The main character 'Ghostman', is a professional criminal, and the (first person) narrator of this story. The first person narration is seamless and very well done. I enjoy reading stories about people 'off the grid'. I was not disappointed. After 40 pages it was impossible to put down. Well written and action packed, the novel takes you on a wild ride with the Ghostman as he plans, schemes, problem solves, gets into and out of life threatening situations, kills, cleans up and in general keeps the excitement in his life ratcheted up to the max which is just the way he likes it. There are a few over-the-top scenes that may stretch a readers willingness to believe (hey, it is a novel after all) but by the time you get to them you are in deep with the Ghostman and focused on hanging on for what comes next. The ending is neatly tied up and completely satisfying.

This is a strong, beautifully written absolutely mesmerizing book. If, like me, you know next to nothing about North Korea you will be shocked, stunned and saddened, but you will also be unable to look away from this raw portrayal of life there. A portrayal not from the past, as you might expect from a novel but as North Korea is now, seemingly, a modern day dystopia. The extensive research the author did to write this book is apparent in every paragraph. He includes many actual events and weaves them in seamlessly with his fictional characters. The characters themselves are solid, believable and you find yourself sympathizing with, for the most part, both the good guys and the bad, with one exception: the character of North Korea’s ‘Dear Leader’. A great read, I highly recommend it. However, it’s not for the faint of heart. This is a book that will stay with me a long time, the last one that did that was Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’. The publisher of the ‘Orphan Master’s Son’ promote it as “a towering achievement”, I have to agree.

I've read the author's work before in the form of novels and the occasional short story. At first his ambiguous endings may be off putting, but as you grow used to his style and immerse yourself in his flawless writing you start to enjoy the thoughts and feelings each story provokes. There are many ways to approach each character's dilemma and Mr. Trevor leaves it to you to explore. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although I can see that someone who prefers more specifics and a more definite ending might not. It seems to be an ideal candidate for a book club, as each story could result in much discussion. I would say if you like these short stories, but want more, try one of his novels, i.e., Felicia's Journey, or Death in Summer.

I just finished this as an audio book which is probably the only way I was able to get through it. I agree with another reviewer in so far as I also had trouble keeping up with clues and characters including the new, the lost and the found again. A little over the top in terms of credibility. Man with brain tumor and deteriorating brain function solves murder after losing his memory, continuing to have mental and physical problems and having to start all over again while being targeted to be murdered himself. Murderer is obvious long before hero can figure it out. Actually, I think it was quite a feat of imagination, but it didn't really work as a whole.