Well.. that was different! I'll say that for it.
The cringe factor starts immediately as a young woman melts her face off with a bottle of acid purposely poured over herself, and dies a grisly painful death all due to wearing a jacket from a second hand shop. Oddly she seemed to be the only one affected in this way by the "ghost virus." The others who tried on the second hand clothes developed murderous and cannibalistic traits against others instead of themselves. I guess the story could have been too easily wrapped up if everyone had only killed themselves.
This was a gruesome, gore fest of a read, and whether or not you like it may depend on your willingness to sacrifice logic and realism for the sake of enjoyment.

I received an advance copy for review. ( )

This is one of the most bizarre books I have ever read. Extremely violent and very graphic. But I could not put it down. The premise was silly but original.

The story opens with a young woman pouring acid on her own face. Another young woman gruesomely kills her boyfriend. A young girl kills her parents. Each one exhibits signs of being possessed by someone else. DS Jamila Patel and DC Jerry Pardoe have no idea what is going on. If they tell what they saw their superiors will think they are crazy or they are hallucinating. There seems to be an infection spreading throughout the city, an infection associated with ….second-hand clothing. That’s right – used clothing. Clothes are “infected” with the essence of their former owners. Now the clothes “become one” with their new wearers and force them to commit horrific murders.

Far-fetched, bizarre, totally unbelievable, horribly gory… but impossible to quit reading. I enjoy a good horror story – Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul. Neither of these masters of horror get as graphic as Masterton’s book. Don’t think I will be reading another of his horror books anytime soon. ( )

First of all, if you are at all squeamish, don't try reading this book. There are a number of highly violent, gory scenes that really don't hold back. These are a hallmark of a master of horror, but my overall impression of the book is mixed.
The concept is original and unusual. To begin with, I was excited to be reading the book. The initial instances made a degree of sense and I was intrigued as to where the plot would lead. The later parts didn't make the same sort of sense, even though there was an explanation. And the ending? Well, what was going on there?
It has the feel of a usual crime novel to begin with, which makes what happens feel even more weird. This was done well, but the sections between the gory scenes didn't really maintain the sense of menace they should have. Lighter moments are good for pacing in dark fiction, but it felt like a different book.
Nuggets of research sat exposed upon the ground of the plot instead of being realistically buried in
the story. The ethnic diversity of characters was a lot better than in many books, but it at times felt forced. The impression I'm left with is that the gory scenes were well thought out and worked on, but that most of the remainder didn't get the polishing and work it needed. It fell flat from my initial expectations.
Overall, the book does hold the reader's interest, due to the unusual story. It's definitely not for everyone, but it will certainly find some fans.
I received my copy through NetGalley. My views here are my own. ( )

Where to begin with this one? ......For some unknown reason, I have never read any of Graham Masterton's books so when the chance came up to read an ARC of "Ghost Virus", I jumped at the chance for an introduction to his work.
I have never read anything quite like "Ghost Virus". After a young woman looking forward to her promising future and marriage dies a gruesome death by pouring sulphuric acid on her face, DC Jerry Pardoe and DS Jamila Patel are faced with an incomprehensible reality. Their search for the truth about this terrible tragedy is connected by even more horrible crimes that force them to confront the impossible. I do not want to say more than that because I really do not like to have spoilers in my reviews.
I have read similar books and stories about haunted or possessed items but this one stood out from the others for a variety of reason.
I absolutely adore the characters of DC Pardoe, and DS Patel. I really would love to see another b00k continuing the story of these characters. They were very complex and well developed and I found much of the book derived its strength from these characters and their interactions with each other and the investigation at hand. Graham Masterton must have done much research about Muslims and I found the information provided quite accurate and very pertinent to the story especially with the first known victim. I have to admit I also found it interesting and entertaining to learn about current British lingo especially regarding the names of street drugs and other slang words ( I am Canadian).
All in all, I found Graham Masterton's writing to be solid and fluent and I enjoyed this book enough to try another one. I wish I had discovered his books before now but I look forward to reading more of his novels.
I received a copy of this book from Head of Zeus via Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much for allowing me to read this novel. ( )