Straw Men

Ward Hopkins returns home to Dyserburg, Montana only to step into what seems like an episode of the Twilight Zone when he finds a book taped to the underside of a recliner. Contained inside the book is a note that states his parents aren't dead. Tearing the house apart, he stumbles upon a video showing his parents and two twins, one who they leave behind in a crowded area. Unable to believe his parents are capable of such an act, he along with his CIA friend Bobby discovers that there is no record of Ward's birth.While Bobby and Ward seek the truth, a teenage girl is kidnapped in Santa Monica with the FBI believing they are once again dealing with the Upright Man serial killer. Former cop John Zandt and his friend FBI agent Nina look to find Sarah before she is killed like the three others before her. John and Nina cross paths with Bobby and Ward. They begin working together making the necessary connections to find the Upright Man and his supporters the Straw Men.Eerie, gothic like suspense that has more realistic twists and turns than the world's most serpentine roller-coaster, THE STRAW MEN never slows the ride until even Yogi would agree it's over. From the very beginning readers connect with a befuddled Ward at a very fundamental level. Fans root for him and his cohorts to succeed in their interconnected missions that seem so hopeless. Michael Marshall's debut novel is a very special reading experience for crime thriller fans.Harriet Klausner

The most important clue from this fabulous piece of suspense was right in front of me, and I never saw it 'til I put the book down after staying up way too late to finish it.When Teresa Harnett was savagely attacked eight years ago, one of the casualties was her memory. Painstakingly reconstructing it over the following years with the help of her husband, it all starts to come unraveled when the man convicted of that assault, DellaVecchio, is released pending a hearing based on new DNA evidence. The man's voice she hears is no longer the same as the voice whispered in her ear the night of the attack. So she approaches Jim Christensen, a psychologist who testified as an expert on memory at the original trial - and the same man who was now living with the attorney in charge of the defense for DellaVecchio.Tensions mount as the three weeks before the hearing tick off. Clues are revealed through counseling sessions, reviews of testimony, questioning of key characters, and even present-day events. When I thought it was all figured out, there were still a few niggling details that didn't quite fit, and the attacker almost gets away with it... again.Marty Smith pulls us along with the investigation, sometimes piecing together the puzzle only moments before the characters. The stunning climactic scenes left me turning pages faster than I could read them, only to have me turn them back to savor the mounting anticipation. A dazzling good read.

The "Memory Series" by Martin Smith just gets better and better. STRAW MEN is the third in the line, and it sucks you in and absorbs you until the last page. At the core of the story is the issue of how reliable are our memories. Could the victim of an attack who suffered amnesia be fed lies so that the "memories" she regains are anything but the truth? A chilling tale that mystery and suspense fans won't want to miss.

Martin Smith's 'Memory Series' continues...and his novels just seem to get better with every new title. Great suspense, several memorable red-herrings--but, mostly, his characters seem much more three-dimensional than most thriller types these days. A great read--with much to ponder after you put down the book.

Eight years ago, an assailant attacked Teresa Harnett in her kitchen. The culprit smashed her head with a bottle, rammed her head on the floor several times, raped her, and left a calling card of a broken bottle end inside her vagina. The vicious individual left Teresa for dead, but she was rushed to the hospital and with the help of her loving and caring spouse physically recovers.However, Teresa's nightmare begins anew because the defense lawyer Brenna Kennedy demands a new trail for her convicted client Carmen DellaVechhio. DNA evidence destroys much of the proof the DA used the first time around. The presiding judge releases the incarcerated individual pending final dismissal of all charges. Teresa begins to wonder if she helped place the wrong person behind bars. Neither Brenna nor Teresa realizes what heartache and murders await them as this case moves into the final stages.Martin J. Smith is one the most under-appreciated thriller writers on the market today. He consistently provides chillers that deserve a vast audience. His latest winner, STRAW MEN, is loaded with surprises and revelations mostly frightening because they feel real yet are unexpected. Characters from other books by Mr. Smith have evolved as if they share real time with the reader, which adds to the feel of chilling reality. This novel is a thumbs-up legal thriller.Harriet Klausner