Shutter Island
Book description
The basis for the blockbuster motion picture directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Shutter Island by New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane is a gripping and atmospheric psychological thriller where nothing is quite what it seems. The New York Times calls Shutter Island, “Startlingly original.” The Washington…
Why read it?
7 authors picked Shutter Island as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Islands in fiction are often remote and isolated, their inhabitants cut off from any outside help and having to rely upon only themselves for survival or escape. A U.S. Marshal goes to an island to investigate the disappearance of a murderous patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, in another terrifyingly clever book chock full of twists and turns. I’m drawn to stories that are gothic and hugely atmospheric and mysterious, and this book has all of that and more. Lehane described it as “a hybrid of the works of the Brontë sisters and Invasion of the Body Snatchers…
From Carole's list on eerie islands.
A combination of mystery and atmospheric thriller. Under the threat of an approaching hurricane, two U.S. Marshals arrive on Shutter Island, a hospital for the criminally insane, hoping to solve a murder. To say, “Nothing is as it seems” is a gross understatement. If you haven’t seen the movie, I suggest reading the book first. Anyone can give you chills on film, but it takes a master to do it on the printed page.
From Hy's list on mystery plots that both surprise and delight.
Dennis Lehane is another author who inspired me to become a writer (specifically, a crime-fiction author), and this book is one of his best. Two U.S. marshals are sent to investigate the disappearance of a woman from a hospital for the criminally insane on the titular island. A storm is bearing down, complicating the investigation, and in the grand thriller tradition, nothing is as it seems…
Shutter Island is one of those complex, pulpy thrillers where all the twists are genuinely earned. It’s a master class in how to flip the audience’s expectations, even experienced thriller fans who think they…
From Nick's list on read during a fierce, possibly city-destroying storm.
This was a huge influence for me in writing my book, as it was one of the first books with a major twist in it which means you immediately want to go back and reread the entire book! It’s one of those books where the twist is incredible and, on second reading, almost feels inevitable even though you had no clue about it the first time. Another tense psychological thriller that I’d definitely recommend.
From Angelo's list on crime with killer twists.
The action opens in 1954 with Teddy Daniels, one of two US marshals heading for a criminally insane facility on the remote Shutter Island. Their assignment? To search for a female inmate who has escaped. But the hunters become the hunted when they appear to stumble onto secret mind-altering experiments being conducted on the inmates. When Teddy is caught trying to leave the island, the doctor in charge reveals what is really going on. It’s a mind-blowing twist that had me turning back the pages to see how Lehane had pulled it off.
From Joanna's list on contemporary suspense with jaw-dropping twists.
Where do you site a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane, with a reputation for controversial research and experimental techniques? A far-flung island, of course. US marshal Teddy Daniels has barely landed on Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando, a beautiful, enigmatic murderer, before he starts to question everything he is being told. Is someone trying to drive him insane? As a killer hurricane traps Teddy on the island, we start to share his fears. Who is lying to us? Quite possibly, everyone, Teddy included. I adore unreliable narrators and this is gothic psychological horror writing at…
From Sharon's list on spine-tingling thrillers set on remote islands.
One of the most famous questions that confront certain works of fiction is: “knowing what happens (or: having seen the movie,) should I still read it?” The human mind works in funny ways: sometimes you’re in the middle of a book or movie, and you well-know the outcome, but for a brief moment, you’re convinced the events will unfold in another way. You know the ending, but you’re curious about the events that led to it, so you go in to retrace the steps—and then you forget and start to hope for a…
From A.M.'s list on creepy titles you may have overlooked.
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