Bad Things: A Novel

“Marshall recalls Stephen King’s ability to set a story in the world of the commonplace, then suddenly jolt it into a more hellish realm.”

—New York Times

Bad things have always happened in Black Ridge, Washington—and Michael Marshall, the acclaimed, bestselling, Phillip K. Dick Award-winning author of The Intruders (“Scary brilliance” —Baltimore Sun) and Straw Men (“Brilliantly written and scary as hell” —Stephen King), lets readers experience all the exceptional nastiness. Marshall’s Bad Things is an electrifying combination of psychological suspense, mystery, horror, and paranormal activity that no fan of ingenious, intelligent thrillers will want to miss.

A bad thing occurred three years ago. A little boy died for no discernable reason, shattering lawyer John Henderson's world. Today he's a different man, living a solitary, simple existence in an Oregon beach house—until the night he receives a short e-mail from a stranger:

I know what happened.

With just four words, Henderson is pulled back to Black Ridge, Washington, the one place he'd hoped never to see again. It seems that bad things have always happened in this small town of generations-old secrets—and the shadows here seem even darker now than when tragedy first drove John Henderson away. The deeper he digs for answers, the more danger he draws toward himself and his estranged, helpless family . . . and he's not the only one who's been called home.

And that's a very bad thing . . .

Keeps readers guessing with twisting plot . . . adrenaline-paced...addictive.” - Cleveland Plain Dealer on THE INTRUDERS

“This is a psychological thriller guaranteed to keep you up at nights.” - Arcadian Lifestyle

“taut action and appealing characters” - San Francisco Chronicle

“Fast-moving, sinister and highly accomplished…This is ferocious story-telling of the highest order, with corkscrew twists and turns that make it deliciously scary as the secrets unfold.” - Daily Mail (London) on BAD THINGS

“A genuinely scary thriller with satisfyingly malevolent villains.” - The Sun Herald (Sydney) on BAD THINGS

“Marshall builds up suspense slowly . . . Black Ridge – like the Maine towns populated by Stephen King’s characters – is not a place you want to visit.” - Booklist on BAD THINGS

“This spooky tale shows Marshall...has a knack not only for the frisson of dread but also the telling psychological insight.” - Publishers Weekly on BAD THINGS

“Michael Marshall is the new Stephen King, to the nth degree. He successfully complements Carol O’Connell’s tormented characters for roller-coaster-like psychological twists and thrills....BAD THINGS deserves six stars.” - www.BookReporter.com on BAD THINGS

“A well-constructed, terrifying story. . . . The Intruders is so good, readers will be compelled to check out [Marshall’s] 2002 novel, The Straw Men, which Stephen King called ‘a masterpiece.’” - USA Today

“A nerve-wracking story full of bizarre twists. . . . Mr. Marshall recalls Stephen King’s ability to set a story in the world of the commonplace, then suddenly jolt it into a more hellish realm. He also has some of Mr. King’s ability to rivet attention with eerie surprises.” - Janet Maslin, New York Times on THE INTRUDERS

“A masterpiece . . . brilliantly written and scary as hell.” - Stephen King on STRAW MEN

“A jaw-dropping mystery that makes a hairpin turn on nearly every page.” - Entertainment Weekly (Grade A, EW “pick”) on THE INTRUDERS

“Fluid blend of crime and horror. . . . Pervasive creepiness.” - New York Daily News on THE INTRUDERS

“Potent, character-driven thriller about personality manipulation and brainwashing. . . . Subtle, satisfying—and really scary.” - Kirkus Reviews on The Intruders

“The pacing is excellent, the plotting brisk. . . . Scary brilliance.” - Baltimore Sun on THE INTRUDERS