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Blood of Angels [Hardcover]

Michael Marshall
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

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Book Description

23 May 2005

Tense and suspense-filled thriller from the author of THE STRAW MEN and THE LONELY DEAD.

Ward Hopkins' past come backs to haunt him with a vengeance when an ex-CIA colleague tracks him down, desperate for help in solving a bizarre series of events.

Meanwhile Ward's brother, the serial killer known as the Upright Man, has escaped from prison – where he was awaiting trial for murders beyond number. And Hopkins' erstwhile ally, former homicide cop John Zandt, is still on the trail of the organization which killed his daughter and Ward's parents. The further John investigates, the more extraordinary the secrets he uncovers.

The shadows are gathering, and across America sinister forces are stirring. Only Ward, John and FBI agent Nina Baynam stand against this tide, and against the Upright Man – who now has a grudge against just about everyone in the world. It's only a question of where the next killings will start … and whether they will ever stop.


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Product details

  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: HarperCollins; hardcover edition (23 May 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0007163967
  • ISBN-13: 978-0007163960
  • Product Dimensions: 16 x 24 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 738,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Review

‘Marshall is a cracker at writing tense, rich scenes’ Observer

‘The writing is assured and the plot carefully calibrated’ Guardian

‘Just when you think there’s nothing new under the sun in the world of the suspense novel, along comes one hell of a nasty spider called The Straw Men. It’s brilliantly written and scary as hell. Be the first on your block to stay up all night with this one; it’s a masterpiece, reminding us that even paranoids really do have enemies.’ STEPHEN KING

'A staggering, suspenseful journey through the darkness of American crime … succeeds in revitalising the serial killer novel with assured gusto… A new beginning for a major British writer, whose crime debut instantly moves him into the Thomas Harris division' Guardian

‘Brilliantly plotted, stunningly written … I read this in one go … if this isn't a hit, I am a monkey's uncle. And I don't think I am’. Independent on Sunday

Book Description

There’s a killer in all of us


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Customer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad for a serial killer novel :-) 31 Mar 2006
Format:Paperback
Generally I give them I wide berth because they are usually derivative nonsense. However, there's enough conspiracy theory stuff in this and the earlier books to make them interesting and the serial killer is just part of the plot, not *the plot*. All three novels make heavy use of converging plotlines which may not be to all tastes, but I like them and these hang together quite nicely. The dialogue is sharp, and over the three books the characters are developed quite well. I didn't much like the pages of pontifcation the various main characters have on the meaning of life the universe and everything, but they're not too heavy and relatively short.

Personally, I think the criticism levelled by other reviewers is misguided. The characters and plot have been carefully developed and for me at least the various threads are sufficiently resolved even if they're not as tidy as some might like, and it's done without blocking off the possibility of more 'Straw Men' novels.

Don't read this book unless you've read the other two as there's a lot of backstory that will make this one a more enjoyable read, and although MM tries to fill in the essential details you're going to lose a lot if you start here.
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the old Michael Marshall 4 Jan 2006
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Previously, Michael Marshall was a sci-fi/horror writer, who has taken a brave step of switching genres with 'The Straw Men' Trilogy (of which Blood of Angels is the third) which is a straight out and out thriller.

Whilst Michael's writing is as good as ever, I can't help but feel that he struggled writing this third book; whilst the plot builds up nicely with interesting twists at the end of each chapter the ending simply falls flat and is horribly open-ended without providing much in the way of resolution. In my mind it's a 'answers provided in the next novel' type story and that's where the problem lies.

Writing as Michael Marshall Smith his stories (the fantastic Spares, the sublime One of Us and a brilliant short story collection) are wonderfully inventive and written with style and verve. With book three of The Straw Men Trilogy everything feels diluted and washed out, as though Michael wasn't sure what to do with it. The characters are nowhere near as strong as previous novels and have, in my mind, struggled to develop over the three books.

Despite that it is a good read, and as an English author I feel we should be supporting our guys.

Look forward to the next one, which I've heard will be a horror. Can't wait!

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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Back on form....... 11 July 2005
Format:Hardcover
As a previous reviewer commented "if only Michael Marshall could produce a book a month....". I couldn't articulate it any better myself!

This book is everything the Lonely Dead should have been. The multiple stories that ultimately collide are brilliantly written and keep the reader engaged throughout. The secret of this book's success is that you care about what is happening. Whilst I enjoyed the Lonely Dead, the second story within it did not captivate me, hence I lost interest and focused upon the main thread - that of the trio's search for The Upright Man. Blood of Angels makes you want the best for the newly-introduced characters - although you always have a feeling that they will ultimately end up victims within the tangled web that surround the society known as the Straw Men.

Perhaps this is the attraction of Marshall's books. He is not afraid to introduce you to a character, develop their personality, pshyche etc then kill them off. A criticism often levelled at other writers is their characters become stale, predicatable even. Marshall has yet to be accused of this.

My only criticism of the book is its reliance upon previous knowledge of the other two books - The Straw Men and The Lonely Dead. Whilst it is not a bad thing to have read them, not everyone purchases books in the order they were written.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had read 'The Straw Men' some time ago, eagerly followed by 'The Lonely Dead'- the two prequels to this story by the same author. As I waited for 'Blood of Angels' to arrive I eagerly dug out the prequels to re-read to get in the zone for the latest installment. Alas, I had leant Strawmen to a friend, who leant it to a friend, who leant it to a friend etc....yes, these books are that good, you will re-read them, and they will keep them! So hold on to them! Luckily I still had Lonely Dead to whet my appetite and refresh my memory to the murky underworld of the Strawmen.
Blood of Angels doesn't disapoint with Michael Marshall being consistent in writing style and tone familiar with the prequels. He has well structured plots and sub-plots developing at just the right pace, so that you find yourself hopelessly engrossed, relishing early nights in bed reading, ignoring the wife and chores whilst the dog suffers from lack of exercise.
There's no chance of me revealing the plot here, that would be sacrilege. Safe to say the series has been probably my favourite as a keen thriller fiction reader. I would recommend you start with 'The Straw Men', then 'The Lonely Dead', then followed by this book. If you don't want to fork out for three books without trusting they're going to be good, I would recommend reading 'The Intruders' by the same author. It's a complete book with no prequels or sequels, but will leave you wanting more nonetheless. Incredible.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Blood of Angels
5 star rating given as I thought it was a good audio book and enjoyed it very much, now looking out for more of MM's work.
Published 2 months ago by VICTOR
5.0 out of 5 stars New to this author.
Michael Marshall writes with such human observation, you are drawn into the story and he takes you on many unplanned asides which belong to each character. Read more
Published 6 months ago by N. Patterson
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Another excellent book in the Straw Men series. It does still leave a few questions unanswered but it is a very good read.
Published 7 months ago by brooklyn
3.0 out of 5 stars Blood of Angels
First, unless you've read the previous two books, don't start here. This is the one that wraps everything up, which is the single strongest reason for reading it; otherwise, it's... Read more
Published on 18 July 2010 by PJM
4.0 out of 5 stars The end of the straw men trilogy
First and foremost this is NOT a stand alone novel. It is the last in the Straw Men series and i strongly recommend to read it only if you have already read the first two. Read more
Published on 20 May 2010 by L. Bezzina
5.0 out of 5 stars The Straw Men Return for an 'Explosive' Finale - or is it???
This novel, the third in 'The Straw Men' trilogy, see's the pace pick back up after the incredibly suspenseful and action packed excitement of the eponymous title of the first... Read more
Published on 28 April 2010 by T. Wright
4.0 out of 5 stars Third Book in the Straw Men Series
Michael Marshall is a new author to me but apparently has been quite prolific in his writing of Sci-Fi books under the name of Michael Marshall Smith, which I assume is his real... Read more
Published on 27 April 2008 by J. Chippindale
3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed but there is a warning
I think I must start off by saying that this book is rather good, but I didn't realise when I bought it that it was the last in a trilogy, there were times that during this... Read more
Published on 21 Mar 2006 by gary
3.0 out of 5 stars The conspiracy grows
Having been gripped by the premise of The Straw Men, I have read both follow-ups with eagerness but trepidation, and rightly so. Read more
Published on 11 July 2005
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