MYSTERY

Shutter

Berkley. Jun. 2021. 368p. ISBN 9780593101391. pap. $17. SUSPENSE
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DEBUT Betty Roux struggles to make personal connections. She’s fled her hometown of Humboldt, CA, in the wake of her beloved father’s death by suicide, putting a country’s width between herself and her emotionally distant mother. Upon arriving in New York City, she contacts Sophia, a friend she’s kept up with via Facebook, who, along with her boyfriend Ben, invites Betty to stay on their couch. Before Betty can even ask, they introduce her to Ben’s boss, acclaimed filmmaker Anthony Marino, who’s on the hunt for an actress to round out the intimate cast of his mysteriously unscripted, unstructured new film. Enter Betty Roux. Betty’s perpetual status as an unknowable outsider continues in her interactions with Anthony and the gang as they put together his film, set on his family’s private island in remotest Maine. Anthony turns Betty into a character named “Lola” and uses her as bait in a trap for Sammy, the island’s caretaker and Anthony’s childhood nemesis.
VERDICT In this twisty thriller, Betty’s first-person narration will keep readers on their toes. Recommended for fans of thrillers with unreliable narrators, and psychologically intense plots involving movies and filmmaking.
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