The Intruders
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Review
Praise for Michael Marshall:
'A definite page-turner – and a terrifying discourse on the nature of human evil and the darkness among us…this is as fierce as crime writing can get.' Guardian
‘The taut pace, crisp style and ever-present sense of menace are those of a top-drawer thriller.’ Telegraph
‘Marshall is a cracker at writing tense, rich scenes.’ Observer
‘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
Review
Praise for Michael Marshall: 'A definite page-turner -- and a terrifying discourse on the nature of human evil and the darkness among us!this is as fierce as crime writing can get.' Guardian 'The taut pace, crisp style and ever-present sense of menace are those of a top-drawer thriller.' Telegraph 'Marshall is a cracker at writing tense, rich scenes.' Observer '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 Praise for Michael Marshall: 'A definite page-turner -- and a terrifying discourse on the nature of human evil and the darkness among us!this is as fierce as crime writing can get.' Guardian 'The taut pace, crisp style and ever-present sense of menace are those of a top-drawer thriller.' Telegraph 'Marshall is a cracker at writing tense, rich scenes.' Observer '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
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I really wanted to love "The Intruders", as I'm a massive fan of Michael Marshall Smith, and had heard that this was somewhat of a return to his horror/sci-fi roots that drew me to his writing many years ago.
However, I can't help feeling a little cheated. Yes, the book has a great premise, the twists are there, the familiar first person narration and the endless teasing of the reader with all kinds of unanswered questions...but ultimately none of the good stuff kicks in until nearly 300 pages into the 400 page hardback - and it's a long, hard slog getting there.
"The Intruders" gives the impression that it was a short story or novella the publishers demanded be padded out to full novel size. It often feels like Marshall is just phoning it in, with many of the peripheral characters' voices blurring into one, as sketchy character archetypes come and go almost at random. The protagonist, who is frustratingly "irresolute" (an overused word in the book - a Freudian slip perhaps?) for much of the narrative, never attains the depth of Ward of "The Straw Men" trilogy, for example, or engages the reader like Stark in "Only Forward". Marshall teases the reader for so many chapters, dripfeeding information slower than Chinese water torture, that I eventually stopped caring what the big reveal might be. It was reasonably clear for a long time before my suspicions were confirmed. No great shocks like in "Hell Hath Enlarged Herself", no heart-breaking insights of "Always".
Had this been a short story in a collection, or a significantly shorter novella, things would have been very different.
This book won't turn me off Michael Marshall as a writer, but it has made me anticipate forthcoming works with some trepidation. Let's hope this is just a blip on the radar and not the shape of things to come.
However, I can't help feeling a little cheated. Yes, the book has a great premise, the twists are there, the familiar first person narration and the endless teasing of the reader with all kinds of unanswered questions...but ultimately none of the good stuff kicks in until nearly 300 pages into the 400 page hardback - and it's a long, hard slog getting there.
"The Intruders" gives the impression that it was a short story or novella the publishers demanded be padded out to full novel size. It often feels like Marshall is just phoning it in, with many of the peripheral characters' voices blurring into one, as sketchy character archetypes come and go almost at random. The protagonist, who is frustratingly "irresolute" (an overused word in the book - a Freudian slip perhaps?) for much of the narrative, never attains the depth of Ward of "The Straw Men" trilogy, for example, or engages the reader like Stark in "Only Forward". Marshall teases the reader for so many chapters, dripfeeding information slower than Chinese water torture, that I eventually stopped caring what the big reveal might be. It was reasonably clear for a long time before my suspicions were confirmed. No great shocks like in "Hell Hath Enlarged Herself", no heart-breaking insights of "Always".
Had this been a short story in a collection, or a significantly shorter novella, things would have been very different.
This book won't turn me off Michael Marshall as a writer, but it has made me anticipate forthcoming works with some trepidation. Let's hope this is just a blip on the radar and not the shape of things to come.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is not your average crime/thriller read in so many ways. It is a gritty and well paced book, with so many threads, weaving into a complicated tapestry, culminating in a common conclusion. It takes immeasurable talent to be able to write like this.
Our lead character, Jack Whalen finds his simple life shattered by the disappearance of his wife, which brings to light a number of anomalies, he gets drawn deeper and deeper into an elaborate world where nothing and no one is who they seem. You really do feel the poor man is the unluckiest guy in the world by the end of it.
I have read everything from Michael Marshall including those books written under Michael Marshall Smith, and was expecting a conclusion from a great imagination. I don't think we'll ever get a run of the mill crime stories with guns and knives without these twists from Marshall, which are enthralling.
The Straw Men books are excellent, and I don't feel this was the same standard-although I loved it. I only wish he'd write quicker, as I've waited so long for this, but I don't want to compromise on quality.
Our lead character, Jack Whalen finds his simple life shattered by the disappearance of his wife, which brings to light a number of anomalies, he gets drawn deeper and deeper into an elaborate world where nothing and no one is who they seem. You really do feel the poor man is the unluckiest guy in the world by the end of it.
I have read everything from Michael Marshall including those books written under Michael Marshall Smith, and was expecting a conclusion from a great imagination. I don't think we'll ever get a run of the mill crime stories with guns and knives without these twists from Marshall, which are enthralling.
The Straw Men books are excellent, and I don't feel this was the same standard-although I loved it. I only wish he'd write quicker, as I've waited so long for this, but I don't want to compromise on quality.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I find the fact that the Intruders is being marketed as a thriller is a little bit of a cheat. The book certainly is a thriller, and a damned good one, written in a style familiar to connosieurs of the genre and those who read Marshall's Straw Men trilogy. However, there is a quirk to the plot that takes over the book as it heads to its conclusion that suggests there is something more to the tale. And this something more steers us deeply into X-Files territory and the place Marshall used to be when he was writing Only Forward, Spares and One of Us.
This isn't a bad thing at all. I've been looking forward to Marshall returning to his sci-fi horror thriller roots for a while and I think this book delivers on its promise, it's taut, tough and intriguing and written in an eminently readable style in a world weary first person and glib third person narratives. I'd say it's the best thing he's written since the original Straw Men novel (I have to say that I felt that that trilogy seemed an unecessary extension of the plotline with the second novel - ironically, another story which tiptoes into science fantasy horror - entirely superfluous). And given that he is in my top five authors, that's no small thing.
However, if you want an entirely plausible thriller I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book. Yes, an alternate explanation is offered for the more outre elements in the plot, and it may well turn out that if there is a sequel (which I kind of hope there isn't) this will be investigated more deeply, but it doesn't seem to be lent the same level of credence as the more fantastic interpretation.
But that's just a caveat emptor. If you are a fan of Marshall's earlier work and you don't mind suspending your disbelief a little, you're in for one hell of a treat.
This isn't a bad thing at all. I've been looking forward to Marshall returning to his sci-fi horror thriller roots for a while and I think this book delivers on its promise, it's taut, tough and intriguing and written in an eminently readable style in a world weary first person and glib third person narratives. I'd say it's the best thing he's written since the original Straw Men novel (I have to say that I felt that that trilogy seemed an unecessary extension of the plotline with the second novel - ironically, another story which tiptoes into science fantasy horror - entirely superfluous). And given that he is in my top five authors, that's no small thing.
However, if you want an entirely plausible thriller I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book. Yes, an alternate explanation is offered for the more outre elements in the plot, and it may well turn out that if there is a sequel (which I kind of hope there isn't) this will be investigated more deeply, but it doesn't seem to be lent the same level of credence as the more fantastic interpretation.
But that's just a caveat emptor. If you are a fan of Marshall's earlier work and you don't mind suspending your disbelief a little, you're in for one hell of a treat.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Really struggled with it
Jack Whalen is an ex LAPD cop, getting on with life in his own way, until his wife goes missing and everything turns upside down. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Lainy
Mr Marshall has lost the plot - literally
I have an issue with Michael Marshall, it's becoming harder to tell his books apart because they're all becoming much the same. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Faydra
Absolute Gash
'AS FIERCE AS THRILLER WRITING CAN GET' (GUARDIAN)
So said the front of my copy. If this is as fierce as thriller writing gets, then I weep for the future of the genre,... Read more
So said the front of my copy. If this is as fierce as thriller writing gets, then I weep for the future of the genre,... Read more
Published 12 months ago by THE Music Enthusiast
dissapointing
Couldn't believe i was reading a book by the same author who wrote Only Forward. The Intruders commits the worst book crime, in that it takes an age getting to the big reveal and... Read more
Published 12 months ago by GeneralCromwell
Fast paced thriller with supernatural elements
There is a lot to like in this book. He has a great writing style and as always in his work there is a very intriguing premise that really compels you to keep reading. Read more
Published 16 months ago by The Emperor
What a storyteller!
Yet another great read from Michael Marshall. This man certainly knows how to tell a good story - it has all the elements required for a truly unputdownable novel: great... Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2009 by I. Willis
Dreadful
What the heck is going on with Michael Marshall? I took this one away with me to Greece on holiday and the only reason I managed to finish it was because I had nothing else to... Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2008 by Warren Bowman
We want the Smith Back
I've got to say I was hugely disappointed with this. I think the books he wrote as Michael Marshall Smith are all fantastic, and I also enjoyed the Straw Men series (by now... Read more
Published on 17 Aug 2008 by Charlie_Crocker
Compelling
Another slightly offbeat but extremely compelling thriller from MM Smith - excellent characters who you really believe in and a well developed plot. Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2008 by Mr. B. G. Cops
what a let down.
After reading straw men, which by the way I thought was a great, great read, this was like walking under water. Read more
Published on 22 Jun 2008 by Sally Jane Cronin
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