A Book Obsession..: Kirsten Reviews: Voices from Beyond by Simon R. Green

Kirsten Reviews: Voices from Beyond by Simon R. Green

, by Kt Clapsadl

Voices from Beyond by Simon R. Green

Ghost Finders #5

Meet the operatives of the Carnacki Institute—JC Chance: the team leader, brave, charming, and almost unbearably arrogant; Melody Chambers: the science geek who keeps the antisupernatural equipment running; and Happy Jack Palmer: the terminally gloomy telepath. Their mission: Do Something About Ghosts. Lay them to rest, send them packing, or just kick their nasty ectoplasmic arses…

In a quiet London suburb, four university students participating in an experiment inside a reputed haunted house hold a séance that goes terribly wrong. What—or who—ever they summoned has taken their minds away, leaving them empty shells.

Enter the Ghost Finders, ready to confront an enraged poltergeist for the students’ very souls.

All in a day’s work—except the team doesn’t know that in another part of the city, a different entity has also breached the threshold between worlds. And this time what is at stake is not four lives—but the very existence of all humanity.

Voices from Beyond, the fifth book in the Ghost Finders series by Simon R. Green has the dark humor and ghost-busting that is a hallmark of these novels. One aspect of these books worth noting is that while the characters may have paranormal abilities, they aren’t superhuman, and often find themselves in situations where they very nearly don’t escape in the nick of time. The stakes are higher in this sort of urban fantasy, and it keeps the story moving at a nice pace.

The Ghost Finders, a motley cast of characters are something close to the standard group of heroes, with a little variation as there is a telepath addicted to pills, JC, whose girlfriend Kim happens to be a ghost, and the requisite ‘techie’ character is Melody. Their job is to Do Something About Ghosts, whether that’s laying them to rest, doing their best to kick their butts - if such a thing is possible with spirits, or otherwise get creative.

This time, four university students have decided that holding a séance inside a haunted house is a somehow a good idea. The result is that, as expected, nothing good happens. Whatever they summon literally steals their minds, leaving behind empty shells. This puts the Ghost Finders on course to confront an unhappy poltergeist.

But, at the same time, in another part of London, something else has breached the threshold between worlds. In this case, there is more to worry about than a few students, as humanity itself is now under threat of being annihilated.

While this is definitely a fun series, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and if readers are familiar with the previous books, or Green’s other books, they will enjoy this latest installment.
(Received a copy from the publisher)

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