I'm not disclosing any big secret here. Michael Rutger is really author Michael Marshall. Who is also author Michael Marshall Smith. As Smith the man publishes SF and acclaimed short stories. When the books are simply under the Michael Marshall byline, they are suspense fiction. Now we have Michael Rutger and the results are pure horror.
The Possession is the second in a series you should have started last year. The first book is called The Anomaly. It introduces readers to a motley group of You Tubers who do a show called The Anomaly Files. Host Nolan Moore explores unexplained phenomena and conspiracy theories. It is not exactly a successful venture, but they continue to try. In The Anomaly the crew enter a remote region of the Grand Canyon to look for a mysterious cavern. They find it, and they also find themselves immersed in a life-threatening situation that is much more than they bargained for and much more than they can expect any potential viewers to believe.
Now we have the second adventure of the anomalous crew. In The Possession they venture forth to a small California town to look into very old walls that been erected for mysterious reasons. A thin excuse for a show, but Moore has other motivations. His estranged wife is already there investigating a missing teenage girl.
The girl is found, but under suspicious circumstances. Also, very strange occurrences begin to unnerve the crew. They see glimpses of things that cannot be. People, including team members, begin to behave in unusual ways. It appears as though the entire town, and everyone in it, is haunted. The deeper they look, the more terrifying and incredible the circumstances become.
It doesn't matter whether you call him Michael Marshall, Michael Marshall Smith, or Michael Rutger. He is one hell of a writer. He creates vivid characters, weaves intelligent plots, and in the case of these two books, writes highly effective horror fiction. Very little in the genre actually gives me the creeps. The Possession got under my skin and it stayed there until well after I turned the final page.
The Possession won't be the best book I read in 2019. That will almost certainly be Lewis Shiner's towering Outside the Gates of Eden. It will, however, probably be the best horror novel I read this year. In a time when mediocrity is all-too-often celebrated, Michael Rutger Smith stands well above the pack. The Possession is possibly my favorite book he has written to date. I fervently hope for more adventures featuring The Anomaly Files. Get in on the series while it is still young.
Written by Mark Sieber
The Possession is the second in a series you should have started last year. The first book is called The Anomaly. It introduces readers to a motley group of You Tubers who do a show called The Anomaly Files. Host Nolan Moore explores unexplained phenomena and conspiracy theories. It is not exactly a successful venture, but they continue to try. In The Anomaly the crew enter a remote region of the Grand Canyon to look for a mysterious cavern. They find it, and they also find themselves immersed in a life-threatening situation that is much more than they bargained for and much more than they can expect any potential viewers to believe.Now we have the second adventure of the anomalous crew. In The Possession they venture forth to a small California town to look into very old walls that been erected for mysterious reasons. A thin excuse for a show, but Moore has other motivations. His estranged wife is already there investigating a missing teenage girl.
The girl is found, but under suspicious circumstances. Also, very strange occurrences begin to unnerve the crew. They see glimpses of things that cannot be. People, including team members, begin to behave in unusual ways. It appears as though the entire town, and everyone in it, is haunted. The deeper they look, the more terrifying and incredible the circumstances become.
It doesn't matter whether you call him Michael Marshall, Michael Marshall Smith, or Michael Rutger. He is one hell of a writer. He creates vivid characters, weaves intelligent plots, and in the case of these two books, writes highly effective horror fiction. Very little in the genre actually gives me the creeps. The Possession got under my skin and it stayed there until well after I turned the final page.
The Possession won't be the best book I read in 2019. That will almost certainly be Lewis Shiner's towering Outside the Gates of Eden. It will, however, probably be the best horror novel I read this year. In a time when mediocrity is all-too-often celebrated, Michael Rutger Smith stands well above the pack. The Possession is possibly my favorite book he has written to date. I fervently hope for more adventures featuring The Anomaly Files. Get in on the series while it is still young.
Written by Mark Sieber
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