a run-of-the-mill Secret Agency whose main task is to hunt things that go bump in the night while keeping a stiff upper lip. The team: first there's the intellectual J.C. Chance, who is supposed to be a rather suave leader but comes across as an annoying, overtly-optimistic jerk. Then there's the kinky techno-geek Melody Chambers, more interested in high tech gadgetry than people, and the class-11 telepath "Happy" Jack Palmer, who's so neurotic he's constantly popping pills to keep his badly battered nerves under control.

The plot in a nutshell: JC's three-agent team gets sent on a mission is to help solve a problem in London's Underground at Oxford Circus Station. Something has gone horribly wrong there, as commuters have disappeared and it seems that the trains down there have started eating people. Indeed, there's Something down there: an ancient and powerful Lovecraftian-type Being that is threatening to break through to our universe, and it's up to our hapless trio to kick its ectoplasmic behind. But there's another big problem: the rival team from the Crowley Institute, the evil counterpart of the Carnacki Institute, that wants to utilize the paranormal for their own selfish ends.

On the negative side of the ledger: Although I usually like Green's hyperbole style of writing, in this book it was at times so excessive that it started to grate. And the characters didn't have much appeal either. Even by the end of the novel, I still couldn't bring myself to really like them. They have only a few character traits, and we get reminded about these ad-nauseam. Tellingly, it was the "evil team" I found most interesting. And then the way J.C. Chance fell in love with that ghostly lady at first sight... utterly unbelievable.

On the plus side: As I mentioned above, the character dynamics remind me of "Ghostbusters," one of my favorite movies, and the never-ending banter between the characters is at times very comedic. Besides the rather slow start, the storytelling is fast-paced and Green has created an interesting world. It has his usual camp and punny humor. And there are some other fun bits as well: did anyone catch the inside jokes, like that the Carnacki Institute is a direct reference to William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghostfinder? Or that the Crowley Institute references Aleister Crowley, the English occultist and writer?

Final verdict: it has the basics of what could have been a good book (hence my review-title "ghost of a book") but ultimately, even as a spoof of traditional horror novels, "Ghost Of A Chance" doesn't really work. Thus the two-stars.


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Ghost of a Chance A Ghost Finders Novel Simon R Green Books Reviews

I usually devour Simon R. Green's work. I've read everything from Deathstalker through the Droods, and I've never been disappointed... until Ghost of A Chance. The characters are pale parodies of themselves. Although that might be sustainable in a silly short story, it grows ever more painful with each new chapter.

There were some bright spots. For example "He tended to slide and shuffle along, head down, as though always half-expecting to be shouted at, or struck. But when his eyes came up, they were always fierce and angry, a man rehearsing his revenges against an indifferent and ungrateful world." Sadly, turns of phrase of that quality were few. There were a handful of Green's trademark one-liners "Let us remain optimistic," said JC. "If only out of a sense of perversity." But the dialog, on the whole, was inane rather than witty.

As I forced myself to read on to the end, I hoped that the "Big Bad Thing" would win the inevitable confrontation. The rest of the series would be much more satisfying if told from the monster's point of view.
Like other reviewers, I've read lots of Simon R Green's books. They are consistently readable, entertaining and gory. His novels are full of twists and turns, surprises and unexpected events, the main characters are usually well developped, the supporting characters interesting. Ghost of a Chance is the first in a new series - The Ghost Finders - and introduces readers to new characters, new institutions and a new facet of Green's fictional worlds.

The book has Green's usual virtues - easy to read, fun, entertaining, a group of plucky heroes, vile villains, mysterious and unreliable and vaguely mysterious authority figures and lots and lots of gore. Our plucky heroes must confront a terrible threat and defeat it, they face threats from the villains and question the involvement of the authorities. All the parts are there and they mostly work in clockwork balance.

In terms of plot, Ghost of a Chance is tightly focused - the entire story takes place over the course of a single day, primarily in a single setting (a station in the London Underground), and focused on a small group of characters and a single major challenge. The plot isn't groundbreaking but it's competently handled.

The characters are standard issue for Green's novels, which ends up being both a blessing and a curse. Green has gotten so skilled at creating these characters he can do it in shorthand - a few phrases here and there and we get a picture of who they are. Unfortunately, in this case, the characters (both good guys and bad) feel phoned in. We've been there and done that before and the edge has worn smooth. They're not bad charcters, they're just not interesting.

Which is kind of the whole problem - there's a sense in this book of going through the motions. The big plot twist at the end (spoiler free here) isn't as a big as twisty as it could or should have been, which meant that the denouement was less a surprise than a sense of "Well of course that's what happened." For a first book in the series, Ghost of a Chance isn't as ambitious as it could be, nor is it the page-turner Green normally offers readers. At the end of the day, it's an entertaining diversion but not up to Green's normal standards.

I liked it and it's a fun read. It's just not quite as good as Green's other books.
"Ghost Of A Chance" is the first novel in the Ghost Finders-series by Simon R. Green, and as I'm a fan of his work, it was a no-brainer for me to buy this urban-fantasy action adventure story. But being a fan doesn't mean I can't be critical when he produces a real stinker. While this one isn't (quite) that bad, it is way below par, especially when compared to his Nightside- or Secret Histories-series.

The basic concept has a lot of potential you've got these so-called Ghost Finders, a British version of the Ghostbusters, only these are agents of the Carnacki Institute, a run-of-the-mill Secret Agency whose main task is to hunt things that go bump in the night while keeping a stiff upper lip. The team first there's the intellectual J.C. Chance, who is supposed to be a rather suave leader but comes across as an annoying, overtly-optimistic jerk. Then there's the kinky techno-geek Melody Chambers, more interested in high tech gadgetry than people, and the class-11 telepath "Happy" Jack Palmer, who's so neurotic he's constantly popping pills to keep his badly battered nerves under control.

The plot in a nutshell JC's three-agent team gets sent on a mission is to help solve a problem in London's Underground at Oxford Circus Station. Something has gone horribly wrong there, as commuters have disappeared and it seems that the trains down there have started eating people. Indeed, there's Something down there an ancient and powerful Lovecraftian-type Being that is threatening to break through to our universe, and it's up to our hapless trio to kick its ectoplasmic behind. But there's another big problem the rival team from the Crowley Institute, the evil counterpart of the Carnacki Institute, that wants to utilize the paranormal for their own selfish ends.

On the negative side of the ledger Although I usually like Green's hyperbole style of writing, in this book it was at times so excessive that it started to grate. And the characters didn't have much appeal either. Even by the end of the novel, I still couldn't bring myself to really like them. They have only a few character traits, and we get reminded about these ad-nauseam. Tellingly, it was the "evil team" I found most interesting. And then the way J.C. Chance fell in love with that ghostly lady at first sight... utterly unbelievable.

On the plus side As I mentioned above, the character dynamics remind me of "Ghostbusters," one of my favorite movies, and the never-ending banter between the characters is at times very comedic. Besides the rather slow start, the storytelling is fast-paced and Green has created an interesting world. It has his usual camp and punny humor. And there are some other fun bits as well did anyone catch the inside jokes, like that the Carnacki Institute is a direct reference to William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghostfinder? Or that the Crowley Institute references Aleister Crowley, the English occultist and writer?

Final verdict it has the basics of what could have been a good book (hence my review-title "ghost of a book") but ultimately, even as a spoof of traditional horror novels, "Ghost Of A Chance" doesn't really work. Thus the two-stars.