The Intruders

I had read some MMS here and there; just not really getting into any particular piece, but this book had me spellbound! The author knows how to make the characters come alive--I felt like I was an active observer/participant so easily. This is slated as a 'crime novel' but it is so much more! Give Michael Marshall Smith, (sometimes without the Smith), a chance with this book--it is a guaranteed good read!

Jack Whalen, a retired L.A. cop now living in rural Washington state, whose background may be a little murky, is surprised by a visit from a high school semi-buddy who wants his help with a murdered family and a disappeared husband who may have been onto some highly secretive organization. Jack is reluctant to help until his own wife disappears while supposedly on a business trip to Seattle, and he learns that she may be involved with the same company the missing man was investigating/working with. When Jack's wife Amy reappears as if nothing is wrong but begins to act just a little bit "not Amy," he finds himself in an uneasy team with the old buddy, Fisher, trying to ferret out the truth behind a shadowy group whose members seem to be hiding some truly strange things. There is also a concurrent subplot, quite connected to the larger plot, involving a 9 year old girl who also goes missing but finds herself doing and thinking things far beyond her young capabilities, much to her confusion. The noir style of writing in Jack's portions of the narrative are wonderful and cleverly hard-boiled. Marshall throws in a bit of the supernatural and even SciFi, but the character of Jack and his determined progress keep this tale grounded firmly on the personal issues. I was afraid the book would veer into some "it's all aliens!" territory, but its focus stays earthbound, and the dramatic tensions build nicely to its climax, with a smooth denouement that makes sense.

This book far surpassed my expectations. It was intense and creepy. I really had no idea how the book would end, which kept me turning the pages to find out. I was hooked from the first chapter, and it was a wild ride until the end. Overall, The Intruders is an excellent book. It is well worth your time to read this one.

I first stumbled across Michael Marshall in one of those gift shops you find in bigger hotels. I wandered over to the paperback "section" --- it was a wall mounting, containing slots for nine titles --- and I noticed the name "Michael Marshall" on a copy of THE STRAW MEN. I went to grade school with a Michael Marshall, so I picked up the book to see if perhaps it was the same gentleman. They turned out to be different people altogether. But I was so intrigued by the premise of the novel that I bought it, read it and quickly sought out the remainder of the author's bibliography. THE INTRUDERS is Marshall's latest work, combining his trademark elements of unpredictability, craftsmanship and sterling characterization to provide an addicting, thrilling read that never disappoints. If you're paranoid at all, you're going to get your instincts jumpstarted within a few pages of reading THE INTRUDERS. The story deals primarily with Jack Whalen, a man who is unsettled by the feeling that his world is slowly, almost imperceptibly, changing. Whalen is an ex-LAPD patrolman who retired from the force, wrote a book of some nominal success and now lives with his wife Amy --- a successful marketing executive --- in a small rural community a few hours removed from Seattle. Their world seems to be financially and emotionally secure. But, as Marshall slowly reveals, there are tiny cracks around the foundation of the Whalen family --- not necessarily fissures or yawning chasms, but cracks nonetheless. When Amy turns up missing during what would otherwise be a routine business trip to Seattle, Jack immediately begins to investigate, only to discover that her disappearance is more a misunderstanding than anything else. That's not the end of it, however. Jack notices that his wife is doing little things --- acquiring new habits, listening to different music --- that she has never done before. Taken together, they portend the arrival of something far beyond anything that Jack can imagine. In the meantime, events occurring that appear far removed from Jack's world will jeopardize his very existence. A mysterious stranger breaks into a house, brutally murders a woman and her son, and sets the house on fire. A young girl, walking alone on a beach, is approached by a polite man and shortly thereafter leaves without explanation, even as her demeanor begins to change. And Amy? She just gets more and more bizarre. As you're reading, you will probably find yourself wondering just how Marshall is going to tie up such apparently disparate elements into a cohesive story, and to what ultimate end. What Marshall does, however, is not only create a chilling tale that will keep you awake at night, but he also provides a possible answer to a question that has puzzled individuals for hundreds of years: What, precisely, makes us what, and who, we are? Those familiar with Marshall's body of work wish that he would write more frequently. But when he publishes a novel of such quality

The wife and child of a prominent scientist are murdered, and the scientist disappears. A little girl in Oregon goes missing. Troubled ex-cop Jack Whalen is now a writer living a quiet life in a small town in Washington--until his wife goes on a business trip and vanishes. And that's just the beginning.... Here's a thriller that really thrills. What begins as a reasonably straightforward mystery involving a couple of murders and several missing people in the Pacific Northwest soon escalates into something dark and different and profoundly frightening. If you like your suspense novels to be offbeat and edgy, and you don't mind a few genuine shocks, THE INTRUDERS is the book for you. Highly recommended.