A bit 'Day of the Triffids', a bit 'I am Legend', a bit 'Village of the Damned', this novel certainly does not shine with originality, or at least, not for a long-time science fiction reader. Having said that, it is still quite enjoyable (cover aside, because it is really awful). Particularly interesting is the growth of the three main protagonists, casual companions, who, although starting from a common purpose, choose different and unexpected paths, and this is really the novel's main strength.

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you! (Dr. Seuss) ----- Unless, of course, you are not…

Book Information

The Intruders was written by Brian Pinkerton. It’s due to be published on April 25, 2023 and is 256 pages. Brian Pinkerton is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fiction in the suspense, thriller, mystery, and horror genres. Thanks to Flame Tree Press for providing me with an advance reader copy for review.

Summary

Greg Garrett returns from a business trip to his quiet home in Engles, Indiana. It’s a bit too quiet, however, as his wife and kids are nowhere to be found. Greg hears things, and thinks maybe he sees things…but he can’t be sure. Other people begin to disappear. There are reports of a silverish rain falling in small, distinct areas. Strange plants grow and insects attack.

Something very strange is going on in Engles. Something that could threaten the entire world.

My Thoughts

I’m warming up my synthesizer to play the 5 notes from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. After that, maybe some music from The Walking Dead or The X-Flies.

This is a relatively fast-moving book (though repetitive in some parts, especially toward the beginning). While we have a pretty good idea of what is going on from a macro perspective, the details are revealed at a decent pace—certainly enough to keep the reader interested. It’s an interesting twist on a common premise and a fun read. While the premise and prose are good, the characters are not as developed as they might be—this leads to a lack of investment in them (at least for me). I didn’t dislike the main characters, but I also didn’t bond with them, so I felt like I was passively watching the story unfold versus being wrapped up in it and rooting for the protagonists.

Overall—a fun beach read kind of book.

Recommendation

If you like aliens, ghosts, bugs, zombies (kinda), and baseball hat-wearing conspiracy theorists—give The Intruders a try.

Rating

3 Yellow Fungus Egg Stars

DNF - I don't think I am the target audience for this book. The premise sounded promising & maybe had I been in another state of mind when trying to read this, I would feel differently but, for now, I am laying this aside.

Thanks to net galley and publisher for the ARC!
3.5 out of 5
Story is fun and fast, narrative style is great with some great prose by Brian. Some characters I enjoyed their arcs and others were too minor or not enough details given for me to care about.
Spoilers follow
The use of bugs to snatch bodies and ghosts of the body snatched ppl lingering are great new ideas to the body takeover genre. However maybe it was just me but I knew the whole second half of the plot when I was just 25% in. Still fun to read but I hoped it would go against expectations and tropes.

Uncle Ira is not Uncle Ira!

Yes, in The Intruders, Brian Pinkerton gives us a horror/sf story reminiscent of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers and I was so pleased. This is a highly entertaining read full of horrors and heartbreak.

The adventure is fast paced and the invasion is unique and scary.

While I admit that I wanted our characters to be fleshed out just a bit more (some important ones feel surface-level), I did like and enjoy them and worried for them so much.

Definitely an entertaining read!

• ARC via Publisher

This was a very good book. My only issue was that it seemed that instead of fighting at the end, everyone just gave up. It was a bit anti-climactic.

[Blurb goes here]

Two kids are fishing by a stream. The time to go to the campsite where their parents await, grows near. The older brother wants just one more catch before going back. As night time approaches, they have no choice but to go back. "I don't want to go get you," their father's words ring in their ears. As they take a path to where their RV is parked, they get lost. By the time they reach the camping grounds, something becomes apparent: there's no one in sight...something's wrong. Inside their trailer both their parents are unconscious, they run to get help only to find the forest ranger in a similar state.

A buzzing sound suddenly engulfs them...

Greg has been on a business trip for a few days, when he returns home, no one is there to greet him. His wife and kids have gone missing. As time progresses he realizes that there are other missing people too.

So far so good, right? Regrettably, the story stagnates after that. You won't care enough for the main characters to root for them, to hope they succeed. Both protagonists and antagonists are paper thin, just flowing through the motions.

I admire authors that make you relate to their characters, authors that create a connection between you and their work. This is something that this book, simply put, does not have.

While the story is entertaining and well written, there's no meat to savor in it.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this story! It pulled me in right away and never had a dull moment. The description of the story has it is reminiscent of the Body Snatchers, and I have to agree with that. Science fiction horror is a favorite genre and this fit the bill perfectly.

Greg Garett comes home from a business trip to find his family missing. Each day more and more people vanish and these huge swarms of bugs come about quickly and nobody knows what they are doing.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear what is happening. The ending is completely unpredictable and very satisfying.

I completely recommend for science fiction horror fans. It is quick and fun story to read. I read it in two days and I need more!

Thank you #NetGalley and #FlameTreePress for sending me #TheIntrudors to read and review!

After a bit of a slow start, this picks up momentum and gets pretty interesting. Some readers will find this a bit derivative, but that shouldn't take away from the enjoy of it, including pretty good writing and characters.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!

A passable story about alien invaders that combines The Invasion of the Body Snatchers with The Walking Dead. ( A little too much like "Body Snatchers" for this reviewer, by the way.) The story starts in Indiana as a mysterious silver rain falls only in isolated spots along the countryside and in the small town of Engels. The rain leaves behind strange yellow pods (sound familiar?) which eventually release tiny black flying bugs that infiltrate the bodies of any unfortunate residents in the vicinity. On top of that, the bodies disappear and loved ones are left trying to figure out the puzzle of their disappearances.
The book is a little repetitive - especially in the first third - as the two main protagonists have to keep retelling their stories to various community disbelievers over and over. Because of this, it takes a while for the book to pick up any momentum. As these two start to take the investigation of the invasion into their own hands, they meet a quirky character named Zach who helps the story become more interesting. (However, if I read one more reference to Zach's hat, I think I would have screamed. You'll know what I mean when or if you read the story.)
All in all, this book is a quick read that's worth your time if you like "Body Snatcher"-type stories. It's not the best or worst that I've read in this genre, just somewhere in between.

This book is a fast paced thrilling sci-fi horror novel that feels like a cross between Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Twilight Zone!

This author takes the premise of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and puts his own unique spin on it which really adds something extra to the story. We have people turning into alien life forms while looking and sounding like their own selves, we have ghosts (kind of), and we have flying swarming insects that do nasty things to humans.

These elements keep the suspense high and the story moving at a great pace. You won't be bored reading this!

I had a lot of fun with this book and I recommend it to others!

this was such a good science fiction novel, it had what I was looking for based on the description. It does a great job in being a scifi novel and having a unique concept but still have what I was looking for in the genre. The characters were what I was hoping for and it worked in this world. I enjoyed the way Brian Pinkerton wrote this and look forward to reading more from them.

"Peters immediately turned his burning stare to Jesse. “Walton. I’m personally coming out there to sort this out. I’m taking the corporate jet. My secretary will contact you with the itinerary. You will pick me up at the airport and together we will go to that hotel and get to the bottom of this nonsense.”