It just now occurred to me that this is mostly a sort of ghoulish retelling of The Thin Man. ( )

Wow! Totally awesome story! ( )

Pig Island. Mo Hayder. 2006. A young brash British reporter, Joe Oaks, reports on supernatural activities and “things,” and the people who perpetuate them. He is asked to come to Pig Island to meet with a strange religious community. He had come in contact with their leader, Malachi Dove. Pig Island is off the coast of northern Scotland and al creepy place without the present of the sect. Reports of apparitions and Satanism drew him. Once there, he is told that Malachi Dove has lost his mind and is no longer welcome in the group. Joe is determined to meet Dove and make his own judgment. Joe is almost electrocuted, the sect is destroyed and Dove’s daughter leaves the island with Oaks. This book is not for the faint hearted. There is lots of violence and some really gross scenes, It is certainly suspenseful and the ending was a real shocker. ( )

A thrilling mystery mixed with a dash of horror? At first, I wasn't sure, but my opinion quickly changed to, "Yes, please!" This is a novel by Mo Hayder, after all, who, true to form, delivers a brutal tale that pushes the boundaries - it even made me look away from the pages in disgust once, which is no small feat!

I stayed up late several nights reading this book at supersonic speed, and the ending did not disappoint! Read closely, and you'll even catch a pinch of the supernatural at the very end. Considering that one of the plot points of the book was to debunk the paranormal, this little inclusion, all too easily missed if you're not paying close attention, makes the piece even better. Although this is a stand alone story, fans of Hayder's Jack Caffery will probably love this one as well. 5 stars! ( )

This book took me a long time to finish. It had an interesting premise, but the actual story was not that compelling. The first part of the book was the most interesting. Joe investigates the secretive cult living on the island. Joe has become obsessed with the cult leader, Malachi Dove, and wants to get to the bottom of the mystery of what is living on the island.

After events on the island come to a head, the book moves into its second part. Now the book switches back and forth between Joe's point of view, and that of his wife, Lexie. Lexie is a very unsympathetic character. Very self serving. I couldn't care about the character, even when something unpleasant happened to her.

I would have liked a little more background on Malachi. An explanation of how he went from being a charismatic religious leader to a crazed loner would have improved the story. As it is, we just have to accept that he has spent many years hiding on one side of the island.

Towards the end of the book, Joe's obsession with Angeline also becomes a bit much. As Angeline grows stronger, he seems to grow crazier. Overall, this book was ok. I would give this author another chance, especially since other reviewers have noted that this is not her strongest book. ( )