Slaughterhouse Island's only claim to fame derives from its origins-an actual slaughterhouse now situated deep in the waters off its southern shores. Other than that, and a hanging death from a branch off one of its scrub pine trees, it's mostly unknown. Of course, with a name like Slaughterhouse Island, there are plenty of stories that suggest its cruel past and blood-thirsty denizens, but only some of these are plausible and none worthy of their billing. With a part of this novel truth rather than fiction, however, and even the fiction so much like the truth, readers may find its contents more than interesting. Welcome to Northern California and Slaughterhouse Island. You may or may not be sorry you came.