Ghost Virus, from Graham Masterton, reminded me very strongly of the paperback horrors that were so popular in the 80s and 90s. It's a fun and gory spectacle; yes, you'll need to suspend your disbelief, but if gory, straightforward horror is what you're into, this is a solid read.

"... I’m convinced now that this infection is spiritual, rather than viral."

I've been a fan of British author Graham Masterton since reading THE MANITOU in the mid-1970s. He writes more than horror books (including sex manuals) but he's best known for his horror offerings.

This book, after I got into it a ways, didn't seem like one I'd enjoy. It seemed like a rather preposterous premise. But Masterton has done it again - scared the stuffing out of me. I will never look at used clothing the same again.

The story takes place in and around Tooting, England - a district near London. Detective Sergeant Patel and Detective Constable Pardoe are called in for some very unusual, gruesome killings, where the murderers are claiming to be someone else. The murderers all have in common the fact they were wearing second hand clothes when they did their killings.

Be warned that this is a gory, gruesome read (think Jeffrey Dahmer). Masterton has a huge talent of turning the mundane into the grotesque. This is another Graham Masterton creepy crawly have-to-read.

I received this book from Head of Zeus Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Graham Masterton for the opportunity to read this novel.
I was given my first Graham Masterton novel to devour at the age of 14. Since then, I have read every single one of his novels and loved them all. Ghost Virus is no exception.
I certainly enjoyed the concept of haunted clothes as it is so different to the horror novels I have read in the past.. Be warned though. This book is definitely not for the faint hearted. I had to devour this book in one sitting. I needed to know how it would end for the detectives involved in the investigation.
If you enjoy gruesome and gory, you will enjoy Ghost Virus.

Masterton returns to the horror genre with this supernatural chiller about possessed clothes that cause those that wear them to kill.
What sounds like a fun and quirky premise is actually quite a dark and macabre book, largely in part to Masterton’s graphic descriptions of the crimes — which turn out to be horrible acts of murder, self mutilation and cannibalism.
The problem is these crimes are then countered with more playful moments, such as a police showdown with a horde of flying clothes, giving it a Christine meets Seven kind of vibe that proves an odd fit.
It’s an interesting premise and an engaging read but one that’s ultimately let down by its mash of tones.

Thanks to net galley, Graham Masterton and publishers, Head of Zeus, for the opportunity to preview this book.

It's a weird one! I haven't read any of the authors previous books and so, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a thrilling supernatural murder mystery for fans of horror. I enjoyed the weird premise of clothing causing people to turn into murderers. However, what I couldn't stomach were the constant gruesome descriptions. These descriptions were just too much for me, causing me to shout out loud, stop reading and flicking through to miss them at times.

Overall, it's certainly different, I can't really recommend it, although, the clever storyline did make me want to see how it ended.....gruesomely ....

Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.

Creepy crawly coats, scuttling sweaters, grasping girdles, slapping shirtsleeves, raincoats on the rampage.  A second skin, rivers of blood, gore galore, and a surfeit of guts. 

The writing is fine, but the plot segued into silliness and then boldly leapt into the realm of the absurd.  If this is meant to be horror, then it is not my brand.  If the purpose is to parody, then mission accomplished.

I usually enjoy books by Graham Masterton but this was just too much of a horror story for me! Very gruesome descriptions and a fascinating plot. lovers of the horror genre will enjoy this book. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

Like a good scary horror? Then this book is for you. How does Graham Masterton do it? I don't know but he does it really, really well. He has the ability to draw you into a book after the first few pages and you don't want to stop reading till the end. Thank you Mr Masterton and please don't ever stop writing.

It was a interesting horror novel that gives a new meaning to the term fashion police. I would recommend it those who like gruesome horror.

I have given Ghost Virus five stars.

Let me start this review by telling you that as a person who works with second hand clothing, I will NEVER be able to look at my job the same ever again!

I read Graham Masterton's "Spirit" as a child and despite thoroughly enjoying the horror within, I have never read anything else by him but I was absolutely thrilled to discover that I was just as captivated by his writing now as I was then.
Very rarely do I read a horror that chills me to my bones and that is exactly what the author did with Ghost Virus. The story line was equal parts terrifying and silly, with lots of gory scenes added to really capture the reader's attention.

I was absolutely addicted to this wonderfully quirky tale of possessed clothes, with all of it's grit.

He truly is a master of horror and I am now wondering why it's been so long since I delved into one of his books.

Not to be taken too seriously, as the concept is rather far fetched. That said it's a good scary story well written. A couple of explainations a little lacking but largely very well written - I really enjoyed this book. Taken in context I'd recommend to anyone. Nice twist at the end that leaves things open.

What a fantastic story, Graham Masterton has always been a master of horror but this is on another level.

The storyline is really interesting and something new, Graham Masterton has you hooked from the first page and it finishes with the last sentence in the book.

This is Not for the faint hearted as very descriptive so can make your toes curl!!! Great story which keeps you hooked!!

This book has one of those first sentences that reels you in. You have to keep reading to find out why someone would want to burn their face off. I will say, as a warning, that this book is not for those faint of heart. The description of the deaths are brutal. I definitely mean that in a great way because the writing is incredible. It puts you right there, front and center while all the gore happens. The balance between the POV's could have been more focused on our detectives for me but I understand why it's important to see the different affected people. I thought the build up in this novel was fantastic and it kept me reading the whole time, even if I was breathing really heavily during some of the more gruesome parts! Great book!

I hadn't previously read anything by Graham Masterton, but had heard his name pop up in horror circles often enough that I knew I'd have to give him a go. That said, I'm not entirely convinced Ghost Virus is the best place to start, given its odd balance as a work that is both flat-out silly and a serious procedural with a whole lot of deliciously descriptive violence and carnage betwixt it all.

The fact is, the central premise behind Ghost Story is absolutely ludicrous. That premise? Killer clothes. And I don't mean in the sense of keen fashion and sharp ensembles, but literally clothes that murder - jackets that slaughter, sweaters hungry for blood, windbreakers that would snap your neck and dismember you in the street. Killer. Clothes. It's the sort of schlocky mass-market 80s pulp, or straight to SyFy Channel by way of The Asylum films, that is deliriously, eye-rollingly bad...but also perversely entertaining in its own charmingly idiotic way. It helps, some, that Masterton's own characters cannot believe the threat terrorizing their London suburb of Tooting Bec either, oftentimes rolling their own eyes right alongside readers. One almost has to wonder just how much expert-level trolling Masterton is conducting upon readers with this one. The police, at regular intervals, speak the reader's mind as they confusedly stammer, "None of this makes any sense."

Granted, Masterton makes a basic attempt at trying to square this ultimately nonsensical work against the rough framework of Tooting's diverse neighborhood, drawing on Pakistani and Lithuanian lore, with talk of djinns and ghosts and various other regional folklore. No matter what kind of hodgepodge justifications Masterton knits together to explain the inexplicable, the threat at the core of Ghost Virus is still utterly preposterous.

However, if you can either accept, or better still, look past the harebrained idea of demonic second-hand clothes, Ghost Virus is actually a pretty fun, pulpy romp that fans of the crazier 80s horror paperbacks should enjoy. The central premise is outlandish, but it's at least entertaining and Masterton's writing is smooth enough to keep the pages turning. And the violence. Dear lord, the violence! Masterton doesn't shy away from details, and there's a number of well-done, graphically depicted shock scenes as the owners of these possessed clothes wreak havoc on themselves, their lovers, and neighbors. There's moments of awful violence throughout, and if you revel in gore, Masterton will blanket you in buckets of blood and piles of innards.

My advice? Ignore the goofy premise, and read this one for the shock scenes. If you're a fan of silly horror, you ought to eat this one right up.

[Note: I received an advance copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

When a young Pakistani woman has her face burned off with sulphuric acid, it's up to D.C. Jerry Pardoe and D.S. Jamila Patel of Tooting Police to investigate the horrific crime. At first they think it's suicide or a possible honour killing but it soon becomes apparent more disturbing and other-worldly forces are at work.

Meanwhile, across London, there's an outbreak of sickening acts of violence and murder. The strange thing is, all the perpetrators are wearing second-hand clothing. Is it possible their clothes are somehow possessed by the dead? As the bodies pile up, Jerry and Jamila must act quickly to save London from the deadly grip of the Ghost Virus.

Graham Masterton is the author who ignited my love of reading over 35 years ago. I've been a huge fan ever since and have read a vast amount of his work. He's my go-to guy for all things dark and creepy. This new book, although very light-hearted in comparison to other works, was great. It combined humour with the ridiculous and I loved it. Can you imagine being chased down the street by the contents of your wardrobe?!!

I get the distinct feeling Masterton had a lot of fun with this book and I'm sure it was his intention that his readers would too. However, I do think he'll come in for some criticism from those more familiar with his darker, demonic novels. Me? I thought it was a good bit of hilarious fun and really enjoyed it.

* My thanks to Graham Masterton for decades of pleasure, NetGalley and Head of Zeus.

To the best of my recollection, I’ve never read a Graham Masterton book before Ghost Virus. However, I have heard his name time and again, so when I saw Ghost Virus on Netgalley, I thought it’d be a perfect time to check him out. There was a line or two in the synopsis that sounded a bit silly, but given how positively everyone talks about this “Master of Horror” I was willing to trust he’d weave a bit of a terror tale for me. It wasn’t too long into the book before I cottoned on to the fact that apart from a nice dose of violence and gore, there wasn’t any real horror waiting to crepe up on me.

Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. I mean, I love a bit of silly now and again. Else I wouldn’t read as many creature features as I do. Masterton’s Ghost Virus has, to a certain extent, the delightful appeal of a silkscreened horror novelty t-shirt.  By the end of the book, I felt a lot friendlier toward the novel than I had initially thought I would. Really, there were only two things that held me back from appreciating the bad-good B-movie plot and dialogue that Ghost Virus has.

Firstly, can we please – for the love of whatever deity you think exists – move past this idea that non-religious people are evil? I, personally, find it quite possible to judge people based on their actions, and not their beliefs or lack thereof. So, to be deemed evil because I don’t kowtow rubs me the wrong way. But, all things considered, I'm not surprised to find the presence of beliefs that are rapidly falling out of fashion. At the same time, I also do respect that the author tried to partake of a bit of the current path forward of inclusivity by including a character that was of a non-WASPish religion. Baby steps, and all that, don’t chino?

Secondly, this was a perfectly good book in terms of guts and gore and whatnot, so why the cliché horror prop? I mean, a ‘there-to-die’ got her womb ripped out via her lady bits. In terms of cringe-worthy scenes that make you cross your legs and eye your half-eaten slice with dismay, Masterton earns top marks. So why was it necessary to pull the dead child card? It doesn't happen often, but two kids are being shown horribly killed, and then near the end we get the usual dramatic shot of dead child. Just...why?

(I would apologize for all the clothing related puns, but everyone knows I'm just wrapped a bit wrong.)

“After Reading ‘Ghost Virus’ you’re never going to feel the
same about your favourite jumper again!”

I’ve read plenty of crazy books in my time, many so ridiculous I’ve almost lost the will to live. And let’s say right from the start: Graham Masterton’s latest novel “Ghost Virus” is more ridiculous than almost all of them. It’s bat-shit crazy. However, within the insanity the book was a weird internal logic that makes perfect sense. It’s stupid, violent, crazily over the top, but it also flows incredibly well into a narrative which is the perfect blend of horror, crime and a mysterious ingredient concocted by the author which makes it all hang together. I read it over three nights and found it very difficult to put down and that’s high praise. In various parts I could barely believe what I was reading, and even though the levels of brutality were extreme, I could not tear my eyes away from this most bonkers of horror novels.

Graham Masterton has been writing this sort of horror pot-boiler for years, and I thought this was an incredibly fine return to form after a few years where he has very successfully concentrated upon writing crime fiction. The fact that Masterton has been working in another genre really shines through in this work. The two central characters are detectives Pardow and Patel who begin to investigate a seemingly random collection of murders in south London, initially with what looks like a straight forward honour killing. Patel is British Pakistani and an expert in this type of crime. However, as the investigation continues the pair realise something much more unpleasant is at foot, a supernatural plague. Prepare for some very nasty goings on.

As their investigation continues you might think you have strayed straight into a detective, or police procedural, novel. Masterton plays this with a very straight bat, which works very well as the two detectives begin to link the clues. The police force simply cannot believe (and why would they?) something supernatural is at work, even as the bodies begin to pile up.

Along the way we are introduced to various characters who encounter the ‘Ghost Virus’ of the title and this allows the author to throw in some terrifically gruesome and shocking kill scenes. Masterton probably had a lot of fun writing some of these executions. Many are particularly nasty due to the everyday life situations in which many of them occur. For example, a primary school teacher starts throwing kids out an upper floor window, a guy gets nails hammered into his eyes (and then disembowelled) for snoring, a little girl eats her dog and a guy gets his arms and legs twisted off whilst walking home after a night on the town. It’s explicit stuff, but balances particularly well with the police investigation and some very dark humour.

The book is set very close to where I live in south London. If you read our accompanying interview Graham Masterton answers some questions about this. There is something particularly entertaining about reading a novel set on the streets you know very well, especially in the closing sequences which are wildly creative and over the top and right on the door step of some of my favourite curry houses Tooting is famous for.
“Ghost Virus” is loaded with a full tank of horrors, ranging from the insidious paranoia when the virus begins to creep upon various characters, to the full-blown adrenalin fear rush, such as when the entities try to break into one of the police officer’s car to get at his little girl. I was probably more terrified than his daughter and was willing them on to fight another day.

And the ending…. Again, I ask Graham about this in the interview. The level of carnage, destruction, death and violence is so far over the top of the mountain it is half-way down the other side. I could visualise the mass destruction of the local area very easily as the ‘big bad’ tightened its grip on the unsuspecting London suburb. Yes, it was dumb beyond belief, but this author is the master of making a plot which could be laughed out of town by many, into a tale which was a terrific read.

Ginger Nuts of Horror does not grade book reviews, but if we did “Ghost Virus” would get 6/5. This was the first of Graham’s book I’ve read in a while, so I’m soon going to dip back into his extensive back-catalogue for another treat. But first I’m going to throw out my favourite suede jacket, if you ever read this novel you’ll know why. And I’m not sure where I left my green cardigan…. Blast… Should I be worried Graham????

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.

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.

disappointed with this book, seemed like it should have been in a comic book, I've read many of Graham Masterton's books so have come to expect more,sorry,not for me