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Review
Ghosts of Manhattan is a brilliant hybrid of superhero/vigilante tale, film noir, and 1920s decadence... It is an exceedingly dark character study of damaged characters attempting to make the world a better place than it has been for them. It is a portrait of a world just one step removed from our reality, a New York that never was but could have been. It is a thematic rumination on the nature of heroism, blessed with exquisite prose, twisty mystery (one revelation in particular almost made me want to start reading all over again, to note the earlier clues), genuinely thrilling suspense, and cracking violence a beautifully crafted novel whose dark heart is counterbalanced with small moments of unexpected tenderness. And dirigibles. --RobWillReview.com
--This text refers to an alternate
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Product Description
1926. New York. The Roaring Twenties. Jazz. Flappers. Prohibition. Coal-powered cars. A cold war with a British Empire that still covers half of the globe. Yet things have developed differently to established history. America is in the midst of a cold war with a British Empire that has only just buried Queen Victoria, her life artificially preserved to the age of 107. Coal-powered cars roar along roads thick with pedestrians, biplanes take off from standing with primitive rocket boosters, and monsters lurk behind closed doors and around every corner. This is a time in need of heroes. It is a time for The Ghost. A series of targeted murders are occurring all over the city, the victims found with ancient Roman coins placed on their eyelids after death. The trail appears to lead to a group of Italian American gangsters and their boss, who the mobsters have dubbed "The Roman." However, as The Ghost soon discovers, there is more to The Roman than at first appears, and more bizarre happenings that he soon links to the man, including moss-golems posing as mobsters and a plot to bring an ancient pagan god into the physical world in a cavern beneath the city. As The Ghost draws nearer to The Roman and the center of his dangerous web, he must battle with foes both physical and supernatural and call on help from the most unexpected of quarters if he is to stop The Roman and halt the imminent destruction of the city.
--This text refers to an alternate
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edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Having thouroughly enjoyed Mann's other recent series - the Newbury & Hobbes Mysteries, I was looking forward to this new book. The Newbury & Hobbes stories have been fun-filled, quirky mysteries, instilled with good banter between characters and a real sense of humour. They don't take themselves too seriously and they are fun to read. I've also enjoyed the setting in those books - a slightly alternative Victorian London.
Ghosts of Manhattan is a different kind of read. Set in a 1920's New York of mobsters, killings and crimes it follows a few main characters. Donovan: the police inspector, Gabriel: the rich playboy, Celeste: the jazz singing love interest, The Ghost: a mysterious vigilante, The Roman: a criminal mobster overlord. It's all quite cliched with all these characters behaving predictably.
The main idea that jumped out at me was 'Batman'. The set up, plot, etc puts you in mind of Gotham City and the caped crusader. This unfortunately means that the idea doesn't feel new or fresh. However, as with other George Mann books, the pace is brisk, the writing fun and it is an old fashioned type of crime thriller.
I hung in there with it, enjoying some of the scenes and atmosphere created by the setting but have to say that it took a really odd twist towards the end - a supernatural element was introduced which really didn't follow what had gone before and made for a totally bizarre ending. I also can't review this thoroughly without a mention of the total overuse of the word 'brandished' throughout!
I am quite sorry to say that I found this book disappointing because I've so enjoyed his other books. I am still looking forward to enjoying the next Newbury & Hobbes mystery though!
Ghosts of Manhattan is a different kind of read. Set in a 1920's New York of mobsters, killings and crimes it follows a few main characters. Donovan: the police inspector, Gabriel: the rich playboy, Celeste: the jazz singing love interest, The Ghost: a mysterious vigilante, The Roman: a criminal mobster overlord. It's all quite cliched with all these characters behaving predictably.
The main idea that jumped out at me was 'Batman'. The set up, plot, etc puts you in mind of Gotham City and the caped crusader. This unfortunately means that the idea doesn't feel new or fresh. However, as with other George Mann books, the pace is brisk, the writing fun and it is an old fashioned type of crime thriller.
I hung in there with it, enjoying some of the scenes and atmosphere created by the setting but have to say that it took a really odd twist towards the end - a supernatural element was introduced which really didn't follow what had gone before and made for a totally bizarre ending. I also can't review this thoroughly without a mention of the total overuse of the word 'brandished' throughout!
I am quite sorry to say that I found this book disappointing because I've so enjoyed his other books. I am still looking forward to enjoying the next Newbury & Hobbes mystery though!
14 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had high hopes of this novel, since the blurb ticked all the boxes. Unfortunately it's a grave disappointment. The characters are all cardboard, there's very little depth to them and the plot - such as it is - is wafer thin. The 'steampunk' element is limited to cars that run on coal and a weapon; that's it. The alternative universe element is limited to a few references to a cold war between the UK and the US, but that's all - there's no relevance to the storyline.
The further into the book you read, the more nonsensical it becomes. There are 'moss men' who are supposed to be hugely powerful, except that they're not, and are made of moss with a steel substruction. If it sounds weird, it's because it is. In the last few chapters there's a dramatic shift from steampunk to Cthulhu, which is just plain stupid. The book that you finish isn't remotely like the book that you started.
It's a waste of time and space. One to be avoided I'm afraid - I wish that I had.
The further into the book you read, the more nonsensical it becomes. There are 'moss men' who are supposed to be hugely powerful, except that they're not, and are made of moss with a steel substruction. If it sounds weird, it's because it is. In the last few chapters there's a dramatic shift from steampunk to Cthulhu, which is just plain stupid. The book that you finish isn't remotely like the book that you started.
It's a waste of time and space. One to be avoided I'm afraid - I wish that I had.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are familiar with the story of Batman, you will be at home with this book as it is virtually a carbon copy. Masked vigilante takes on the bad guys with a selection of wonderful toys. You might as well go and watch the film with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson as it is much more entertaining and is over in an hour and a half, unlike this book, which drags on and on. Don't buy it and save the planet as its a complete waste of a tree to print it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Cliche-Ridden Batman Rehashed
This was like reading a book derived from a graphic novel. Basically it's a rehash of Batman. Instead of Gotham, it's set in an alternate 1920s America (steam cars,... Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Hartwell
Slick, deft pastiche/homage with lots of super steampunk
I read "The Affinity Bridge" after buying it on impulse and, after a coupe of false starts REALLY enjoyed it. Hence buying this on the back of it. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Domina mia
Some Good, Some Bad...
'Ghost of Manhattan' is George Mann's melding of the pulp genre with that of steampunk. Set in an America embroiled in a cold war with the British Empire, it is a world of... Read more
Published 11 months ago by David Kerr
Ok
Ok, but not as good as Newbury & Hobbes, and I won't be in a hurry to read any more of the series.
Published 15 months ago by RikGG
This is not great literature, or anywhere near it.
I hadn't read any of Mr Mann's previous work, and on the evidence of this book, I won't be reading any more. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Darren Priest
Spirit of Gotham
George Mann is the author of a series of steampunk novels featuring the Victorian detective duo Newbury and Hobbes. Read more
Published on 11 May 2010 by Quicksilver
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