Chilling . . . Absorbing . . . A pure adrenaline rush
344727
It's interesting how I came to know about Dennis Lehane.
I have a strong opinion that movies based on books do not do full justification to the original unabridged story. Movies like "Kiss the girls" and "Along came a spider" are examples. Individually these movies are good but nothing when compared to original books. The only exception is "Lord Of The Rings" which I truly enjoyed as a book and as a movie.
So when I saw trailer of "Shutter Island" on Youtube and when my friend told me that it's based on book, I immediately went searching for it.
Later, I came to know that other two favorite movies of mine, "Gone baby Gone" and "Mystic River" came from Dennis Lehane as well. I intend to read these two books very soon too.

Anyways, coming back to current book in hand (Shutter Island), all I can say is that this book starts with increasingly urgency and gives visceral shock towards the end.
Nothing prepared me for the final chapter of this book. I would suggest that you re-read the prologue and final chapter once you are done with the book.

Lot of other reviews here have already given the plot of this book so I wouldn't bother laying it out again.
I truly hope that the movie do full justice to this amazing and gripping book.
Highly recommended for thriller genre readers.

Thanks for reading this review.
1276681
This UNSTOPPABLE thriller begins with a BANG (literally) and the tension never eases. Extreme danger; military action; secrecy, covert maneuvering and intrigue in HIGH places.  I don't believe I took a breath the entire time. As a thriller/political espionage aficionado, I rank THE PATRIOT in the pantheon of the BEST.

This review is based on an ARC received from NetGalley on behalf of the publisher/author. No fees were exchanged.
1666410
This author writes in a way that makes you feel the bone chilling cold, the warmth of the fire and the terror of the characters.  Excellent read!
851437
Wow....I am so glad I read another McBride novel. This book was nerve racking to the end-and that was a good thing. The adrenaline rush that started at the beginning just kept building and building until a swashbuckling conclusion and beautiful ending. To say the least, I am very impressed with the story- the narrative, the attention to detail, and the movie that was playing in my mind as I kept reading. This isn't some B Horror Movie subject matter either- like any good cryptozoogical book, it makes the reader believe that it could theoretically happen. Also, it has that distinct flavor of making you feel like you are there, in the Andes hiking with thousands of mosquitoes jabbing at you viewing the happenings on the trail in a very perilous journey.

One common theme I have found so far in my second McBride book is that of the broken and vengeful father figure who is determined at all costs to destroy that which had destroyed his child. You really do empathize with the emotions and characteristics that make this father who he is, often a man of infinite wealth who has realized all the money in the world cannot buy back his dead child, and it rots him out from the inside, feeling the primordial need to strike back, even at the risk of destroying himself.

As I did a little research on Michael McBride through his website and reader comments, there are a lot of references to being the next Michael Crichton. I would say he is definitely in the race, quite possibly at first place....
161780
Wow! What a thrill ride of a read! I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this installment as the last two had been good but not too exciting... That is definitely not the case with Moving Target! The action starts off with a bang straight out of the gate -the tension and suspense remain taut throughout, making this a very hard book to put down and do other things! I would advise having a good chunk of time to fully devote your attention to gobble this up in one sitting. It is not the type of book that makes for good before bed reading, though... Pulse-punding, tense, and constant action make it one that will haunt your dreams... IF you manage to put it down and get to sleep! Thankfully there are few sweet, sappy smile inducing moments between Quinn and Maddie to break up the tension, just a little. I've been rooting for them so it's satisfying to see their relationship develop.

I am very excited to see if the next book is able to follow and live up to these footprints. If you are new to the series, while there is character background you'd be missing out on, you can jump right into this one without reading the prior two if you so choose.

Thank you Revell and NetGalley for this outstanding eARC.
2148420
I read this book in one day, and it was truly chilling. This book tugs subtly at an inner fear that someone you don't know and can't see may be watching you, and it gives you a very uncomfortable, unnerving feeling. Each time I finished a chapter, I couldn't possibly put the book down; I had to know what was going to happen, and I was terrified of what the outcome might be.

The reason I give this book four stars instead of five is because it was almost too suspenseful for its own good. Each progressive chapter gets more and more thrilling, and by the end you expect to blown away. While the first 90% of the book succeeds in sucking you in and chilling you to the bone, the finale proves to be a little too predictable, and almost too rushed. By the end of the book, you have so many questions that you want answered, and the answers could be better.

This book is still a must read. I was thoroughly entertained, and had genuine fear throughout the story. I was amazed that, at the same time, you could be haunted by what you had just read, terrified of what you might read next, and even more afraid of putting the book down. This book sets such a high expectation of what will ultimately happen, that it just can't live up to its own hype.
1000158
The first page of the story caused goose bumps to crawl on my arms, why?  The way the descriptive narrative moved along I was transported to the very place of gothic stones, hearing the rising and falling whisper winds, limestone crypt, wet cobblestones, gaslights, misting rain and light fog.  Didn't you feel it too?  Excitedly expressive and memorably detailed.  Warrior "M" female bad ass warrior, watch her blade move delicately and fierce with such velocity who so ever or what so ever comes in contact with it are a thing of the past, my friend.  Everything you could wander about the Chinese legends and myths were encompass here  not necessarily in that order though.  Her devoted companion, massive hellhound name Blue.  This demon dog does he need exercise?  He battles other demons and gets quite the workout, so that's a good question.  This bull size monstrosity has a mad loyalty to 'M' so it would behoove you to take careful steps when you approach her.  The giant hellhound followed 'M' out of hell and he became her faithful sidekick.  Choice and free will so dedicated in this story and became a mission for all.  Only  warriors of  M's line can handle darkness of such immense scope and power.  Pulse of energy, yaoguai, a Chinese demon warrior, black energy, fox demon,  sword skills like nothing she had ever seen.  Lashes, spinning, leap tumble, nothing but carnage.  I cannot tell you the excitement this book radiates  and to feel the pulsating action and thrill of it all, that just a small part.  Imaginative and compulsive, compelling and oodles of action to keep your attention wanting more.  So if you want a good read to  quench that thirst for action, thrill mixed with sci-fi and the paranormal stuff,  pick up this book you will not be disappointed.  I received a free book that I had won through Goodreads, First Read Giveaway.  Thank you, Darlene Cruz
4104228
I do dislike using the tired clich, page-turner, but this book was definitely exactly that.

Ex-special forces friends regroup to battle an enemy more bizarre and dangerous than any they have fought before.

An alarming conspiracy, an abundance of action and intrigue, and characters with depth, all contributed to an adrenaline filled adventure well worth reading.

Another favourite author discovered whose books are now on my download list!

I received a copy of this book from eBook Discovery in return for my honest opinion.
2509867
Read it over five or six days and came away thinking how insightful Joel C. Rosenberg writes about terror.  We now live in a less busy city than Washington D.C., but did live in "DC" for about seven years.  The "incident" Rosenberg creates in the center of DC is chillingly plausible and should make every reader question their personal readiness to survive a domestic terror attack.  Every twist that takes the reader from relative calm to heart pounding action is exceptionally well done.  May I say, though, if I were as close to dying violently and as often as James Collins in this thriller, there would be NO delay on my part to get on my knees and "come to Jesus!"  Looking forward to the obvious follow-on story!  Thanks for a great read....
2932219
I highly recommend this compelling story, skillfully made up on a solid base of deep, personal knowledge and experience. The reader is drawn into the thrilling action, feeling all the extreme fatigue, stress, fear and hope, as the protagonists do. I never climbed up the top of a mountain, but now I feel as if I did it. This is a promising onset of a new author.
365963
This novel provides the edge of your seat, driving a fast car adrenaline rush that keeps one actively engaged with all of the actions and counter actions that are taking place in the lives of ordinary people.  At the moment the relaxed feeling of knowing where this is going starts to creep in, WHAM! the reader is immersed in navigating this new twist in the road.  On and on like this until the end . . . or is it really the end?  Who knows?  I am just waiting for something else from this author!  An overall excellent engaging read.
633211
Action, intense, exciting! I felt like I was there and I became part of this story, hidden in the shadows watching all that was going on.  I felt the pain inflicted on Madison by a madman, the love for her Mom and the rest of her family and friends, the ease of her relationships. This story was so intense at times, I felt distressed and wanted to peek at the ending to relieve my mind.  A real thriller, will look for more from this author!
1267583
WOW...Non-stop, pulse-pounding, hold-on-to-your-seat ACTION from beginning to end! A military special-ops team, sent as escorts for a group of weapons inspectors, enter a secluded genetics research facility out in the Arizona desert. Little did they realize as they entered, that many would not make it back out alive!  A new bioweapon has been unleashed on the underground facility, as well as a group of terrorists trying to gain control of it.  Unfortunately, this new weapon is alive and hungry!  It is up to the team of marines to take down the terrorists and save as many lives as they can; while at the same time, save their own. If I had to compare, I would say this is a cross between "Area 7" by Matthew Reilly and "Beneath the Dark Ice" by Greig Beck. Very highly recommended for any action/adventure enthusiast!
2491280
If you thrive on suspense, Cheryl Swanson's book, DEATH GAME, will pump up your adrenaline. The book opens with a teenager's murder, apparently committed by another teenager. The incident seems too small to be considered terrorism, until you find it's a "mere" experiment.

When protagonist, Cooper O'Brien, sets out to prove her young brother's innocence, she discovers a massive conspiracy. Is it possible for the game programmer, called "the Deity," to channel a kid's latent bigotry into his electronic game addiction and to desensitize him to killing? Readers, fasten your seat belts!

There are bonuses to all this suspense as well. First is the author's obvious tough love for her setting, San Francisco. It shows in such descriptions as, when the sun goes down, "The city [comes] up out of the sea like a glorious firebird." Much of her word play is at once gritty and beautiful, such as, "a conference table the size of an oil slick," and "Eyes unblinking, bodies stiff except for the twitching fingers, hardcore gamers made [Cooper] think of spectators at their own dismemberment."

A second bonus comes with the oh-so-real characters who revolve around Cooper, like her neighbor, Crazy Sally; her flamingly gay friend and boarder, Razel; her former husband, Rick, undeniably attractive, despite his seriously flawed character. And always in the shadows is her counter-espionage father whom she thinks of as "Rambo in Wingtips." Did he really die as she was told? And can we expect to see at least some of these characters in Swanson's future books?

Still another bonus comes from Swanson's skill in "informing" the reader, along with Cooper, through conversations with her kid brother's shrink. He comes off believably as a pony-tailed, retired army colonel, who knows the psychology behind electronic combat games used to train troops. Also this shrink is able to furnish research that only in rare cases, can such brain-washing produce murderers. Thus Cooper is able to hold fast to her hope that, counter to all evidence, her brother did not pull the trigger on his peer.

Her quest to find the truth, get justice for Jimmie, and stop the terrorists climaxes when she finds herself on a sailboat in the path of an enormous oil tanker. She realizes it is bent on striking the Golden Gate Bridge with an explosion that would kill thousands on the waterfront. No cheating by reading the end first though! You'll be glad you read from the beginning.
4520409
High adrenaline ride that reads like a screenplay.

Revolt a carefully sliced cascade of action that kept my heart racing. Truth. The Prologue was the scariest thing I've ever read, seriously, the idea of having one's face surgically removed is an absolutely terrifying idea. But the science and mechanization kept me enthralled all the way to the end.

I found it frustrating at times, since each chapter switched perspective and left with an intense cliffhanger that clawed at my tender insides. (As a writer, I love doing this, so Bravo! Ireland.) The sequences kept my brain active and guessing, which I like. And it tricked me several times, which is always a plus...Trick me and I keep you forever.

The intensity of the book, in earnest, was not something I am used to, since I tend to stay in the YA fantasy genre, so Cyber-Horror-Urban-Punk was hard to leap into. The devastating war action and causalities made it hard to breath sometimes. And I had to go back and for a bit in the chapters to catch all the characters and action. I just didn't want to miss any details, I even wrote it all out in my notebook to make sure I got it all.

This series would make an amazing HBO and I'm eager for the conclusion.
4379216
The term 'rollercoaster ride' is so frequently over-used in reference to emotional events that it has become something of a clich, trotted out like a knackered old nag every time an author pens a turbulent book.

In the case of 'Angels of the Deep', however, there simply is no better term than 'rollercoaster ride'. The initial pages of the book, dealing with the terror of a small boy at the hands of a twisted priest ratchet the car higher and higher up the first incline. Approaching the hundredth page, as Chief Becket Merriday's already-complicated life is further convoluted by one brutal discovery after another, the car is poised at the very zenith of the ride; nothing ahead but limitless frightening space. It's when the reader hits page 127 (don't you DARE skip ahead!) that the car hurtles down into the first deep ravine, your stomach is exploring crevices in your body that you never knew existed, and Ms Crow -hithertofore manning the brakes- has just leapt out of the car. You're on your own, for the gut-wrenching ride of your life.

Forget the damp nose of the dog, nudging you for his evening walk. Forget your best beloved imploring you to go to bed. Forget that you have to get up early for work tomorrow. There is no place to stop, no pull-over on the road once you're past that page, no map-reading and nip-behind-the-bushes-for-a-loo-break moment.

Every person you will meet along this wild ride, no matter how minor their role, is a loving study in characterisation. Every place, too, is a character, with Ms Crow's lush descriptive prose pouring subtle visuals into your retinas until you can taste the darkness that envelops this entire book.

You will learn more sand-pitted ancient history than you ever thought you needed to know, and Ms Crow ties it all neatly with a bloody, vengeful bow. Shot through with anger, blood, vengeance and desire, this story delivers everything you could want, reverberating with subtle and clever semiotics, and the shocking revelation that you are reading the most unexpected and intense study in love.

Revelations. Ah. This is the rub: I can't deliver a detailed review of this book without diving into spoilers. But revelations you will have aplenty, and when they come they are shocking, intense, and delicious. This is a beautifully-crafted book that demands a second reading, just to see if it really happened.

Like leaving the cinema after an immersive movie, 'Angels of the Deep' finally disgorges its reader onto the streets of reality, as bewildered and blinking as a newborn. 'Mangled' was the first word that came to mind (still is the most apt word) when I tried to describe how I felt once finished. This story is exhausting for the reader, yet rewarding. It's almost as good as revenge, but this book is a dish best served bloody and still-warm.

This deserves to be a hardcover. Quite why Ms Crow is writing for small presses is beyond me. 'Angels of the Deep' has the chops to butt heads with Stephen King and, while it may not win against such a master of his genre, it would acquit itself damn well.

While heading into work the day after reading this book, I noticed the moon was a rare bloody orange, as if she knew what words I'd been devouring the night before. The random lipsalve I'd grabbed from the drawer and stuffed in my bag that morning had been one scented with apples (read the book; you'll know why that gave me such a start when I uncapped and used it). This is a book that makes you question reality just a little and look over your shoulder, just to make sure.

The silver screen would adore 'Angels of the Deep'. Somebody needs to tell Ridley Scott that his next opus awaits between these covers.
1146963
Phenomenal is the first word that comes to mind to describe this roller coaster.  I once read that to write a great novel novel, you have to keep the protagonist in trouble, trouble, trouble!  It couldn't have been done any more effectively.  The beginning development was very believable, and a sympathetic character emerged.  I liked the author's writing style immediately--he is FUNNY!  Even as the book turned into a deadly serious game of suspense, I found myself laughing out loud at some of the clever turns of phrase.  The plot itself has been detailed ad nauseum in these reviews, so I'll not repeat what you could read on the "book flap" but will say that it TRULY is impossible to put down.  I read it in one sitting because I couldn't tear myself away.  Now, if you're expecting a man's moral awakening as he learns his lesson...sorry, that is not the direction you're going in this book.  And if you're expecting the totally plausible beginning to continue in the same way, forget about it, because this tale becomes so unbelievable you'll have to snicker at how ridiculous it is...but you'll keep reading.  This is one to get under your belt for the sheer enjoyment of the ride.  Derailed is great fun.  Make a big pot of coffee before you begin, get comfortable, and start the book that will keep you wide-eyed all night!  I only wish I still had it ahead of me to enjoy.