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BOOK REVIEW: PIG ISLAND (MO HAYDER)

This book has had massive amounts of advertising, a lot of which has been in London’s network of Underground stations. “The most terrifying thriller you’ll read all year” it says on the front, a quote from an aptly named Karin Slaughter and yes, the first half of the book is captivating, centred around a mysterious island off the coast of Scotland where local legend says the devil lives.

There’s a video tape of a creature that doesn’t appear human (the creature, video tapes are inherently inhuman) and pig entrails keep washing up on the shore. A journalist with a colourful past investigates and eventually encounters what’s living on the island and there’s an explosion.

The first two hundred pages fly past as you are gripped by the plot, the story paces along like a turbo-charged juggernaut and by the time the journalist comes off the island, all sorts of possibilities unfold. But the second half of the book is disappointing and focuses more on the psychological effects of what has gone on and the sense of urgency evaporates from the book. Yes, there is a twist at the end, but it’s one that is not difficult to foretell.

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