Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: June 15, 2021

The premise of SHUTTER held so much potential, but overall this book was a miss for me. The story follows Betty Roux, a young woman who moves across the country to New York, trying to escape the grief of losing her father. Betty’s dream is to be an actress, and a childhood friend hooks her up with a hot director who’s filming an homage (of sorts) to Cape Fear on a private island off the coast of Maine.

Poor Betty was so naïve! She doesn’t hesitate to accept the role as Lola, even though there are so many red flags. Remote location. Only five cast/crew members. Unscripted. Hidden cameras. Once there, the director wants to completely change Betty’s look. And then there’s something weird going on with the island’s caretaker.

Most of the book was a very slow build up to the big reveal at the end, and the reasoning behind the twist seemed so petty. Meh. I did enjoy the atmosphere created, and though the pacing was slow I stayed curious to see how things would play out. It just wasn’t the the thriller I was expecting from the blurb. The author’s writing style did keep me hooked, and I’m curious to see where she goes in her next book. — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.