Bad Things: A Novel [Hardcover]

Michael Marshall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

Three years ago a young boy died in tragic and mysterious circumstances, collapsing inexplicably right in front of his horrified parents. Since then, the family has fallen apart, and the boy’s father has gone off the rails. Then, one day, he recieves a very spooky email: ‘I know what happened to your child…’ Does the author really possess such vital information, or is it all just a cruel hoax? There’s only one way for the bereaved father to find out. But while the email-writer my well have the knowledge she claims, her motives for getting involved are far darker and more complicated than they at first appear…

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the start of this unsettling novel of supernatural suspense from bestseller Marshall (The Intruders), four-year-old Scott Henderson dies from no apparent cause after falling into a lake in Black Ridge, Wash. The boy's devastated parents, John and Carol, divorce, and both leave the area. Three years later, John is lured back to Black Ridge by a chilling message from a woman who says she knows what killed his son—a siren call that John can't ignore. John's return is a trigger for other ominous events that will lead him to relive Scott's death and confront the dissolution of his former life. The small town's surface normality contrasts nicely with the unnerving behavior of some residents and even inanimate objects (e.g., cars that suddenly won't start). While much of what's going on doesn't make a lot of sense, this spooky tale shows Marshall (who writes horror and SF as Michael Marshall Smith) has a knack not only for the frisson of dread but also the telling psychological insight. (May)
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Review

“Michael Marshall is the new Stephen King, to the nth degree. He successfully complements Carol O’Connell’s tormented characters for roller-coaster-like psychological twists and thrills....BAD THINGS deserves six stars.” (www.BookReporter.com on BAD THINGS )

“taut action and appealing characters” (San Francisco Chronicle )

“Marshall builds up suspense slowly . . . Black Ridge – like the Maine towns populated by Stephen King’s characters – is not a place you want to visit.” (Booklist on BAD THINGS )

“Fast-moving, sinister and highly accomplished…This is ferocious story-telling of the highest order, with corkscrew twists and turns that make it deliciously scary as the secrets unfold.” (Daily Mail (London) on BAD THINGS )

“A genuinely scary thriller with satisfyingly malevolent villains.” (The Sun Herald (Sydney) on BAD THINGS )

“This is a psychological thriller guaranteed to keep you up at nights.” (Arcadian Lifestyle )

“This spooky tale shows Marshall...has a knack not only for the frisson of dread but also the telling psychological insight.” (Publishers Weekly on BAD THINGS )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (May 5, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006143440X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061434402
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,182,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, May 12, 2009

By 

barry (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Bad Things: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Michael Marshall can write - that's for sure - but he uses so many different styles in this novel that it becomes a difficult read. The premise is very promising and the aurthor does the rare thing of grabbing the reader from page one. The intro is mezmerizing. It continues on strong as characters are established years later and we see how they are dealing with the tragedy that intoduced the book. I was on the edge of my seat for the first 50 or so pages and was prepared for an exciting, suspenseful spooky read.

Sadly, after the first 50 pages the book went all over ther place. It went from character to character, was told from different perspectives and it was often hard to even know who you were reading about. The plot that had such a solid beginning also went a little haywire. The story starts with a family and the mysterious death of the son. As the novel plods along it looses track. Different plot lines are meshed together and plausibility is somewhat lost as the story becomes hard to follow.

The book is one you will want to finish for through all this it is apparent that the writer is talented and the reader will want to see where he is leading things. I skimmed through some of this book as I pushed to make it to the end. I just feel a big let down for so much could have been done with this plot. The author is talented but this is not one of his best. Suspenseful at times it just doesn't really work.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done, May 12, 2009

By 

Diane Davis White "Historical and Contemporar... (North Central Plains) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bad Things: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Michael Marshall has created a formidable story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even the innocent rustling of leaves makes your scalp crawl. I cannot read this book at night when I'm alone--it's just too creepy. But creepy in an excellent way.

When two people have died mysteriously -- a little boy and a sixtyish man--no one seems concerned about investigating. But three years after his son dies, John Henderson is drawn back to that horrible place and back into the nightmare. Will the woman who says she "knows what happened to his child" be able to lead him to the truth? Or will she, too, die before the that truth is exposed?

Something wicked lurks in North West Washington State. This book is a must read for those who like their thrillers with a touch of ghoul.

Definitely recommended read.

Diane Davis White
Author, Moon of the Falling Leaves

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, but didn't live up to high expectations, June 19, 2009

By 

Carol M (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bad Things: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I had high expectations for Bad Things. It sounded like it would be a fast-paced thriller novel and spooky natural story, presented in a character-driven work. It is all those things. But somehow the combination didn't gel the way I had hoped.

As a character-driven novel, Bad Things succeeds pretty well. I felt a real empathy for the main character, John Henderson, and his "retreat" into a solitary life after the death of his son. His actions throughout the story were very consistent with his personality - that of someone who was extremely confident and competent, and then had faced complete impotence in the protection of his own son. The cast of supplemental characters is rich. None of the individual characters is explored completely, but as a whole they are a varied and interesting group.

As a fast-paced thriller novel, Bad Things is okay. There are plots and subplots, twists and turns. There dangerous action sequences, and they are completely realistic and believable. The story arc and pacing feel right. But there's not enough action and suspense to really excel as a thriller.

I found the weakest aspect was the supernatural elements. The supernatural stuff is more hinted at, than clearly explained. I suppose that is intended to leave more to the reader's imagination, and to increase the sense of spookiness. But for me, I ended up thinking "Huh? What happened? I don't get it." more often than feeling that chill up my spine.

All in all, I did enjoy this book. But it won't be on my favorites list.