Shutter Island

By: Dennis Lehane

Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte

Marshal Teddy Daniels has come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to find an escaped murderer named Rachel Solando.

As a killer hurricane bears down on the island, the investigation deepens, and the questions mount. How has a barefoot woman escaped from a locked room? Who is leaving them clues in the form of cryptic codes? And what really goes on in Ward C?

The closer Teddy gets to the truth, the more elusive it becomes. And the more he begins to believe that he may never leave Shutter Island. Because someone is trying to drive him insane....

©2003 Dennis Lehane (P)2015 Hachette Digital

Gripping dark thriller.

What did you love best about Shutter Island?

The complex characters, particularly Teddy. Haunted by myriad ghosts and has a thinly-veiled brutal nature.

What other book might you compare Shutter Island to and why?

The Magus by John Fowles. As with The Magus, in Shutter Island, reality is not as it appears.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Teddy sets fire to Dr Collies car. Disturbingly, I found this scene quite satisfying!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Definitely. I found Dolores interaction with the children shocking and macabre.

Any additional comments?

A thought-provoking novel.

Review

Exceptional. Even better than the film. Dealing with grief, of any sort, is not easy. This story captures what loss and it's consequences can amount to. As such it's a very powerful metaphor. I leave it to you to decide if it's possible that we could share the fate of Mr Landis.

Amazing performance, gut-twistingly good story.

I often struggle to find narrators that are easy to listen to, with rich but not overly thick voices, who still have a knack for different tones and characters... Tom Stechshulte delivered above and beyond! And the story ... it'll have you drunk with confusion and intrigue. Definitely one that'll stick with me for a long long time.