Pig Island by Mo Hayder

Have you ever gone into the bookstore with a title in mind but then, upon picking up the book, realized you already owned it and for some reason didn’t make the connection when reading about the book online? No. Good for you. Unfortunately it seems to happen to me quite a bit, mostly because I will sometimes buy a dozen books a month, some of which I don’t read for years, my credit card always wanting to add a new title or two or ten to the list of charges that smacks me in the face every month. Thankfully this time around I recognized the book before buying it, my mind realizing that the cover looked very familiar, and that I probably already owned it. Because of this I decided to look around for something else, my mind determined to use a coupon I had with me, and quickly stumbled upon another book I had read about, one that I knew I did not already own. It was titled Pig Island.

Pig Island is the story of journalist Joe Oakes who gets invited to write an article about an isolated cult like religious group living on a remote island off the coast of Scotland, one which has sparked many rumors of satanic rituals and occult practices. Making the situation even more interesting is that a tourist on a boat seems to have captured video of a strange beast like creature scavenging for food on the island’s beach, one which causes quite a stir. Used to proving such occurrences as hoaxes, Joe Oakes heads to the island certain he will have a typical story from a group whose only real goal is to raise money, which is something these groups are always trying to do, something which his article will inadvertently help with. What he soon learns, however, is that while the group does want publicity, it is only because they are in a legal battle to buy the island sanctuary from their leader who they feel has gone a little crazy and who has sectioned himself off on a treacherous part of the island. Furthermore, it was on this part of the island where the strange beast was seen, and where rotting remains of pigs that wash up on the mainland all the time seem to be originating from. Sensing a bigger story than he first imagined, and also interested because the estranged leader of the group is someone he has had a run-in with in the past, Joe Oakes decides to investigate this part of the island, a mistake he will live with and regret for the rest of his life.

Told in first person from the point of view of Joe Oakes, and sometimes his wife Lexie, Pig Island is a well written thriller that literally leaves the reader guessing all the way to the last page, something which doesn’t really happen all that often despite how common the phrase has become. In fact, this one was so skillfully written that by the time I realized what had truly happened I only had a few sentences left to read, my mind completely blown away with how well I had been fooled. Even now, several hours later I keep going back over the events of the book in my mind thinking to myself oh my god, that means . . . -- I won’t go any further with the thought, not when such an experience is best enjoyed by reading the book itself. So, if you are a fan of horrific mysteries and need something good to read, go grab a copy of this book. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Even better, this author has several other books in print ready to be read, all of which will soon be finding a home on my bookshelf.