Rookie crime writer Roger Hobbs is already being seen as an old pro. The Portland novelist will be here to sign Ghostman, his debut crime novel, on Friday Feb 22 at noon. We’ve been telling you it is terrific. Now here’s another voice to back our recommendation up.
Michiko Kakutani wrote in the NYTimes that “This is the debut of a gifted crime writer who will only get better with his next endeavors.”
If you need more convincing, here’s an article about Roger and the publication of his book from The Oregonian (he graduated from Reed College.)
And, in this morning’s Seattle Times, Adam Woog wrote up a glowing review, ending it with “Overall, Ghostman is a real piece of work – without question the strongest crime-fiction debut I’ve read in a long time.”
And, if you aren't convinced by all of that, here's JB's write-up of the book from our Dec 14th, 2012 newzine:
Early in 2013, you’ll have the chance to start with a new Northwest author who should be great fun to follow. Roger Hobbs’ Ghostman follows a guy who is, in the parlance of the novel, a “ghost” – no one really knows who he is, what his name is or, to some degree, if he really exists. He no longer even has fingerprints.
He’s a highly trained and very serious fixer: he’s been on various jobs (bank heists, highly-choreographed thefts, and different sorts of illegal activities are alluded to) but for the last few years he’s been used to clean up messes left by the work of others. In that, he’s not too different from Brett Battle’s Jonathan Quinn, except that the Ghost works strictly in the criminal world, not in the world of espionage… spooks and ghosts – well, anyway, it isn’t as confusing as I am making it. The publisher likens him to Mr Wolf in Pulp Fiction, but that isn’t quite right either. This guy is far more active, always on the move, not necessarily looking for a fight but quick to take care of anyone who is. Like Reacher, and just as logical.
In Ghostman, “Jack” (the Ghost) is rousted from his nest in Seattle by Marcus, a high-powered ‘jugman’ who sets up jobs. A casino robbery in Atlantic City turned bloody, one of the thieves was left dead, the other is missing as is the money. Jack owes Marcus from a job that went bad years ago and Jack has no choice but to fly across the country to fix it: find the other thief and the money and erase any trace that could lead back to Marcus.
This debut is fast, bloody, ingenious, full of the clatter of gunfire and the solitary silence of scheming and sweating. Jack is working against a time limit, pinned between Marcus, a man he knowns he cannot cross, and another, shadowy and scary guy from Jersey who wants Jack to double-cross Marcus. Then there is that woman from the FBI and his own memories of the job in Malaysia that went bad. He must go through a couple of dozen pre-paid cell phones, a half-dozen cars and guns, not to mention suits.
Roger Hobbs will be here to sign his debut Ghostman (Knopf hc, $24.95) on Friday, Feb 22nd, at noon. He’s a young guy who lives in Portland, so we hope and expect to see him for every book and we hope and expect him to have a long a productive career writing thrillers. He’s certainly beginning it with a bang!
With all the attention this book is receiving, locking in a signed first printing is the smart thing to do.
Reserve one now!