Rating: 
Summary: Tom Cruise will play the lead....
Review: I think this book was written in a weekend. I'm serious, it's that bad.It starts off just fine, with several seemingly disconnected and shocking events that you assume will be tied together later on. And they are, but when you finish the book, you'll still be scratching your head. The ending just doesn't make sense, neither do any of the character's motivations. The characters are hard enough to keep track of, because besides being stiff and pale representations of real people, they keep being referred to differently by the author. First he's talking in third person, then he's back to first person. It's disconcerting, hard to read, and I can't believe that this book was published without being hacked into a million pieces by an editor. Or perhaps it was. Like another reviewer here, I finished the book, but wish I hadn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Talented, confused
Review: I wanted very much to believe the Stephen King blurb on the front cover, and for the first 100 pages or so I found _The Straw Men_ to live up to its billing. Initially I found it stylish, smart and creepy-- exactly the feeling you want to have from this sort of read. Unfortunately, Marshall wasn't able to tie it all together at the end in a way that's at all satsisfying (at least not satisfying for me). In order to get the explanation he needs to end the book it felt as though he really had to torture the plot. I got confused initially, and finally ended up annoyed. Enough promise to read more by the same author, but this book isn't all that it could have been.
Rating: 
Summary: Fiercely compelling and wonderfully written
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Hills, Curiosity, and the Captivity They Reveal
Review: In a fast-food restaurant in the midst of Nowhere, USA, things seem gripped with the normality of people burrowing into their daily grinds. Some are locals and others tourists, some reserved and some rather talkative, but all have one thing in common. They, by some misfortune birthed by Nokkon Wod, are at the wrong place at the wrong time. Two gunmen enter, spraying the place with weapon fire, killing more than sixty percent of the people inside and nobody is the wiser as to why. Outside of a bookstore where a teenage girl is supposed to be meeting a friend, she runs into a stranger that she's never met with one thing in common with her; a love for England. Despite being 14 and knowing better, she converses for a few moments and then, in a burst of events that go from somewhat frightening to downright tragic, disappears in almost plain sight. Credit goes to a serial killer, The Upright Man, for yet another horrific deed. A man who has just seen his parents killed in a car wreck and is buried in a cemetery of internal grief goes to their home to mourn. While there, he finds a book with a note stuck in it that states, in his father's handwriting, "We're not Dead." In many ways these events seem to all be disconnected from the other but, as our main characters soon find out, they all link to people that simply call themselves The Straw Men. Much to Michael Marshall's credit, he knows how to detail characters and the world around them with illustrate terminology that is, in a word, refreshing. His use of descriptiveness is so vivid and crisp that it painted everything transpiring with such clarity, keeping pace with the tones of both events happening and the madness floating through many of the character's minds. At first the book seemed to have more than one storyline running through it that made it seem a little confusing, with the tale of Ward (who lovingly found the hidden note) trying to find out what has happened to his parents and two individuals - an ex-cop and an agent - trying to apprehend The Upright Man. Sometimes this seemed a bit claustrophobic and threw the pace off a bit, pushing you from the subjects you've just delved deeply into and switching gears to another focal point. It all starts to make sense after a time, though, and the connectiveness drawing the two seemingly unrelated events together is interesting to watch develop. Added to this is the fact that The Straw Men and The Upright Man were well written and a bit on the depraved side of the spectrum, always throwing problems into the fray and making the read an entertaining one to work through. For an author's first work, I'd have to call this a masterful one and worthy of recommendation to anyone interested in the exploration of the depraved side of life. It does have a few scene in it that might be a tad on the graphic side, but these are few and placed well, and some of the ideology presented might find some viewers offended by such notions. Still, in the world of serial killers and mass murders, I suppose this reaction would be the one that is being tried for and grasped onto well. It works as a chase, throwing characters a little cat-and-mouse in the toyland of sensation, and comes highly recommended for those who want something dark to coat their mental corridors with.
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Summary: THIS CAN'T BE THE GUY WHO WROTE "ONE OF US!"
Review: In reading a review of "The Straw Men," I found out that Michael Marshall has also written under the name of Michael Marshall Smith, and "One of Us" was his. Wow...has he EVER come far!
"The Straw Men" is one of those books you can't put down. Marshall creates a web of mystery and terror that has long been missing from recent thrillers. His mastery of the English language is awesome, and his use of both the first person and third person works beautifully, and he is to be commended for pulling it off so well.
The heroes are all well-written and not without their flaws. Wade, Bobby, John and Nina are all flesh and blood humans, with dark secrets, hurts, and fears. The villains, of which there are many, are surprising and unrelentlessly wicked.
The book has a lot of stuff going on, and if there is a tendency to get a little confused, it merely adds to the emotional impact of the book.
The plight of fourteen year old Sarah Becker is well-developed and one can't help but empathize with this poor girl in her terrible situation. Although there are obvious hints to the true identity of the main villain, The Upright Man, his identity still comes as quite a shock, and the "resolution" of the novel is frightening in its implications. I sincerely hope Mr. Marshall plans on a sequel...this is great stuff.
HIGHLY AND UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED.
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR!
Rating: 
Summary: Rambling, confusing and tedious.
Review: It could have been an interesting read, a gripping story and even a terrific movie script. But Micheal Marshalls writing leaves quite a bit to be desired. If you are used to reading "fast reads" and Stephen King, so be it, you'll probably like this kind of tripe. But even Stephen keeps his political commentary to a minimum and stays on track. If Mr. Marshall would have kept the narration in the first person - or just stuck with one POV throughout - I'd have really liked this book much better He switches tacts at least 4 times, and that really starts to make things confusing. As well, there are too many "quick fixes" to his plot line which make the seemingly two seperate story lines come together rather conveniantly. The completely unnatural dialog is laughable in places, nearly sounding like a bad Japanese re-write for American cinema. Examples: "That's the web for you, a deaf and dumb oracle with amnesia" "I feel negative, good thing I've got a happy android for company. But if you use that voice again and I'm going to knife you" "I think now would be a good time to blow Dodge" and on and on. He tries hard to save the book with gratuitous violence which seems to serve no purpose other than make an OK story seem bigger than life and also tends to ramble on (through the character's voices, of course) about humanity, the human condition, America, society, et al. It just gets old and also gets in the way of the story. The epilogue is just about the worst part, a 5-page rambling that could have easily been boiled down to 2. A good book for the 20-something crowd, but seasoned readers will find too many similarities to X-files and other TV-genre pulp. Is Mr. Marshall aiming at Hollywood? Perhaps, but in the end, (and unlike many other reviewers here) I found this not to be a page-turner, but a slow read that I slogged through just to say I finished it. Guess I'm just that kind of guy, I want my money's worth. As I turned the last page I felt pretty ripped off, however.
Rating:
Summary: Keep Up the Humour Michael Marshall
Review: It is rare that you find a passage in any book depicting a funeral service and burial that causes one to howl with laughter. However, Michael Marshall pulled this feat off so smoothly with a sprinkling of cynical and hilarious lines that reflected the thoughts of surviving Ward Hopkins as he endured the service. I was reduced to the state of being in stitches during the death of one of the major character's parents. Of all things! Yet I felt not a twinge of shame.
Pretty masterful stuff and an indication that Michael Marshall has not completed his journey of seeking his rightful place in literary best-sellership. However, he has far to go. The Straw Men was definitely a good read but it was marred hopelessly by overstated righteous indignation on the parts of the good guys. Sadly, the Straw Men finally dies on its own sword -- the author's excessive proselytizing about the decayed state of today's world. Snore!
Rating:
Summary: Just didn't have what it takes
Review: It took me a while to get into this book, maybe 80 pages or so. The story picked up and held my attention and then bam!....it switches off to something or someone else before I even knew what hit me. There really are some excellent sections of this book but they just didn't last long enough, bringing great disappointment. This book won't get recommended to my large group of reading friends.
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping and scary!
Review: It's not often these days that a book can genuinely frighten a voracious and jaded reader like yours truly, but this book gave me the heebie-jeebies. There may not be anything revolutionary in the central conceits of this novel, but the execution is sterling. The characters feel real and the dialogue is never forced or trite. The real accomplishment however, is the mounting dread which builds regarding who and what "The Straw Men" really are or might be. There is a scene set in the house of the main protagonist's dead parents in which an old video tape is viewed and the internet history of a home computer is investigated with unsettling results. Nary a drop of blood is spilled nor a smidgen of gore spattered, but...Yikes!! A darn good read.
Rating:
Summary: Not the author's first novel!
Review: 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.
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