Tenkill Spiral-Bound | April 11, 2023
Shannon Kirk, Shannon Kirk, Shannon Kirk
★★★★☆+ from Up to 30 ratings
Tenkill
A lawyer on the run from her own firm. Can she uncover their secrets in time to save herself?
Greta Vinet Seville, E-Discovery Counsel and Deputy General Counsel at the international law firm of Coarse & Cotton, finds herself on the run from her own firm after absconding with firm data to conduct her investigation, and enlists a diverse cast of friends and experts to help her comb through the mountains of data that confirms a trail of corruption that has shaped generations.
Her off-the-books, rag-tag legal team includes a genius litigation technology professional, a possibly psychopathic (but effective) summer associate, an AP investigative reporter, a classical painting art restorer, Greta’s philosophy professor brother, and Greta’s love interest, a compliance attorney at Tenkill. Romance, action, technology law, corruption are all explored, and married with Greta’s personal backstory about a renegade, vigilante aunt who’s been on the run for decades and fighting her own politically-charged battles.
They create a make-shift war room in a historic Salem, Massachusetts home, and their pursuit of more evidence leads them in action-packed chases around Boston…and a massive hospital—Tenkill—that is at the center of the corruption. But this investigation is like no other Greta has ever conducted, as people who have millions to lose and careers to ruin have and will kill to keep what she seeks to uncover secret.
A surrealist thriller for fans of early John Grisham, with an all-female-led cast, and a secret at the end that will shake you to your core.
PRAISE FOR METHOD 15/33
“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
PRAISE FOR GRETCHEN
“…[A] brilliantly constructed novel…The pieces of the characters’ broken lives finally slip into place in a truly thrilling climax. Kirk draws the reader into a fascinating world of shifting truths whose details are by turns grotesque, funny, creepy, thoughtful, and exhilarating.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A deftly crafted suspense thriller of a novel, Gretchen is a truly compelling page-turner of a read from beginning to end.” —Midwest Book Review
“Suspense galore and creepiness abound…Kirk really is fantastic at keeping you guessing and surprising the reader with bizarre twists that click everything into place!…Five stars to this creepy book!” —Night Worms
“Gretchen is a very dark suspense/thriller…What you’ll find in this book are two interwoven tales, a mother and daughter on the run, full of secrets, and a father/daughter duo just trying to enjoy their ‘projects’…While the whole book moves well, the last half blazes a trail of ‘on the edge of your seat’ writing. Wow.” —Ladies of Horror Fiction
“Just like Gillian Flynn is the queen of ‘disturbing’, Shannon Kirk is the queen of ‘insane and creepy’…The author knows how to create a deranged character and make them blend flawlessly into an unsettling, cinematic storyline. Her writing style definitely stands out.” —Ludwig's Thrillers
“There is a likeable narrator struggling through a personal drama, an atmospheric location that sets the stage for dread, and a cast of characters that are hiding so many secrets it’s hard to keep up. Whatever you think you’re getting into with this book, it’s that and so much more!” —What Jess Reads
“Shannon Kirk is well on her way to establishing her very own brand—maybe her own genre. After last year’s In the Vines, Kirk returns with another unique blend of Gothic, Horror, and Mystery. It is not easy to come up with something that is completely different, but Shannon Kirk certainly manages to do that.” —BOLO Books
“…gripping…Kirk’s flair for description brings the creepy landlord and his daughter’s bizarre lives and dwelling vividly to life.” —Crime Fiction Lover
“Gretchen is a remarkable psychological thriller with horror and cult aspects…Oh, and a creepy little girl obsessed with puzzles.” —She Reads
“Gretchen terrified me, made me laugh, made my jaw hit the floor…I had to wonder what kind of sorceress Kirk is, to have wormed her way into my brain and then written exactly the kind of story that makes me jump out of my skin and burns its way into my memory. The best kind.” —Emily Carpenter, bestselling author of Until the Day I Die
“Spine-tingling and deliciously creepy, Shannon Kirk’s Gretchen has a way of getting into your head, making you frantically turn the pages to find out what she’ll do next, and who she’ll let live. Even if you’re a master at expecting the unexpected, you might want to read with the lights on.” —Hannah McKinnon, author of Sailing Lessons
“Shannon Kirk is known for her complex, layered portrayals of strong women of all ages, and her latest does not disappoint. Creepy, haunting, and beautifully told in Kirk’s signature lyrical prose, Gretchen is a blend of the best of thriller and horror. This is Kirk’s most masterful storytelling yet.” —Jennifer Hillier, author of Jar Of Hearts
“I’m so glad I read this during the daytime, when the sun was shining and I was in a plane full of people…Five terrifying stars.” —Kimberly Belle, bestselling author of Three Days Missing and Dear Wife