Review: In the Vines by Shannon Kirk

Title: In the Vines

Author: Shannon Kirk

Published: July 2018, Thomas & Mercer

Format: ARC Paperback, 284 pages

Source: Publisher

Summary:

Family ties so strong you can’t escape…

Mary
Olivia Pentecost, known as Mop, was born into one of the wealthiest
families in the country—and one of the most guarded. Now, two years
after her mother’s mysterious death, Mop is seeking closure on the
disquieting tragedy by returning to the New England seaside estate of
her cloistered Aunty Liv—once her closest relative and confidante.

But
behind the walls of the isolated estate, the shadows of the past are
darker than Mop imagined. The puzzles of the family history are not to
be shared, but unearthed. With each revelation comes a new, foreboding
threat—and for Mop, the grave suspicion that to discover Aunty Liv’s
secrets is to become a prisoner of them.

How well do we know the people we love? How well do we want to know them? The answers are as twisted as a tangle of vines in this throat-clutching novel of psychological suspense.

My thoughts: I love nothing more than a really good psychological thriller with great gothic vibes and this one absolutely has that and more. And let’s not forget it’s stunning cover…it totally gives off such a creepy vibe to go along with the story – this one is the total package, folks, and you do not want to miss it!

What I loved most about this book is that as addicting a read as it is, I found it to be a slow-burning kind of read. It starts off with a bang and some major confusion…but it is so intriguing at the same time that you just can’t help yourself as you keep turning those pages to figure out what is going on. I loved the way Shannon Kirk ever so slowly unravels everything – she leaves you with all sorts of questions, and while they do eventually get answered, more pop up before all is finally revealed.

The story moves back and forth in time and alternates between two narrators – Mop (Mary Olivia Pentecost) and Aunty Liv – and bombards you with all sorts of goings on and you are left to piece everything together as well as keep things straight. It’s such a unique way to tell the story, but at the same time, it’s chilling and haunting, and just might have you questioning the sanity of some of the characters as well.

This book is filled with family secrets and delves into the world of mental instability like no other. It is crazy just how dark one’s own paranoia and hysteria can be and where that can lead you. Reading Aunt Liv’s stream of consciousness, and even Mop’sat time’s, was so eerie and yet so authentic, to each situation they found themselves in, that it just made for more compelling and realistic characters. 

This book is dark and deliciously fun. It’s one twisted, at times terrifying thriller that I cannot recommend enough.