I picked up a copy of "The Intruders" because I loved (loved!) "Only Forward", Michael Marshall Smith's sharp, inventive, unbelievably inventive first novel. I regret to inform that this one, while not a bad book, just isn't in the same league. Not that it's a bad novel: there's a lot to like here. The ideas that the author plays with aren't exactly new: I've seen them dealt with in other works of science fiction, and I haven't read all that much sci-fi. Even so, Marshall Smith's a genuinely good writer, and he draws out his plot expertly, feeding both his reader and his characters just enough information throughout the length of the book to keep the narrative taut and suspenseful. "The Intruders" also deals very well with the human aspect of these sci-fi ideas: the book's portrayal of the main character's slowly disintegrating marriage would be worthy of any "literary" novel you'd see reviewed in the New York Times. And, while I admittedly haven't read much crime fiction, the book's protagonist, Jack Whalen, a former police officer who's trying to make it as a writer, is a wonderful study in what you might call "cop logic." Jack himself isn't all that memorable, but the author makes sure that you understand the way that a police officer perceives the world, an element that that becomes integral to the novel's progress.

But much of the fun of "Only Forward" lay in its wild setting, in which cordoned-off neighborhoods were defined by the their residents' extreme lifestyles. "The Intruders", on the other hand, is set in a pretty -- but drearily generic -- small town in the Pacific Northwest. It's just not the same, and so bland that it didn't exactly surprise me that this one had been made into a series: there's a lot about this book -- from creepy kids to secret societies -- that would probably play better on the small screen than on the page. The novel's language and tone contributes to a certain feeling of ordinariness, too. I missed the charming, obscure Britishisms of Smith's first novel: his American voice isn't bad: he doesn't make any obvious dialect-related slip-ups, which is a testament in to his skill as a writer. But the prose in "The Intruders" is flatter and less invigorating than what we saw in "Only Forward," and while this novel is well-constructed, enjoyable, and, in places, chilling, thought-provoking, and poignant, it's possible that I came to this one with expectations that were just impossibly high. Recommended, but with reservations. I'll read "Spares" next, but I have to concede that it's possible that lightning sometimes only strikes once. ( )

Finally I got around to reading this book.
It was an okay read, although at times I was bored and wondering whether I'd continue reading or not.
I did end the book and found a surprising end. Or not so surprising when you follow the logic/plot of the book. ( )

A well-written story with a bizarre premise that went on far too long. I gave up about 3/4 of the way through and jumped to the end. ( )

This was a genuinely creepy book. It was written in the same style as Koontz and King. You will never, for sure figure out just who "the Intruders" are. It was the kind of story that you had to go back to be sure of what was what. That being said, it was a very entertaining read. ( )

My Amazon review -

http://www.amazon.com/review/R3R9T0BAXLFA7O/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm ( )