Rating: 
Summary: Nice cover; slow-moving, overly detailed story
Review: Like a few other people here, I bought this book for its cover -- not very smart, but I was curious. (Stephen King's blurb on the cover didn't make any impression on me -- I mean, come on, hasn't he blurbed even John Saul?) The book started out intriguingly but lost its way quickly amidst too much descriptive prose, making it a chore to finish reading it. While there were flashes of humor I liked, they just weren't enough to save the story. Not a keeper.
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Summary: WHY DID MICHAEL MARSHALL DO US THIS WAY?
Review: Like many other readers I tried to believe that Stephen King Blurb about how scary as $%#% this book was. This was the absolute worst book that I have ever read! I will go on to say that this book got on my nerves. I got to page 221 and deceided that I would not take anymore of this and I just gave up! Please Mr Marshall "DON'T WRITE ANYMORE BOOKS LIKE THIS"
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Summary: Fast and fun read!
Review: Loved this book! Surprising twists left me hoping for the next book. His writing style is witty and sharp. Great book to take to the beach.
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Summary: A Chilling Debut
Review: Marshall hits the ground running in one of the best mystery/thriller debuts this year. I picked up this book due to Stephen King's review that it was scary as hell. King was right. Marshall sure knows how to build the suspense as he plots seemingly random events and connects the dots well into the book. It looks to be the first book in a projected series and I can't wait for the continuation!
For those of you who hate shifting viewpoints, you may be disaappointed, but Marshall does pull it off well without distracting from the story.
If you're in the mood for something scary, something mysterious, by a new writer...this is a darn good bet!
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Summary: A TERRIFYING JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF SERIAL KILLERS!!!
Review: Michael Marshall (a.k.a. Michael Marshall Smith, author of SPARES, ONE OF US, and ONLY FORWARD) has written one of the best novels of 2002-THE STRAW MEN. Unlike his previous futuristic novels, this one takes place in the present day with flashbacks to the past. It's actually two stories (each story could have easily been turned into a successful novel) in one, which come together in the last hundred pages to create an ending that will scare the living daylights out of you with regards to the evil that mankind is capable of perpetrating. The first story deals with Ward Hopkins, ex-C.I.A., who returns home to Dyersburg, Montana to attend the funeral of his dead parents, both of which were killed in a tragic car accident. What Ward eventually discovers while going through his old home is that his parents may not have been who he thought they were and that quite possibly they may still be alive, but in hiding from a deadly organization that refers to itself as The Straw Men. With the help of his good buddy, C.I.A. agent Bobby Nygard, Ward starts searching for answers and inadvertently sets in motion several attempts by The Straw Men to eliminate both him and his friend. The second story deals with a serial killer known as The Upright Man who takes his victims from the Los Angeles area of California. When young Sarah Becker disappears one evening while sitting in front of a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Santa Monica, waiting for her father to return, F.B.I. agent Nina Baynam realizes that The Upright Man has returned after being dormant for two years. She enlists the help of ex LAPD Homicide Detective, John Zandt, who'd once helped her to hunt this serial killer, until his own daughter became a victim. John, however, is determined that Sarah Becker isn't going to die. He's going to do everything in his power to save her and to kill The Upright Man in a final act of revenge for destroying his life two years before. Both stories will slowly converge into one as Ward, Bobby, Nina and John discover that's there something much more deadly out there than just a single serial killer, and that it's going to take all of their strength and courage to fight this force of evil that's killing our children. THE STRAW MEN is a tour de force for Michael Marshall. The plot is intricately woven with strong, compelling characters that drive the story forward like a battering ram. Mr. Marshall knows how to end each chapter with a hook that keeps the reader glued to every single page in a frantic attempt to find out what's going to happen next. The last forty pages of this novel blew me away and will leave you literally speechless, not to mention fearful that the possibility of what the author suggests is, in fact, true. I sincerely hope that Mr. Marshall is already at work on a sequel to this breathtaking, utterly scary novel about man's capacity to commit evil and that Hollywood, if it has any sense, has already picked up the screen rights. THE STRAW MEN is one of those tremendous surprises that all readers of suspense crave from the inner sanctum of their souls. Buy it, read it, pass it on to your friends, then see if you can sleep at night without having nightmares that The Straw Men may be coming for you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!
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Summary: James Patterson Plus
Review: Michael Marshall is the thinking man's James Patterson. It's a shame more people haven't heard of him or more importantly, his book, The Straw Men, which is really more like two books in one. This novel is a mystery and a thriller that is more complex and more satisfying than the typical novel of this type. Pick it up and you won't be able to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: James Patterson Plus
Review: Michael Marshall is the thinking man's James Patterson. It's a shame more people haven't heard of him or more importantly, his book, The Straw Men, which is really more like two books in one. This novel is a mystery and a thriller that is more complex and more satisfying than the typical novel of this type. Pick it up and you won't be able to put it down.
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Summary: When a book tries too hard...
Review: Michael Marshall used to publish great sci-fi novels under the name Michael Marshall Smith. But when his books didn't sell well in the States, he took his publisher's advice and reinvented himself by changing his name and by chosing to write fiction in a whole different genre. But as they say, some things are better left untouched. There is very little enjoyment to be found in this story that's just too complicated and too full of incompatible ideas for its own good.The novel follows two different stories. The first is of a man who's parents died in a car accident. A conspiracy is soon unveiled, one that puts doubt over their death and over the man's own past. Then, you have the sad, broody cop who's hunting a killer who also kidnapped the cop's daughter (how original!). Eventually, these two stories meet. But the reader is left in the dark for so too long that he soon loses interest. The connections between the two plots aren't strong enough to be believable. The moment the two stories meet, the book collapses, falling into a mess of subplot after subplot that never leads anywhere. The author just seems to be digging his own grave. And the fact that the author never really explains anything doesn't help matters. I hate a book where everything is given to you. The reader should be left to discover SOME things by himself. But not everything. Marshall is so vague when it comes to explaining the plot that the reader is left wondering if the author every really knew himself what was going on. The Straw Men is a mess of idea that never seem to mesh well with one another. And that's a shame, because Marshall can write very complicated and fully fleshed out stories. He can write great characters that are intriguing. But none of that is to be found in Straw Men. Maybe Michael Marshall should leave the Dean Koontz territory to Dean Koontz and stick with what he knows best: Sci-fi.
Rating: 
Summary: Intriguing Debut Novel
Review: Mr. Marshall knows what it takes to right a unique suspense novel. The way he builds tension and intertwines the two story lines and the mix of first and third person narrantive styles made for one enjoyable read. I can't wait for the sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Liked the story -- great for the beach
Review: Mr. Marshall tells an enthralling story about seemingly unrelated and violent random events that become entertwined through good plot twists and great character definitions. This is a great book if you like conspiracy theory meets psychosis kind of fiction. I, personally, do. Besides the characters which I felt were well done, if slightly stereotypical, the plot of this book kept me guessing. I couldn't figure it out. I was very excited when I realized the bigger picture this book shows to the reader piece by piece. I really didn't want to stop reading until I was through. Of course there are downsides to the book. Among these are the disjointed way that the writer changes point of view. Many times I found myself having to reread sections to figure out what I had missed. I also found some of the dialogue to be a little too tongue-in-cheek. Sometimes the witty banter between the two main characters overshadowed the excellent story line and sometimes simply annoyed. Finally, I didn't like the ending the reader was left with, although I would be hard-pressed to suggest any alternatives. Overall, I recommend this book for an interesting read -- whether you're on the beach or just needing a little escapism at home. I also think it would make a great film. I kept visualizing what actors would play the characters. I'd certainly go see it.
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