I love this man’s books. I love his style, his twists and his characters. This is the third novel to feature his hero Ward Hopkins and the Straw Men, an evil organisation of killers who only get worse. I keep wondering what Marshall will do next, and he always surprises me. This book is a must, and try his sci-fi as Michael Marshall Smith. They are great too!
Notorious serial killer the Upright Man has escaped from prison, and the FBI have no idea where to look for him. His brother, Ward Hopkins, suspects he may have been aided by the Straw Men, the shadowy organization founded on murder as a way of life that killed Ward's parents.
But apart from his girlfriend Nina, a discredited FBI agent, the only other person who believes the Straw Men exist is John Zandt, a former homicide cop turned lone vigilante obsessed with tracking down the killers of his daughter, and now wanted for murder himself.
Ward's brother was broken out for a reason. The Straw Men are planning something new and terrible. And only Ward, Nina and John stand against the Upright Man and his terrifying allies.
'A definite page-turner -- and a terrifying discourse on the nature of human eveil and the darkness among us ... this is as fierce as crime writing can get.' GUARDIAN
‘The taut pace, crisp style and ever-present sense of menace are those of a top-drawer thriller’ TELEGRAPH
‘Marshall is a cracker at writing tense, rich scenes’ OBSERVER
Author
About Michael Marshall
Michael Marshall was born in England but spent his early years in the United States, South Africa and Australia. He read Philosophy and Social and Political Science at King's College, Cambridge, before publishing his first novel in 1994. His critically acclaimed novels have won a string of awards and his breakout blockbuster, THE STRAW MEN, was a SUNDAY TIMES bestseller, consequently becoming an internationally bestselling sensation. Marshall has also worked extensively as a screenwriter, writing for clients in both LA and London. He lives in Santa Cruz and Brighton with his wife and son.
