engrossing and stylish - Rated 
I just finished the book and I loved it. It was really engrossing, I read it in 3 sittings, and the style was as usual perfect, with very smooth and vivid descriptions. Even the dream parts were good reading, which is often something failed by other authors. I agree with another reviewer on some inconsistency between the prologue and the end - I think Dennis should have done without the prologue, which does not bring anything. But this does not remove any star for me. Very good ... and chilling ... story.
loved it! - Rated
I read this book a few years ago and it still sticks in my mind-Dennis Lehane is a brilliant author and I thought this was one of his best. The ending is quite a shock and I for one didn't see it coming! I don't understand how anyone could give this one star-ignore that review it's just wrong! I would recommend any of Lehane's books
A book which mistakes incoherence and contradiction for depth and intelligence - Rated 
This is the first Lehane I have read, and I did so upon hearing that Scorsese is gearing up to make the movie version. The premise is great - a mental institution, an island, a storm, a locked room puzzle, a missing person, a period setting - but this is the biggest waste of a reader's time I have come across in a long while.
Without spoiling anything, the book wants you to question notions of reality and identity, degrees of sanity, and Lehane seems to think he is being enigmatic and mysterious. In truth, this novel is just plain silly. There are, for example, inconsistencies in dates and character names between the prologue and the ridiculous twist that mean that the story is structurally nonsensical. This is not a novel that can be solved in any meaningful way, which completely negates the point. It poses questions and riddles which it doesn't have the intelligence to answer and so falls back on cliche and the worst kind of ambiguity. That is to say, ambiguity can be powerful, a novel does not need to tie up every loose end and narrative thread. But without a logical frame, ambiguity like this leads to nothing but frustration. This is a novel that simply makes no sense, not because of the reader's inability to unravel a complex plot but rather because the writer is unable to think beyond an interesting premise and produce a satisfying, coherent and fully realised story.
One of the Best... - Rated
One of the best crime/mystery novels I've read in ages. There's real quality in the writing and it kept me interested until the very last page.
I understand that Leonardo Di Caprio will star in the film version and I'm really glad I read it beforehand as he's nothing like I imagine the lead character to be.
It kept me guessing and that's no mean feet but it was the quality of the writing that made it an even more rewarding process. Highly recommended.
Brilliant! - Rated
This is my first Dennis Lehane book (another Amazon reader recommended it) and I wasn't disappointed.
The setting is eerie and disturbing, set in the early 1950's when the second world war and it's devastating impact was still keenly felt by individuals and countries. The cast of characters is one of flawed human beings with secrets to hide.
The story as it unfolds over just four days is brilliant - an absolute page turner from beginning to end and I couldn't put it down. The ending is clever and unexpected and I'm looking forward to my next Dennis Lehane book.
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