The Institute
A dark, high-concept psychological thriller set in an isolated institute, perfect for fans of Shutter Island
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Simon & Schuster Ltd
Published:26th Feb '26
Should be back in stock very soon

The Sanctuary meets Shutter Island in this high-concept psychological thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Sisterhood.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER FLOCK TOGETHER
BUT NEVER UNDERESTIMATE
THE INSTINCT TO SURVIVE
A group of students jump off a train platform into the path of an arriving train. The lone survivor, Billie, cannot recall the incident, but is adamant that she and her friends weren’t suicidal. Desperate for answers, Billie agrees to sign herself into the care of the Arbor Institute, a mysterious, corporate-backed research body investigating a disturbing rise in similar incidents around the globe.
At the Institute, Billie learns more about ‘flock phenomena’, where people band together to self-destruct. She is told that she’s at risk of ‘re-flocking’, and if she does, she will likely die.
But not everything is as it seems. When Billie discovers that she and her fellow survivors have been completely cut off from the outside world, she realizes they may not be safe.
And as she sets her sights on survival, the Institute may regret taking her under their wing. Because this wounded fledgling might turn out to be a bird of prey…
‘Both thoughtful and compelling, this is a thriller that will leave you thinking long after the last page…Moving and memorable’ Jo Furniss, author of Dead Mile
‘Brilliantly executed, alarming, deeply disturbing and worryingly believable!’ Trevor Wood, author of The Inside Man
'Both thoughtful and compelling, this is a thriller that will leave you thinking long after the last page. The beautifully-written, eerie atmosphere of the isolated island facility underlines the terrifyingly dystopian idea that we can never escape our captors in this inter-connected world. Moving and memorable' Jo Furniss, author of Dead Mile
?‘The Institute, like all the best speculative fiction, takes a real-world problem and pushes it to an inevitable and terrifying extreme. In this case it’s the unethical practices and profit-before-everything approach of big Pharma which even now goes largely unchecked. It’s brilliantly executed, alarming, deeply disturbing and worryingly believable!’ Trevor Wood, author of The Inside Man
ISBN: 9781398514300
Dimensions: 234mm x 153mm x 27mm
Weight: unknown
384 pages