A-Z Challenge Review: Gregori's Ghost by Sarah Black

Why I bought the book: I didn't! It was free at ARe. I've liked some of Sarah Black's other stories so I thought I'd pick this one up too since it didn't cost me anything :).

Plot: Steven is a neurologist who lives a cushy life. When his Grandfather, Charlie, passes away from cancer, Steven is left with an antique camera which belonged to an old friend of Charlie from the Second World War, Gregori. Steven looks into the lens of the camera and somehow manages to be able to see all that Gregori could see, particularly of a massacre that took place involving the Russian army against Polish civilians. This then releases the ghost of Gregori and he begins to interact with Steven. Meanwhile, Steven also contacts Gregori's grandson, Alexi, who works for an underground newspaper in the Ukraine. The discovery of a Gregori's photographs sparks off a period of danger for Alexi. Fearing for Alexi's life, Steven travels to the Ukraine to help him, and also to put Gregori's ghost to rest once and for all.

Characters: Let's face it, Steven is a bit of a arse at the beginning of the story. He's one of these scientific guys who has no people skills whatsoever and as a result is generally disliked by all. His abrasive nature was off-putting at first, but I slowly gained more sympathy for him as the story progressed. This is partly because of the analytical (and therefore slightly comical) way that the tries to explain away the fact that a ghost can speak to him and even touch him through a kind of 'mind meld'. It's also because Steven has a sort of breakdown after the death of his Grandfather where he shuts himself off from the outside world. It's subtly done over a period of time but there was a sudden realisation that the appearance of the ghost and all that entails was affecting Steven more than just grief over his Charlie's death. It takes Alexi, and his equally abrasive nature and sharp mind, to pull Steven out of the funk he gets into. It was more difficult to get a handle on Alexi for a few reasons. Firstly because he is so different to Steven, and that we see him only through Steven narrative, that Steven is quite dismissive of him at first. Steven's lack of people skills often meant that they traded insults rather than useful information that would give us an insight into Alexi's character. The fact that Alexi is so far removed from Steven and that they only converse by email was another reason why it's difficult to get to know him. When the action move to the Ukraine, then things got much better as we get to see Alexi's actions and the way he deals with some of the tough realities of his life. By the end of the book I was happy for both men, and felt that despite their similar temperaments, they would work well as a couple, even if it was doomed to be a temperamental, fiery relationship!

Overall: One highlight for me was the Ukrainian setting, and some of the political ideas and dangers of living within the Soviet Bloc. I have to admit, I know next to nothing about that country and found the descriptions of the city of Kiev and the difficulties both Steven and Alexi face evocative and exciting. Those who bemoan the lack of interesting settings will like this book. I'm not usually a huge fan of ghost stories and some of the scenes between Gregori and Steven made me a little uncomfortable. However, once the emphasis shifts onto Alexi and Steven, then I felt much happier and was pleased by the way the ghost aspect was dealt with. This is certainly one of the most unusual stories I've read for a while, it kept my interest throughout its pages and I learned a lot about the Ukraine, especially some of the horrible historical details that Steven uncovers. A small warning in that there are a few niggly typos in the book, but as this isn't professionally edited, I forgave that. I'm giving it a grade of 'Very Good' and I urge those of you who are looking for a character based story with a good mix of action and romance to read Gregori's Ghost. After all, it's free, so what's stopping you?

Get this book HERE.