The Minus Man

by Lew McCreary

" The Minus Man  is a ferocious, frightening book, dark with pain and sadness. Lew McCreary writes beautifully of terrible matters. If comparisons are to be made, one might mention Cormac McCarthy's  Child of God —high praise indeed."  --John Banville, author of April in Spain
 
Vann Siegert is by all appearances an ordinary man. With only his truck and a few possessions, he has moved cross-country to start a new life, taking a temporary holiday job at the post office in a small Massachusetts town. But when the urge calls him, Vann takes to the road, armed with a poisoned flask of liquor and a smile that strangers trust. Woe to those who accept his comfort—junkies, hitchhikers, a high school football star, Vann gathers his victims like moths to a flame. A harrowing journey inside the mind of a disquietingly compassionate psychopath.
 
Made into a motion picture, adapted and directed by Hampton Fancher, starring Owen Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, Brian Cox, Mercedes Ruehl, Dwight Yoakam, and Sheryl Crow.
 
Reader Praise for The Minus Man
 
"McCreary's beautiful and poetic writing gives the book an unsettling and eerie mood that lingers long after the last page is rurned." --Josh Mauthe, Amazon
 
"McCreary's novel is spellbinding, using finely tuned skill to make the reader care for, if not love a murderer." --Ryan Costantino, Amazon
 
"One of the scariest books I have ever read. You will never hitchhike again if you read this." -- Shari, Goodreads

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Adult Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Lew McCreary is the author of MOUNT'S MISTAKE (Atlantic Monthly Press), THE MINUS MAN (Viking), and THE 13TH STEP. His short stories have appeared in Ploughshares and Solstice Literary Magazine After graduating Wesleyan University with a B.A. in English, he pursued a career in magazine editing. He was the editorial director of CIO and CSO magazines, a senior editor at Harvard Business Review, and an editor and ghostwriter of several business innovation books. He lives in Hull, MA with his wife, Marcy.

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this after watching the movie and was glad for it. Had I seen the movie after reading, it would have been an utter disappointment. The book has so many more layers too it, is so much darker than the movie.

The movie makes you think this is just the story of a quiet, charming, perhaps supernatural serial killer. In the book, however, Vann is in fact a deeply disturbed schizophrenic, whose lack of ability to feel emotions on any real depth provide him with the ability to obey the voices that tell him who to kill. I absolutely loved the description of the voices he heard, especially the rivers at the beginning of the book. We get the impression that Vann isn't just a petty criminal. He is an agent of death, designed to be so without any consent of his own, and that his consciousness is merely along for the very dark ride.

So much more than a serial killer book, this disturbingly calm read is an terrific look at mental illness and the inhumanity we are all capable of.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Minus Man reads like a cross between Catcher in the Rye and Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, providing a first-hand account of an active serial murderer who, as with all the famous examples, blends into a small and unsuspecting community and kills among them. Vann isn't a Jason Voorhees or a Michael Myers. He isn't a Hannibal Lecter. He doesn't kill brutally or sadistically but is all the more frightening because he does it with a calculated efficiency. Just a couple of sips from his flask and his victims drift off into oblivion. For me, the ease of it made for a more frightening story, although in today's world we all know better than to accept a drink of anything from a stranger. Still, I think the story and the style of writing works well. Despite his killing urge, Vann comes across as an otherwise normal person who might live next door (or deliver your mail). He's a minus man that no one notices, and I felt a constant dread that every character he crossed was a candidate for that final ride in his pickup.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember if I saw the movie or read the book first, probably saw the movie. It's been years since I did either and I stumbled across the book on the shelf and wondered if I would still like it. I recall liking this novel the first time I read it and liking the movie, too, although that could be as much that I like Owen Wilson as anything.

I'm very drawn to the Zen-pacing of this piece. You have to slow down when you read it because the primary character (a proantagonist, sort of, he's both) is slow, measured, paced. I like the non-judgmental take, too, that you're left to come to your own conclusions and responses.

I can't say this is the best of the best I've ever read but I can say that I quite enjoyed it and will keep it on my shelf for future returns. If you need your moral attitude spelled out for you this isn't the book for you, but if you enjoy an interesting take on being a serial killer this is a pretty intruiging book.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Lew McCreary gives us just enough information to send our imaginations deep into the dark side leaving us with unanswered questions(like 'what kind of a sicko was Vann's mother?')and a longing for more!I would have loved a little more info about the hospital & Tim.
I saw the movie first & liked it well enough that I thought the book would be worth a shot(of course, I thought that about Nancy Price's book from which 'Sleeping With the Enemy' was taken & boy! was I wrong about that!)and it was but I'm glad I saw the movie first because I don't think I would have liked it nearly as well had I read the book first.
McCreary created interesting characters including a most likable serial killer and a cast of oddball cohorts and because I don't want to give anything away that all I'm going to say!

[Bagtree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, this book was okay and I don't have many comments to make. However, there is one single batfuck psycho line early on that I really need to share with as many people as possible: "She was helpless because I had showed her my smile, which is like a charming hamster a boy might keep in his pocket and take out only to show on a special occasion to a special friend" (4).

Because that's how you seduce people, you know.

With pocket hamsters.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about a serial killer... The movie version was strange--with a slew of comedy actors like Owen Wilson, Jeanine Garafola--for a fairly dark and somber story.

[Robb Todd]

Saw the movie first. This is one of those situations where I like them both equally even though they have some differences. I wonder how I would have felt if I read the book first.

[Susan Chow-Dukhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel presents the reader with the inner workings of the mind of a serial killer, Vann Siegert and how he hides in plain sight, above suspicion. In terms of realism, the book shows the reader the random triggers that causes Vann to decide on a potential victim and the circumstances that lead to a successful killing.
The insight into the mind of a killer is initially interesting, but the book shows a few months of Vann's life, with no plot development or finale. There is also a weak attempt to provide an origin story on how he acquired the poison he uses on most of his victims.

[Paul Billadeau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly well written but gives in to a get away with murders story, no up lift in this book.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written book, detailing (more than you would probably ever want to know about) what goes on in the mind of a serial killer.

[Drew Dietsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chilly and sad, The Minus Man is a lonesome look into life and its disposable nature. A difficult read for most but a rewarding one for those who can vibe with such a cold story.

[Joel Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

a psychological thriller with a touch of black comedy. the author did a great job creating (and mostly maintaining) a dark, unsettling tone for the narrative, one that felt almost understated and "quiet". his characters were interesting and well-developed.

apparently, the book was made into a movie, and Owen Wilson stars as the lead (a strange and intriguing choice). i'll have to see if it is on Hulu.

[Chris Meger · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good, I never saw the movie. He's a serial killer that uses poisons and is genuinely personable. All told from the killer's POV. And he's crazy in an interesting way, not a Hollywood way, you know?

[Geoffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

great companion to the movie

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the scariest books I have ever read. You will never hitchhike again if you read this.

[Steven · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange and unusual movie - a rather dull murder story.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thus far, the scariest book I have ever read.

[Kevin Kacin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across the movie with the same name and loved it. It was very dark and eerie. The book is a number of shades darker. We'll written and more jarring than the movie.