Author Jeremy Bates gave me an e-copy of Island of the Dolls for review.
Island of the Dolls is #4 in the World's Scariest Places series.
Set on the real world Isla de las Muencas, Island of the Dolls is a good scary read. A mixed group of characters travel to the island to film a documentary. They of course immediately get caught up in the local legend of evil goings on.
Jeremy Bates does a good job of painting a mental picture of an exceedingly creepy setting. The story is told through the viewpoint of alternating characters.
We have a little bit of everything in this story; murder, mystery, madness, romance, sex, violence (besides the murder), and of course most of all, horror. Some of the scenes are absolutely terrifying (dolls--shudder).
Island of the Dolls alternates between historic and present day settings full of cruelty and abuse. The Nuns are particularly nasty. Interpersonal conflicts among the main characters keeps the reader from ever feeling comfortable. Mismatched couples and macho b.s. only add to the atmosphere of the story.
Since I don't do spoilers it is difficult to give too much detail, but suffice to say there are enough twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. Some developments were predictable, but not enough of them to label the story as such.
Island of the Dolls lives up to the designation of one of the "World's Scariest Places" (maybe higher that #4 for me), and Jeremy Bates has woven a scary tale around the legend of the place. Enjoy!
Mike
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