Review: ‘The Method’ by Shannon Kirk | AD – Gifted

There’s always something risky about the hostage subcategory of the crime fiction genre. If done poorly, the ‘slow burner’ plot can easily put off the average reader. Thankfully, with strong developed characters and a story which cuts to the chase from page one, Shannon Kirk’s The Method is a novel packed with intensity and intrigue.

The main character in the story is Lisa Yyland – a pregnant 16-year-old girl who is kidnapped. Through detailed first person narrative, we’re able to gain a strong insight into the thought processes of a teenager who wants to fight back against her captor.

As she plans her escape, her labelling of tools as ‘assets’ strikes some interesting comparisons to the analytical skills of Sherlock Holmes. Without wanting to give away spoilers, her pure disgust towards her captor has some similarities to Lisbeth Salander. With an authoritative mindset, Lisa is almost like the teenage version of Stieg Larsson’s protagonist – something which really made this book enjoyable.

Whilst the book did feel a little bit descriptive and confusing at times, that didn’t impair my ability to imagine certain scenes in the novel. Kirk’s ability to paint some vivid pictures with powerful metaphors and adjectives adds to the strength of the novel.

As mentioned previously, numerous novels about kidnaps can fall victim to a monotonous and dull day-by-day account of the victim’s activities, but this is not the case for this particular book. In fact, this cliché is humorously referenced by Lisa herself. Instead, The Method sees Kirk construct a well thought-out story that sees readers wanting to see the escape, but also what happens next.

Rating: 4/5

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. I did not receive payment and the opinions in this piece are honest and my own.