Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: As I read this book, I kept checking to see if I had the wrong author. I do think it would be a great movie but one I figured out half way through. Maybe he is just tired but had to fulfill a book deal because this book does not stand up to the standards established in previous books. I really missed his complex characterizations. This book was like a good wax museum; pleasant to look at but not real. Maybe Lehane wants to make a lot of money on a movie deal. Can't say that I blame him. Think Russell Crowe for the lead.
Rating: 
Summary: Caveat emptor
Review: This is not so much a review as a warning. SHUTTER ISLAND is not a crime story or a mystery story. It is a gothic horror story. As such, it is designed to inculcate a different response in the reader than those other literary forms. As a gothic horror story it is exceptionally well done. Top of the line. If you are expecting something else, however, you will be very disappointed by the ending, as several of the Amazon reviewers have been. This is a departure for Lehane. If you're up for gothic horror, go for it. If you expect a traditional crime or mystery story, brace yourself for the possibility of significant disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: Yet another reason why I call Lehane a favorite. . .
Review: As you can tell from the various customer reviews found on this site, Shutter Island drudges up some mixed reactions. People either seem to love it or hate it. Personally, I'm in the former category. Shutter Island is definitely a departure for Lehane, but I'm glad he did it. This book is a twisty/creepy plunge into a high-security psychiatric ward, and the atmosphere is so thick you can reach out and pinch it. The main character, Teddy Daniels, is engaging and well-developed, as is his partner, Chuck Aule, and my attachment to these characters made the suspense really grab hold. And most importantly, this is one of the best endings I've come across in a long time and not one soon forgotten. Very clever and wonderfully portrayed. Really, my only gripe with the novel is that there were a few spots that dragged. Not many, but enough for me to take notice. All in all, another gem from Lehane and one that shouldn't be passed up. A quick warning: it isn't a very optimistic book, so if that bothers you, you might want to skip this one. But if you enjoy twisty plots, a dark, foreboding atmosphere and an ending that'll knock you on your rear, then give it a shot.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this book now!
Review: If you are reading something else when Shutter Island arrives, put it up. You can come back to it later when you are done reading Shutter Island. This book is that good!
Rating: 
Summary: A Very Clever Conceit - Think "Identity"
Review: This book is clever, and finally, almost too clever for its own good. For those who've seen a recent film called "Identity" (with John Cusack), it's a close kin. Lehane's book is better than the film. Somehow, one thinks that the writer of "Mystic River" and "Drink Before Water" might be slumming.
Rating:
Summary: The Author Writes For Himself
Review: Lehane is a very very good writer. He uses his talent to construct a novel like July 4th fireworks that are beautiful and exciting. At the conclusion, however, the reader is left with ashes and an empty sky. I don't always need a happy ending but I also do not like hopeless ones or endings that are depressing. One is left with the impression that the author was very clever, leads one down a garden path, and then ultimately leaves one gutted. Lehane ought to use his talent to better effect than to simply dazzle us, let us taste everything, and then abandon us with our stomachs upset.
Rating:
Summary: good light read
Review: Dennis Lehane is one of those writers whose books I buy on name recognition alone; I've read and enjoyed all his works. This one is no exception--but it is NOT one of his best. This book reminds me of the movie "A few good men"--you burn through a fast paced build up to a great finish, but while the finish may leave a good taste in your mouth you shouldn't forget the other 90% of the story. Suffice to say on second look there are some major holes in the plot. Once you read it, then go back through the plot, this story is more than a little bit far fetched. And without the far-fetched premise (think p. 209-210, for starters) you don't get the fantastic finish. All that being said, this is a good light read for the first time through--if this is a future screenplay I'm more than curious how they will make the ends tie together. All that being said, Lehane has a skill at dialogue and a writing style that is first-rate. I prefer his earlier stuff over this but it's still a good evening's read. When Mr. Lehane writes his next work I'll still be there with my $.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars unabridged audio
Review: What gave this novel the kick it needed was the excellent narration by Tom Stechschulte. He gave this very eerie story power. Dennis Lehane is a fine author but I think this novel ranks just a bit below his last. Highly recommended for the audio.
Rating:
Summary: This thriller keeps you going until the surprise ending
Review: Lehane's Shutter Island, is a fast-paced thriller but not in the league with his psychological thriller, Mystic River. Nevertheless the reader is plunged into a fascinating story set at a 1954-era mental hospital for the criminally insane on a lonely island. Two U.S. marshalls have been summoned to find an escaped mental patient, Rachel Solando, who drowned her three children in a lake behind her house. Marshalls Teddy Daniels and Chuck Aule start immediately to question patients and guards. They find a reluctance to help and evidence of the patients being coached on their answers. One of the patients scribbles in Daniels notebook "run" when the guards aren't looking. He also finds cryptic clues left behind by Rachel Solando and notes that he suspects involve some conspiracy about a missing patient. Daniels came on this mission with an ulterior motive,to find the inmate who set fire to his apartment house that resulted in the death of his wife. He suspects the man is being housed in Ward C, a lockdown for the most dangerous patients. A major hurricane hits the island and shuts down the electricity and thus all security. Daniels find more clues about Andrew Laeddis, the suspected arsonist and possibly the missing patient. A vanishing partner and no imminent escape routes from the island build suspense and keep you turning the pages. The clever surprise ending will have you rereading the book to look for the now obvious (in hindsight) clues.
Rating:
Summary: Lehane gets better and better
Review: I've followed Dennis Lehane for most of his career, and find that he is best when not writing to a genre formula. As good as Mystic River was, Shutter Island will certainly up his reputation a few more notches. It has one surprise after another, and even when it becomes a bit predictable, it doesn't falter. I read it in two sittings, ( I am an admitted, but recovering insomniac.)and was not disappointed in the least.
| 
