Straw Men [Paperback]

Michael Marshall (Author)

Book Description

Series: Straw Men | Publication Date: July 30, 2002

The first in an explosive trilogy of thrillers from Michael Marshall. This book takes the serial-killer book ands adds a chilling new dimension, combining pace, narrative and a genuinely disturbing conspiracy story. The Straw Men. They kill people. Any people. Sarah Becker is the fifth girl to be abducted by this maniac. Judging from the state of the bodies that have been found, her long hair will be hacked off and she will be tortured. She has about a week to live. Former LA homicide detective John Zandt has an inside track on the perpetrator - his own daughter was a victim two years ago. But the key to Sarah's whereabouts lies with Ward Hopkins, a man with a past so secret not even he knows about it. His parents have just died in a car accident, but they leave Ward an enigmatic message that leads him to question everything he once believed to be true.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Marshall's debut thriller, which is essentially two seemingly independent stories that meet in the middle, takes its time hooking readers. But once the complex and disparate plot lines meld, this expansive work demands the readers attention. In Dyersburg, Mont., narrator Ward Hopkins, attempting to make sense of the accident that killed his parents, discovers a note and videotape that lead him to believe their lives (and deaths) were not as they appeared. Meanwhile, the abduction of 14-year-old Sarah Becker renews the search for a serial killer who scalps his victims, embroiders their names into sweaters using their hair and then delivers the clothing to the victims parents. As Ward and his CIA buddy slowly unravel the mystery surrounding Wards parents, FBI agent Nina Baynam and former LAPD homicide detective John Zandt search for the elusive killer. Their paths cross when a series of connections is made between the victims and a bizarre cult known as The Straw Men. Marshall's book is filled with pages of uninterrupted description, which, while compelling, doesn't make for fast reading. But, to borrow a cliche, the devil is in the details. Thats certainly the case with this novel, whose graphic scenes of child abuse and dismemberment depict humankind at its most evil.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Humour, a cracking pace and fluid prose! Sizzling! Michael Marshall has a Crichton--like knack of attracting film studios The Times 'Humour, a cracking pace and fluid prose! Sizzling!Michael Marshall has a Crichton-like knack of attracting film studios' The Times --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Jove; 1ST edition (July 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0515134279
• ISBN-13: 978-0515134278
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #403,833 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fiercely compelling and wonderfully written, January 21, 2003

By 

z "zeejay67" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straw Men (Paperback)

I've absolutely devoured every one of Michael Marshall Smith's books (that's the name under which his past works were written, in case you'd like to find more of his work.) Another book released earlier in the year by a different writer named Martin Smith called The Straw Men likely precipitated the change of pen name, although why the publisher calls this "his debut novel" is puzzling. His books are bestsellers in the UK.

As someone said earlier, Mr. Marshall (or Smith) really knows how to "turn a word." As wonderfully dark and fast-paced as this book is, I, too, kept finding myself re-reading certain paragraphs here and there, just because the author has an incredible gift of being able to sprinkle profound insights amidst a breakneck plot and non-stop progression of the story. His literary prowess never gets in the way of the story.

For horror buffs, this is a completely fresh, wonderful read, and it's indeed a shame that the author has not gained the stellar notoriety he so rightly deserves. (Although two of his prior works have been secured for VERY large sums from movie studios, including Spielberg's Dreamworks, who paid a whopping seven-figure sum for the rights to Spares.)

To the story: The book centers around two different protagonists, each tracking down what appears to be a serial killer, but in the end, turns out to be much, much more. The main, first-person protagonist attempts to unravel and come to grips with a very intriguing set of clues that shed light on an extremely bizarre past that he'd never imagined. At the same time, a pair of detectives are drawn into a similarly bizarre serial killer case that turns out to be much bigger than what appears on the surface, and as we come to learn, anything the world has ever seen. As more is learned and the story progresses, the two sets of protagonists find themselves on the same case, with a satisfying conclusion that still begs a sequel. Not to be trite, but this truly is one of those rare page-turners that melts the hours away as you read it.

One thing that I really like about Marshall's (Smith's) books is that unlike many horror stories or thrillers, his lead characters are strong and intelligent - not the typical meek, everyday Joes who end up embroiled in some kind of dark situation, as many horror novels tend to be. His characters drive the story, and are not "passive" about it in the least. I just like that. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a must-buy, and all of Smith's past works as well (which venture more into the "light Sci-Fi/horror" realm.)

One side note: Smith is British, and if you go the amazon.co.uk site, you can find a collection of short stories published in a book called "What You Make It" by him that's not available in the states, which is also a wonderful read, and well worth the airmail surcharges to import. If you enjoy Smith's work, don't miss it.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not the author's first novel!, August 9, 2002

By 

"nwc18" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straw Men (Paperback)

Jove's packaging of this book is a little puzzling, seeing as this author has three other novels and a short story collection to his credit, albeit under a (very slightly) different name: Michael Marshall Smith. Check the copyright page, since the novel is copyrighted under his full name; or check the author's website (the full name, plus a .com... since Amazon doesn't allow URLs). I can understand their desire to not have the novel confused with another _The Straw Men_ released just last year by another Smith, but aside from the "debut novel" statement being a lie, it deprives many readers of the chance to check out his old work, and it means that many old fans won't know a new book has come out.

Okay, enough of that...

This novel starts a bit slowly, setting the scene and scenario, developing characters, and slowly working towards the revelations that kick the plot into motion. Like another reviewer stated, the less said about the details the better, but suffice to say, once things start to move you won't be able to put this book down.

Also, it is a very well writen novel, and there is a fair bit of social commentary there if you want to look for it. However, this book can be just as enjoyable as a page-turner, if that's what you are looking for. But be warned, it is a very, very bloody book. There is a good deal of violence, especially towards the end, and there are some graphic scenes involving children (though not of a sexual nature).

As it stands now, this is my favourite new novel of 2002, and I only hope that Michael Marshall (Smith) won't take as long to finish his next novel as he did to finish this.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars We rise, August 17, 2005

By 

Mercurious (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straw Men (Paperback)

A nice surprise amongst a bunch of books I purchased at a sale recently. I was into it from the beginning, the style of writing and humour made it very comfortable to read. It's always a pleasure to find an author at random who can deliver the goods.

Without going on about the well-told story, my only complaint is the far-reaching abilities that ex-cops and their FBI friends seem to have here in the supposedly real world. It reminded my of `Trace', the last Kay Scarpetta novel I read, where a quick phone call or access to a computer provided too many answers, too easily.

I enjoyed the story, and look forward to reading the remaining books.