Shutter Island

Very suspenceful and you have a hard time putting it down. The ending did blow me away. Was not what I expected at all.

Dennis Lehane does an expert job laying out the world of Shutter Island. Federal marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner Chuck Aule arrive at Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of Rachael Solano. The patients of Ashercliff hospital are criminally insane, locked down for their own safety and for the staff. As they investigate the details of Rachael's escape, Dennis and Chuck find disturbing signs of sinister practices going on behind fenced and guarded facilities on the island.

There is never a dull moment, and no escape, once they learn the secrets of Ashercliff. The surprises never quit, all the way to the final pages. I began, thinking we had a literary novel, but ended up reclassifying Shutter Island as a first-rate thriller. If you haven't already seen the movie, read the book first. You'll be glad you did.

Watching what people say, what people do, I seriously rolled my eyes at all the hype around this. Yes, Leonardo DiCaprio gets the star roll of Dennis Lehane's bestseller, so that means you have to appreciate it! Right? Or is it simply a case where Dennis Lehane is actually that good at what he does? Let's just put it this way...I'm not exactly the world's biggest Leonardo DiCaprio fan, so I wasn't about to watch the movie until I read the book. And I was treated to a great psychological thriller with plot twists I couldn't have imagined! One reviewer said that after the final chapter, he went back and read the prologue all over again. Good idea!

So, we meet a man named Teddy Daniels, and we meet his partner, Chuck. Teddy is off to Shutter Island to find a missing patient, Rachel Solando, who murdered her three children. But what the heck is this place? Nothing is what it appears to be, and Teddy is in for a rude awakening! Crazy people, hurricanes, experiments with drugs, lobotomies & nobody has a straight answer for any of it! And the good Doctor stands by, while everybody smokes their cigarettes. What's Teddy Daniels gotten himself into? The memory of his beloved wife brings him little comfort.

To say the least, I was hooked! And Dennis Lehane proves he's a master with his words. This Boston native hooks you into the depths of the insanity, and keeps you there to endure it to the final page. And if I do say so myself, it wasn't a mistake to give this man a chance. I'm glad I did. He's on my list of authors to read from this point on. And now for that movie...

I was fascinated by this book from the moment I picked it up. It was unlike anything I had read recently and kept me rivoted until the end. Ah, the end....totally unexpected, and I am usually really good at getting the subtleties and twists that make up the plots of mysteries. This one left me stunned.

If you are wanting to read this book because you loved the movie. The book is almost a word for word. 2 more interviews when they investigating. No more details revealed. I think if you read this book first you are better off or you could just see the movie.