Ian Kern, the Mysterious Bookshop, New York City
We've been recommending Michael Marshall's novels since his debut thriller, The Straw Men, in 2002. Even those apprehensive of reading something creepy usually found they couldn't put them down. Well, the time for celebration is at hand: Marshall's new novel, The Intruders [Morrow, Aug.], picks up where Blood of Angels leaves off—in spirit, if not in plot. Introducing ex-LAPD detective Jack Whalen, this stand-alone/possible-new-series is as well-crafted and intriguing as Marshall's previous forays into the world of conspiracy and crime fiction. When Jack's wife goes missing on a routine business trip to Seattle, his search thrusts him into a shadowy and violent conflict involving a runaway girl and the murder of a college professor's family. The Intruders twists and turns its way through a wonderfully weird and frightening tale. The fights are bloody, the chills are sub-zero and the finale is jaw-dropping. How can you go wrong?
