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Bad Things
by
Michael Marshall Smith (Goodreads Author)
From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Intruders and The Straw Men comes a nerve-shattering story of guilt, rage, deadly secrets, and very, very...bad things
Three years ago, lawyer John Henderson watched his four-year-old son tumble from a jetty into the lake outside their Washington home. In a terrible instant, a life all too brief and innocent ended....more
Three years ago, lawyer John Henderson watched his four-year-old son tumble from a jetty into the lake outside their Washington home. In a terrible instant, a life all too brief and innocent ended....more
370 pages
Published
2009
by Harper Collins
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So after a week filled with way too many doctor appointments and precious reading opportunity I decided to try this story based strictly off the title as the movie Very Bad Things with Christian Slater and Cameron Diaz is one of my all time favorite movies involving the trippy and sick ways a night gone wrong proved too much for all concerned--I kinda thought this story would be full of twists and turns and suspense and all that but never really got that..The story starts off with the unexplaine...more
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/09/...
John Henderson is waiting tables at a small restaurant in the Pacific Northwest,and house sitting for a friend in the area. It’s been three years since his young son died on Lake Murdo in Black Ridge,Washington,and he’s doing his best to live life and forget,when one day he receives an email that says simply “I know what happened.” Soon,John is pulled back to Black Ridge and meets a mysterious woman who claims the same thi...more
John Henderson is waiting tables at a small restaurant in the Pacific Northwest,and house sitting for a friend in the area. It’s been three years since his young son died on Lake Murdo in Black Ridge,Washington,and he’s doing his best to live life and forget,when one day he receives an email that says simply “I know what happened.” Soon,John is pulled back to Black Ridge and meets a mysterious woman who claims the same thi...more
Jul 26, 2011
Betty-Anne
added it
I expected to be much more impressed with Michael Marshall’s Bad Things. Having read – no, devoured – many of his previous novels, I began this one with very high expectations.
Approximately the first 50 – 60 pages fully lived up to my expectations. I got very involved with the character of John Henderson and felt that I understood why he had made the decisions that he did. The set up for the mystery was also well presented and well written, and it was what kept me reading.
I began to have problem...more
Approximately the first 50 – 60 pages fully lived up to my expectations. I got very involved with the character of John Henderson and felt that I understood why he had made the decisions that he did. The set up for the mystery was also well presented and well written, and it was what kept me reading.
I began to have problem...more
I have been a fan of Michael Marshall (Smith) since I read Spares quite a few years ago. I was expecting to like this book, but instead I loved it. Much like the Straw Men Trilogy, the action drives the book, but is not the main focus. Slowly and skillfully, Marshall morphs the story from possible paranoia to unfold the mystery and reveal the supernatural cause of the "Bad Things".
The plot itself was interesting but what blew me away was the writing itself. I was completely absorbed and did not...more
The plot itself was interesting but what blew me away was the writing itself. I was completely absorbed and did not...more
Apr 21, 2012
Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
april-2012-reads,
armchair-pacificnw-us
A stunning, riveting, multi-layered mystery-and-more, “Bad Things” is so complex and convoluted that I can only think of Brian Freeman’s mysteries in comparison. Set in the Pacific Northwest (Washington State, Oregon, then Washington State again), the settings and locales become every bit as important as the human characters; in fact, the settings are characters in their own right. Black Ridge, Washington and Marion Beach, Oregon-especially the former-are fully-fleshed, fully-dimensional charact...more
A gripping storyline that kept me from putting the book down until I had finished it. The day his son Scott went out on to the jetty changed John Henderson's life forever. He manages to get continue with some semblence of a life, but really he's just walking the walk. Until the day someone tells him they know what happened to his son. There starts a nightmare John never could have imagined. Keeping you gripped the entire way through and surprising you with the unravelling story every step of the...more
Michael Marshall's "Bad Things" starts off with a bang: a four-year-old child apparently dies of fright while his parents watch.
The action then flashes forward three years or so, with the parents divorced and living in different states. The father, James, is living in a small Oregon beach town waiting tables (a far cry from his previous career as a successful lawyer). One day, he receives an e-mail from a stranger, telling him that this person knows why his son died. Curiosity compels him to re...more
The action then flashes forward three years or so, with the parents divorced and living in different states. The father, James, is living in a small Oregon beach town waiting tables (a far cry from his previous career as a successful lawyer). One day, he receives an e-mail from a stranger, telling him that this person knows why his son died. Curiosity compels him to re...more
This book was very creepy. The bad things were indeed very bad. This was one of those stories where I just couldn't put the book down until I found out what happened or I'd be wondering & bothered all day so I read it in just a few hours. I liked how the theme of guilt & regret ran deep in the story of John Henderson. I've often thought those are 2 of the worst feelings in the world because there isn't much you can do to change them or get rid of them. Usually they come about through you...more
I had higher hopes for this book and thought for about the first 1/4 I would really like it. However, I read about half and ended up skimming the rest. It is a suspenseful tale of a father whose life falls apart after his young son's sudden death that isn't explained (cororner said there was no reason, the boy just suddenly died). At the start of the story (a couple of years after the death of his son) the father is divorced and living on the Oregon coast, working in a small restaurant that is e...more
Michael Marshall's "Bad Things" was a pretty good suspense/thriller. The characters were well-drawn and the story is good in general. I did enjoy the read, but there were a few parts that could have been better.
The supernatural element, while briefly explained to some degree, could have been elaborated on more to make the story really pop; I would have liked to hear more about that than Kyle. And you have to read well into the book to know that there actually is something paranormal going on and...more
The supernatural element, while briefly explained to some degree, could have been elaborated on more to make the story really pop; I would have liked to hear more about that than Kyle. And you have to read well into the book to know that there actually is something paranormal going on and...more
A claustrophobic feel thru the book. Lawyer Jack Henderson's life changed three years ago, when his child died. The marriage solved, and he moved away to start a new, simpler life. Now he gets pulled back to the old place when someone calls and tells him she knows what happened to his son. When he's back to the small village where the bad stuff happened, more bad things happen. And they seem to have happened already for a long, long time, always around the same families and places. Maybe a bit t...more
My favorite thing about book clubs is that they encourage me to try books that I would never have picked up on my own. This novel starts off great--the writing is tight, though a bit too sarcastic for me, and the plot grabbed me. The first half of the book is very entertaining. Then the plot goes haywire, the characters too many to follow, a plot line is introduced that has nothing to do with nothing. The end is just ridiculous, too--instead of the gasp I expected, I ended the book with a groan....more
I liked this, but I didn’t love it. It is a slow builder, which is fine, but I think I was looking for more of an underlying, subtle creepy feeling like I got from reading Rosemary’s Baby. I never felt like John was in real danger until the end.
John himself is an interesting character. He does what needs to be done without a lot of emotional wrangling, but it’s hard to get a good feel for why he is the way he is. Was he always this way, and just masked it when he was married? Or did the death of...more
John himself is an interesting character. He does what needs to be done without a lot of emotional wrangling, but it’s hard to get a good feel for why he is the way he is. Was he always this way, and just masked it when he was married? Or did the death of...more
I loved the Straw Men books, and also enjoyed Intruders, but Bad things wasn't quite up to those lofty standards. I am starting to read a formula with his novels, first person from some bad ass tough guy type character, and then third person propelling the story along. Marshall mixes in some paranormal into his hard boiled thriller novels, but now it seems a little forced, almost like a subplot and not the main part of the story.
I'd like to see him change up his style with an upcoming book, perh...more
I'd like to see him change up his style with an upcoming book, perh...more
First book read, written by Michael Marshall, interesting the name "Smith" does not appear on the book.
A great and interesting read, a bit of sci fi? It is one of those books one does not want to go into detail about since it would spoil it for the person who is about to read it, it is one of those 6 hours books, best read in bed, it kept me spellbound, in the company of my cat Ziggy with attitude, who needs to walk all over me periodically, literally in order to have a snack in the kitchen.
Will...more
A great and interesting read, a bit of sci fi? It is one of those books one does not want to go into detail about since it would spoil it for the person who is about to read it, it is one of those 6 hours books, best read in bed, it kept me spellbound, in the company of my cat Ziggy with attitude, who needs to walk all over me periodically, literally in order to have a snack in the kitchen.
Will...more
A very peculiar book. Plotwise it's messy and disjointed. The main story line starts off briskly enough but is then completely buried in the endless logistics of the main character's rushing around in the small town where bad things happen. The rushing around is meant to convey a sense of urgency, I think, but it's more like watching a soap opera. Every other page one character is about to divulge something terribly important to another, just to be suddenly interrupted or inexplicably leave. The...more
OK, so most of Marshall's books promise more than they deliver. By that, I mean the buildup is excellent. Really - you can't put it down. All of his books (at least, those I've read, which is most) are exactly like that. Hints (or outright examples) of grand conspiracies. Overrtones of horror and the supernatural. He keeps you guessing through the first 80% of every book. You're not sure where it's going - but you HAVE to find out.
Then the other shoe drops and it's just...not enough. The promis...more
Then the other shoe drops and it's just...not enough. The promis...more
We here at Sheelagh na Gig like our thrillers dark and brooding and twisty, full of foreboding, dense with danger,tingling with trepidation, minging with menace, but most of all, we like them well written. That’s why this week’s review commends to your attention Bad Things, by Michael Marshall, which has an opening that will break your heart, a story that will drag you to the edge of your seat, and a terrifyingly suspenseful climax that will dump you on the floor.
Bad Things opens with the sudden...more
Bad Things opens with the sudden...more
Oct 06, 2012
Carrie Hinkel-Gill
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
authors-and-appatizers
This book told a story, but I really had a hard time staying engaged in it. It didn't help that I kept having the feeling I've read this story but under a different title.
However, I read it to the ending.
I understood the premise of the book, and the fact the author tried very hard to maintain the suspense throughout the story, but really, I felt at times the story tried too hard to be suspenseful.
Basically, there are events in the main character's life that you are given glimpses of, but you'...more
However, I read it to the ending.
I understood the premise of the book, and the fact the author tried very hard to maintain the suspense throughout the story, but really, I felt at times the story tried too hard to be suspenseful.
Basically, there are events in the main character's life that you are given glimpses of, but you'...more
May 07, 2010
Victoria
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller,
spooky
I liked this book quite a bit! It was certainly thrilling - and even genuinely spooky at times! The premise was fascinating and the plot involved twists that I did not see forsee coming! My only two real complaints would be the number of times the phrase "bad things" was used and the fact that the book came off just a bit racist... but, overall, it was an enjoyable book and I enjoy Marshall's turn-of-phrase and biting wit. He is a talented writer and I have enjoyed discovering his work and I wil...more
I just finished this well written, dark suspenseful wonder of a book. What a delight! It is certainly dark and menacing, but I like my fiction dark, dark, dark. The characters are wonderfully fleshed out, realistic. I think Michael Marshall is one of the better writers working today. He consistently delivers interesting bookes featuring intriguing heartbreakingly real people who suffer horrible losses and yet go on. It happens everyday in real life, its nice to see these themes explored in a nov...more
On the heels of Marshall's mind-bending/blowing masterpiece 'The Intruders', this is ultimately disappointing. Almost throughout, the book is sprinkled with Marshall's wit as well as musings on adulthood/parenthood and the nature of evil - so I liked what was good along the way. Things start falling apart in the latter part of the book, though - revealing that the premise isn't a sturdy base. By the last five chapters, I was wishing the whole thing had been better.
This was the 1st book I read by Michael Marshall and I loved it. What a heartbreaking premise... your child dies in front of your eyes, terrified, and you're powerless. Despite this very gloomy beginning, I really enjoyed the book, the suspense and the writing. He is an incredibly gifted writer, this Michael Marshall, and I'm in the process of ordering all his books from my library :)
This was better than his last book, The Intruders. But the book still had some problems. The fact that the gangstas decided to help out the hero near the end didn't ring true. And, of course, they served no real purpose either. They ended up just being loose threads of a (pretty pointless) subplot that needed to be tied up. Michael Marshall lists Stephen King as a major influence, but his books read more like Dean Koontz (albeit with better writing, and a much better sense of humor).
Michael Marshall writes intense thrillers. I wish he would delve back into science fiction. Spares and Only Forward were interesting reads. Let's hope I enjoy this book after the suckiness that is the Jefferson key by Steve Berry.
Started out strong, kinda lost its way in the middle and towards the end. But still better than most thrillers. I would classify this as a supernatural thriller.
Started out strong, kinda lost its way in the middle and towards the end. But still better than most thrillers. I would classify this as a supernatural thriller.
This book was ok but nothing spectacular. I had never heard of this author before this book was mentioned in the last issue of Cemetery Dance magazine, and thought I'd give it a chance. I had high hopes but through the first 100 and something pages I felt it dragged a bit and wished it would just get on with it. It did have some genuinely creepy moments but it also had a few instances that just plain didn't make a lot of sense.
There's not a lot I can say about this book -- other than it was okay. Oh, the other thing -- I read it quickly! Picked this one up at the library with the New Fiction, and I don't think I'll bother reading any of the author's other books. Story was okay, and the characters were just not that interesting.
Jul 30, 2011
Tom Hicks
added it
Good book and good author but this was a depressing book at the start and in the middle. The ending was good but overall the story lacked something. Not sure what but it needed a little something extra. Still a good book though. Enjoy.
A top notch thriller with a sympathetic protagonist. I enjoyed Bad Things very much. Michael Marshall reminds me a little bit of Stephen King, especially with this novel. (His short stories, not so much.)
Read lots of Michael Marshall's earlier books but haven't read one in a while. I'm glad I picked this one up, it kept me hooked from the start didn't let up. I felt it had some echo's of Stephen King
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Michael Marshall (Smith) is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His first novel, ONLY FORWARD, won the August Derleth and Philip K. Dick awards. SPARES and ONE OF US were optioned for film by DreamWorks and Warner Brothers, and the Straw Men trilogy - THE STRAW MEN, THE LONELY DEAD and BLOOD OF ANGELS - were international bestsellers. His most recent novels are THE INTRUDERS, BAD THINGS and K...more
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“The cause of that happiness was gone, of course, dead and gone, but still we put our faith in places. We think that if we just lived somewhere different, everything would be okay. We believe that if we paint the stairway a bright new colour, and clear out the closets, our minds will follow. We'll take just about any ray of hope rather than accept that ninety-five per cent of the world we inhabit exists within the confines of our own skulls.”
—
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