Reviews
To summarize: this is just superb. One of the best thrillers I have read in years. It's fresh. The writing totally encapsulates you from the very beginning to the very end. It will sicken you. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will read with one eye closed and you will find some of it harrowing. You will be amazed at the strength of the characters and how they think of things you would never think of. This proves to me the imagination Shannon Kirk has and believe me, we will be hearing a lot more from this lady in the future. The highest possible recommendation and 5 stars., "Method 15/33 is crowded with fascinating characters -- even the spear carriers pop off the page -- but the standout is the kidnapped pregnant teenager. Her captors want her baby. Little do they know they've brought an insanely brilliant, angry, vengeful, borderline sociopath under their roof. Somebody's in big trouble... and it isn't the teenager." , "Kidnapped, close to death, and about to give birth, this thriller's brilliant and slightly sociopathic protagonist is determined not only to save herself and her baby, but also to exact a horrible revenge on her captors. She is strong, purposeful, smart, and introspective. Teens know from the get-go that she has survived the ordeal, but that won't stop readers from believing that anything could happen along the way. A gripping, unsettling work with a young woman who is unrelenting in her single-minded pursuit of her mission. Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense."--School Library Journal - Best Adult Books For Teens Selection, "Completely original and totally kick ass! Shannon Kirk pulls no punches in this adrenaline rush of a thriller where the victim is the one to watch, while the kidnappers learn to fear. Loved it!" --Lisa Gardner, New York Times, best-selling author " Method 15/33 is crowded with fascinating characters but the standout is the kidnapped pregnant teenager. Her captors want her baby. Little do they know they've brought an insanely brilliant, angry, vengeful, borderline sociopath under their roof." --F. Paul Wilson, New York Times best-selling author * "In Kirk's harrowing first novel, a kidnap victim--16 years old and pregnant--meticulously plots her escape . . . This exciting tale builds to a surprising climax." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) * "Nietzsche warned us to beware of people with a strong desire to punish. That thought lingers after putting down this dark, disturbing, damnably readable novel . . . a worthy challenge, a joy to discuss . . ." -- Booklist (Starred Review) * "Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense." -- School Library Journal (Starred Review) "Shannon Kirk's riveting debut novel, Method 15/33 , features kidnapped pregnant teen Lisa Yyland. Readers will see parallels between Lisa and Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , both victims who refuse to be victimized . . . Welcome a thrilling new voice in crime fiction." -- The Boston Globe "Wow. Ridiculously good. Crazy good. Brilliantly heart-stoppingly nail-bitingly original, this is a true thriller tour de force. Shannon Kirk is an instant star." --Hank Philippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha, and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author "What happens when infant traffickers kidnap the wrong pregnant teen? You get Method 15/33 , a cross between The Lovely Bones and Silence of the Lambs . Shannon's debut thriller is a dark, literate page-turner, utterly compelling." --Leonard Rosen, award-winning author "Kidnapped, close to death, and about to give birth, this thriller's brilliant and slightly sociopathic protagonist is determined not only to save herself and her baby, but also to exact a horrible revenge on her captors. A gripping, unsettling work with a young woman who is unrelenting in her single-minded pursuit of her mission." --Best Adult Books 4 Teens, School Library Journal " Method 15/33 takes us to some very dark places, and at times, we can't help but wonder whose soul is the darker--the captor's or the captive's . . ." -- Mystery Scene "Shannon Kirk's brilliant Method 15/33 . . . delivers, big-time . . . Kirk's choice of protagonist for this crime thriller is utter gold . . . Method 15/33 is a solid winner." -- Foreword Reviews, She is taken in a flash, thrown into the back of a van, tied up, and blindfolded. She is 16, pregnant, and in trouble. The room she is taken to is three floors up--a farmhouse, perhaps? The man who kidnapped her comes in at precisely the same time three times a day to give her food. A doctor comes to check on the health of her baby, and once, a couple comes to be assured that their new baby--her baby--will be blue-eyed and healthy. She waits. She collects "assets," such as the handle from the bathroom bucket, a towel, or a blanket. She practices her escape and plans her revenge. Kirk's brilliantly executed novel alternates between the kidnapped girl and Special Agent Roger Liu--the detective assigned to find her. He and his partner slowly and methodically collect clues as they make their way to the remote hideaway. Meanwhile, the kidnapped girl is stuck in the room awaiting her certain death at the hands of the brutal man and his partners. But her brilliance is exceeded only by her ability to plan, calculate, observe, and wait. The abductors never have a chance as she orchestrates a conclusion that will leave readers satisfied and possibly unsettled. Readers wait with her as she ponders the right moment to make a move even as they suspect that it might not work. VERDICT Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense. - Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA - School Library Journal, If you read thrillers, run and get your hands on a copy of Method 15/33 by Shannon Kirk. I did think twice about reading this one. Was I really in the mood for another abduction story? In this case, a pregnant sixteen year old is pulled into an old van and driven for days....and that's where it stops being like anything else I've read. The book opens with the girl alone in a locked room, carefully listing every asset and assigning it a number. She is determined to keep her baby safe, to escape, and to exact her revenge. I read straight through, turning pages to find out just who this girl was and what was going to happen to her. And was surprised when I thought the story was coming to an end and realized that I still had half of the book to go., She is taken in a flash, thrown into the back of a van, tied up, and blindfolded. She is 16, pregnant, and in trouble. The room she is taken to is three floors up--a farmhouse, perhaps? The man who kidnapped her comes in at precisely the same time three times a day to give her food. A doctor comes to check on the health of her baby, and once, a couple comes to be assured that their new baby--her baby--will be blue-eyed and healthy. She waits. She collects "assets," such as the handle from the bathroom bucket, a towel, or a blanket. She practices her escape and plans her revenge. Kirk's brilliantly executed novel alternates between the kidnapped girl and Special Agent Roger Liu--the detective assigned to find her. He and his partner slowly and methodically collect clues as they make their way to the remote hideaway. Meanwhile, the kidnapped girl is stuck in the room awaiting her certain death at the hands of the brutal man and his partners. But her brilliance is exceeded only by her ability to plan, calculate, observe, and wait. The abductors never have a chance as she orchestrates a conclusion that will leave readers satisfied and possibly unsettled. Readers wait with her as she ponders the right moment to make a move even as they suspect that it might not work. VERDICT Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense.--School Library Journal, "In Kirk's harrowing first novel, a kidnap victim--16 years old and pregnant--meticulously plots her escape. Although locked in a sparsely furnished third-floor room of what she believes to be a white farmhouse, the nameless narrator is confident that she can turn the tables on her male captor ("I had the wits to beat this horrible, disgusting thing"). Her visitors include a doctor and a couple she calls Mr. and Mrs. Obvious, who intend to take her baby. Fueled by a desire for revenge, she carefully catalogues every possible asset that she might use: a loose floorboard is #4, a pencil sharpener is #15, and so on. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Roger Liu investigates the abduction case of Dorothy M. Salucci, another in a series of missing pregnant teens, and he tracks a slim lead to rural Indiana. Back at the farmhouse, the narrator sets out to rescue herself, and with great cunning and patience she carries out the plan she calls 15/33. Her willpower and ingenuity prove more than a match for the callous brutality of those who wish her ill as this exciting tale builds to a surprising climax."--Publishers Weekly - Starred Review, Kidnapped, close to death, and about to give birth, this thriller's brilliant and slightly sociopathic protagonist is determined not only to save herself and her baby, but also to exact a horrible revenge on her captors. She is strong, purposeful, smart, and introspective. Teens know from the get-go that she has survived the ordeal, but that won't stop readers from believing that anything could happen along the way. A gripping, unsettling work with a young woman who is unrelenting in her single-minded pursuit of her mission., "Pregnancy is a driving force in this month's crime fiction. Shannon Kirk's riveting debut novel, "Method 15/33,"features kidnapped pregnant teen Lisa Yyland. Inwardly she scorns and ridicules her captor, all the while pretending to be terrified and cowed into submission. Her greatest assets are intangibles: a steel-trap memory and an ability to literally switch her emotions on and off. Readers will see parallels between Lisa and Lisbeth Salander from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," both victims who refuse to be victimized. The story gathers steam as it goes along, and the reader soon becomes attached to quirky Lisa. So it's nice to know early on that she'll survive her ordeal (she narrates the story from 17 years in the future). The question is how, and watching the answer unfold is like watching a wondrously complicated, well-oiled Rube Goldberg contraption in action. Welcome a thrilling new voice in crime fiction."--The Boston Globe, Kidnapped, close to death, and about to give birth, this thriller's brilliant and slightly sociopathic protagonist is determined not only to save herself and her baby, but also to exact a horrible revenge on her captors. She is strong, purposeful, smart, and introspective. Teens know from the get-go that she has survived the ordeal, but that won't stop readers from believing that anything could happen along the way. A gripping, unsettling work with a young woman who is unrelenting in her single-minded pursuit of her mission. Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense., "Shannon Kirk's brilliant Method 15/33...delivers, big-time...Kirk's choice of [this] protagonist for this crime thriller is utter gold. This novel presents a situation...that could have been another girl-in-trouble novel in the hands of a less skilled writer, but never goes there...Written in first-person point of view, Method 15/33 is intense, character-driven, thoughtful, and emotionally satisfying...There's also room at the novel's end for more forays into Lisa's post-kidnapping world. Should Kirk decide to do a follow-up novel, or even start a short series, such a move would be a welcome event. Method 15/33 is a solid winner." --Forword Reviews [Full review here: https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/method-15-33/], "She is taken in a flash, thrown into the back of a van, tied up, and blindfolded. She is 16, pregnant, and in trouble. The room she is taken to is three floors up--a farmhouse, perhaps? The man who kidnapped her comes in at precisely the same time three times a day to give her food. A doctor comes to check on the health of her baby, and once, a couple comes to be assured that their new baby--her baby--will be blue-eyed and healthy. She waits. She collects "assets," such as the handle from the bathroom bucket, a towel, or a blanket. She practices her escape and plans her revenge. Kirk's brilliantly executed novel alternates between the kidnapped girl and Special Agent Roger Liu--the detective assigned to find her. He and his partner slowly and methodically collect clues as they make their way to the remote hideaway. Meanwhile, the kidnapped girl is stuck in the room awaiting her certain death at the hands of the brutal man and his partners. But her brilliance is exceeded only by her ability to plan, calculate, observe, and wait. The abductors never have a chance as she orchestrates a conclusion that will leave readers satisfied and possibly unsettled. Readers wait with her as she ponders the right moment to make a move even as they suspect that it might not work. VERDICT Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense."--School Library Journal, Tense, suspenseful, a kidnapped, pregnant 17 year old with a mind like a proverbial steel trap planning revenge as she remains a prisoner of her kidnappers - this has it all. Be ready to read late into the night, so grab some food, hit the bathroom, turn off your phone, and settle down in a comfy place that a read that will linger with you for its sheer power., Method 15/33 takes us to some very dark places, and at times, we can't help but wonder whose soul is the darker-the captor's or the captive's. But stick around. In the book's last chapter, the darkness lifts and a light illuminates everything, both past and present. Then you'll reread the book to see what else you got wrong., "Completely original and totally kick ass! Shannon Kirk pulls no punches in this adrenaline rush of a thriller where the victim is the one to watch, while the kidnappers learn to fear. Loved it!" --Lisa Gardner, New York Times best-selling author " Method 15/33 is crowded with fascinating characters but the standout is the kidnapped pregnant teenager. Her captors want her baby. Little do they know they've brought an insanely brilliant, angry, vengeful, borderline sociopath under their roof." --F. Paul Wilson, New York Times best-selling author * "In Kirk's harrowing first novel, a kidnap victim--16 years old and pregnant--meticulously plots her escape . . . This exciting tale builds to a surprising climax." -- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) * "Nietzsche warned us to beware of people with a strong desire to punish. That thought lingers after putting down this dark, disturbing, damnably readable novel . . . a worthy challenge, a joy to discuss . . ." -- Booklist (Starred Review) * "Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense." -- School Library Journal (Starred Review) "Shannon Kirk's riveting debut novel, Method 15/33 , features kidnapped pregnant teen Lisa Yyland. Readers will see parallels between Lisa and Lisbeth Salander from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo , both victims who refuse to be victimized . . . Welcome a thrilling new voice in crime fiction." -- The Boston Globe "Wow. Ridiculously good. Crazy good. Brilliantly heart-stoppingly nail-bitingly original, this is a true thriller tour de force. Shannon Kirk is an instant star." --Hank Philippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha, and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author "What happens when infant traffickers kidnap the wrong pregnant teen? You get Method 15/33 , a cross between The Lovely Bones and Silence of the Lambs . Shannon's debut thriller is a dark, literate page-turner, utterly compelling." --Leonard Rosen, award-winning author "Kidnapped, close to death, and about to give birth, this thriller's brilliant and slightly sociopathic protagonist is determined not only to save herself and her baby, but also to exact a horrible revenge on her captors. A gripping, unsettling work with a young woman who is unrelenting in her single-minded pursuit of her mission." --Best Adult Books 4 Teens, School Library Journal " Method 15/33 takes us to some very dark places, and at times, we can't help but wonder whose soul is the darker--the captor's or the captive's . . ." -- Mystery Scene "Shannon Kirk's brilliant Method 15/33 . . . delivers, big-time . . . Kirk's choice of protagonist for this crime thriller is utter gold . . . Method 15/33 is a solid winner." -- Foreword Reviews, "She is taken in a flash, thrown into the back of a van, tied up, and blindfolded. She is 16, pregnant, and in trouble. The room she is taken to is three floors up--a farmhouse, perhaps? The man who kidnapped her comes in at precisely the same time three times a day to give her food. A doctor comes to check on the health of her baby, and once, a couple comes to be assured that their new baby--her baby--will be blue-eyed and healthy. She waits. She collects "assets," such as the handle from the bathroom bucket, a towel, or a blanket. She practices her escape and plans her revenge. Kirk's brilliantly executed novel alternates between the kidnapped girl and Special Agent Roger Liu--the detective assigned to find her. He and his partner slowly and methodically collect clues as they make their way to the remote hideaway. Meanwhile, the kidnapped girl is stuck in the room awaiting her certain death at the hands of the brutal man and his partners. But her brilliance is exceeded only by her ability to plan, calculate, observe, and wait. The abductors never have a chance as she orchestrates a conclusion that will leave readers satisfied and possibly unsettled. Readers wait with her as she ponders the right moment to make a move even as they suspect that it might not work. VERDICT Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense." -- Connie Williams , Petaluma High School, CA - School Library Journal, "Nietzsche warned us to beware of people with a strong desire to punish. That thought lingers after putting down this dark, disturbing, damnably readable novel...a worthy challenge, a joy to discuss, and a great pairing with John Katzenback's equally riveting What Comes Next (2012)."--Booklist - Starred Review, Method 15/33 takes us to some very dark places, and at times, we can't help but wonder whose soul is the darker--the captor's or the captive's. But stick around. In the book's last chapter, the darkness lifts and a light illuminates everything, both past and present. Then you'll reread the book to see what else you got wrong., "What happens when infant traffickers kidnap the wrong pregnant teen? You get Method 15/33, a cross between The Lovely Bones and Silence of the Lambs. Shannon Kirk's debut thriller is a dark, literate page turner, utterly compelling. I read it in one sitting."--Leonard Rosen, Award-winning author of All Cry Chaos and The Tenth Witness, "Completely original and totally kick ass! Shannon Kirk pulls no punches in this adrenaline rush of a thriller where the victim is the one to watch, while the kidnappers learn to fear. Loved it! "--Lisa Gardner, New York Times best-selling author, "In Kirk's harrowing first novel, a kidnap victim--16 years old and pregnant--meticulously plots her escape. Although locked in a sparsely furnished third-floor room of what she believes to be a white farmhouse, the nameless narrator is confident that she can turn the tables on her male captor ("I had the wits to beat this horrible, disgusting thing"). Her visitors include a doctor and a couple she calls Mr. and Mrs. Obvious, who intend to take her baby. Fueled by a desire for revenge, she carefully catalogues every possible asset that she might use: a loose floorboard is #4, a pencil sharpener is #15, and so on. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Roger Liu investigates the abduction case of Dorothy M. Salucci, another in a series of missing pregnant teens, and he tracks a slim lead to rural Indiana. Back at the farmhouse, the narrator sets out to rescue herself, and with great cunning and patience she carries out the plan she calls 15/33. Her willpower and ingenuity prove more than a match for the callous brutality of those who wish her ill as this exciting tale builds to a surprising climax." Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron & Associates. (May) Reviewed on 03/06/2015, What happens when infant traffickers kidnap the wrong pregnant teen? You get Method 15/33 , a cross between The Lovely Bones and Silence of the Lambs . Shannon Kirk's debut thriller is a dark, literate page turner, utterly compelling. I read it in one sitting., Method 15/33 by Shannon Kirk has an extraordinary plot as well as an extraordinary character in Lisa Yyland, although we do not know her name until way into this crazy good book...Her thoughts, as she explains what she hopes to do, will bewilder you at the same time that you realize you're pulling for her. Make sure you have some extra time as you start this unusual and suspenseful novel. It is darn hard to put down. The only thing I wish is that I could meet this intelligent young woman but I am sure she wouldn't want to meet me. Good, good book. Don't miss it., "Pregnancy is a driving force in this month's crime fiction. Shannon Kirk's riveting debut novel, "Method 15/33,"features kidnapped pregnant teen Lisa Yyland. Inwardly she scorns and ridicules her captor, all the while pretending to be terrified and cowed into submission. Her greatest assets are intangibles: a steel-trap memory and an ability to literally switch her emotions on and off. Readers will see parallels between Lisa and Lisbeth Salander from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," both victims who refuse to be victimized. The story gathers steam as it goes along, and the reader soon becomes attached to quirky Lisa. So it's nice to know early on that she'll survive her ordeal (she narrates the story from 17 years in the future). The question is how, and watching the answer unfold is like watching a wondrously complicated, well-oiled Rube Goldberg contraption in action. Welcome a thrilling new voice in crime fiction.", "Shannon Kirk's brilliant Method 15/33...delivers, big-time...Kirk's choice of [this] protagonist for this crime thriller is utter gold. This novel presents a situation...that could have been another girl-in-trouble novel in the hands of a less skilled writer, but never goes there...Written in first-person point of view, Method 15/33 is intense, character-driven, thoughtful, and emotionally satisfying...There's also room at the novel's end for more forays into Lisa's post-kidnapping world. Should Kirk decide to do a follow-up novel, or even start a short series, such a move would be a welcome event. Method 15/33 is a solid winner."-- ForeWord Reviews, Nietzsche warned us to beware of people with a strong desire to punish. That thought lingers after putting down this dark, disturbing, damnably readable novel...a worthy challenge, a joy to discuss, and a great pairing with John Katzenback's equally riveting What Comes Next (2012)., "Wow. Ridiculously good. Crazy good. Brilliantly heart-stoppingly nail-bitingly original, this is a true thriller tour de force. Shannon Kirk is an instant star."--Hank Phillippi Ryan Agatha, Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark Award winning author, "Method 15/33 by Shannon Kirk has an extraordinary plot as well as an extraordinary character in Lisa Yyland, although we do not know her name until way into this crazy good book...Her thoughts, as she explains what she hopes to do, will bewilder you at the same time that you realize you're pulling for her. Make sure you have some extra time as you start this unusual and suspenseful novel. It is darn hard to put down. The only thing I wish is that I could meet this intelligent young woman but I am sure she wouldn't want to meet me. Good, good book. Don't miss it."-- Bookloons.com, "In Kirk's harrowing first novel, a kidnap victim-16 years old and pregnant-meticulously plots her escape. Although locked in a sparsely furnished third-floor room of what she believes to be a white farmhouse, the nameless narrator is confident that she can turn the tables on her male captor ("I had the wits to beat this horrible, disgusting thing"). Her visitors include a doctor and a couple she calls Mr. and Mrs. Obvious, who intend to take her baby. Fueled by a desire for revenge, she carefully catalogues every possible asset that she might use: a loose floorboard is #4, a pencil sharpener is #15, and so on. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Roger Liu investigates the abduction case of Dorothy M. Salucci, another in a series of missing pregnant teens, and he tracks a slim lead to rural Indiana. Back at the farmhouse, the narrator sets out to rescue herself, and with great cunning and patience she carries out the plan she calls 15/33. Her willpower and ingenuity prove more than a match for the callous brutality of those who wish her ill as this exciting tale builds to a surprising climax." Agent: Kimberley Cameron, Kimberley Cameron & Associates. (May) Reviewed on 03/06/2015, Wow. Ridiculously good. Crazy good. Brilliantly heart-stoppingly nail-bitingly original, this is a true thriller tour de force. Shannon Kirk is an instant star., Kidnapped, close to death, and about to give birth, this thriller's brilliant and slightly sociopathic protagonist is determined not only to save herself and her baby, but also to exact a horrible revenge on her captors. She is strong, purposeful, smart, and introspective. Teens know from the get-go that she has survived the ordeal, but that won't stop readers from believing that anything could happen along the way. A gripping, unsettling work with a young woman who is unrelenting in her single-minded pursuit of her mission. Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense.--School Library Journal - Best Adult Books For Teens Selection, "Completely original and totally kick ass! Shannon Kirk pulls no punches in this adrenaline rush of a thriller where the victim is the one to watch, while the kidnappers learn to fear. Loved it! " , "Method 15/33 is crowded with fascinating characters -- even the spear carriers pop off the page -- but the standout is the kidnapped pregnant teenager. Her captors want her baby. Little do they know they've brought an insanely brilliant, angry, vengeful, borderline sociopath under their roof. Somebody's in big trouble... and it isn't the teenager."--F. Paul Wilson, New York Times best-selling author, 5 Stars...All in all, I really loved this book. This, like Never Smile at Strangers is one of those books that I'm probably going to keep referencing and mentioning in my other reviews as well. I don't think I could really describe how much I loved this book without spoiling you, so I'll just tell you: READ IT, If you read thrillers, run and get your hands on a copy of Method 15/33 by Shannon Kirk. I did think twice about reading this one. Was I really in the mood for another abduction story? In this case, a pregnant sixteen year old is pulled into an old van and driven for days....and that's where it stops being like anything else I've read. The book opens with the girl alone in a locked room, carefully listing every asset and assigning it a number. She is determined to keep her baby safe, to escape, and to exact her revenge. I read straight through, turning pages to find out just who this girl was and what was going to happen to her. And was surprised when I thought the story was coming to an end and realized that I still had half of the book to go., "Method 15/33 takes us to some very dark places, and at times, we can't help but wonder whose soul is the darker--the captor's or the captive's. But stick around. In the book's last chapter, the darkness lifts and a light illuminates everything, both past and present. Then you'll reread the book to see what else you got wrong."--Mystery Scene Magazine, "Why don't we use the word "rip-roaring" anymore? Because this was one rip-roaring thriller and I adored it....not that it's the Great American Novel, but because I couldn't put it down. Thriller fan? Pick this one up when it's published. You definitely won't regret it.", "What a great read! An incredible first novel with a heroine reminding me very much of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce, not just in her manipulative and dispassionate outlook and scientific precision but also in her surprisingly mature thought processes and her ability - in this case, genetic - to restrict her emotional reactions." , She is taken in a flash, thrown into the back of a van, tied up, and blindfolded. She is 16, pregnant, and in trouble. The room she is taken to is three floors up--a farmhouse, perhaps? The man who kidnapped her comes in at precisely the same time three times a day to give her food. A doctor comes to check on the health of her baby, and once, a couple comes to be assured that their new baby--her baby--will be blue-eyed and healthy. She waits. She collects "assets," such as the handle from the bathroom bucket, a towel, or a blanket. She practices her escape and plans her revenge. Kirk's brilliantly executed novel alternates between the kidnapped girl and Special Agent Roger Liu--the detective assigned to find her. He and his partner slowly and methodically collect clues as they make their way to the remote hideaway. Meanwhile, the kidnapped girl is stuck in the room awaiting her certain death at the hands of the brutal man and his partners. But her brilliance is exceeded only by her ability to plan, calculate, observe, and wait. The abductors never have a chance as she orchestrates a conclusion that will leave readers satisfied and possibly unsettled. Readers wait with her as she ponders the right moment to make a move even as they suspect that it might not work. VERDICT Give this to teens who read Stephen King and other psychological thrillers, especially those with a penchant for dark and violent suspense., To summarize: this is just superb. One of the best thrillers I have read in years. It's fresh. The writing totally encapsulates you from the very beginning to the very end. It will sicken you. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. You will read with one eye closed and you will find some of it harrowing. You will be amazed at the strength of the characters and how they think of things you would never think of. This proves to me the imagination Shannon Kirk has and believe me, we will be hearing a lot more from this lady in the future. The highest possible recommendation and 5 stars.
