On a scorching hot summer day in Elkwood, Alabama, Claire Lambert staggers naked, wounded, and half-blind away from the scene of an atrocity. She is the sole survivor of a nightmare that claimed her friends, and even as she prays for rescue, the killers — a family of cannibalistic lunatics — are closing in.A soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder returns from Iraq to the news that … news that his brother is among the murdered in Elkwood.
In snowbound Detroit, a waitress trapped in an abusive relationship gets an unexpected visit that will lead to bloodshed and send her back on the road to a past she has spent years trying to outrun.
And Claire, the only survivor of the Elkwood Massacre, haunted by her dead friends, dreams of vengeance… a dream which will be realized as grief and rage turn good people into cold-blooded murderers and force alliances among strangers.
It’s time to return to Elkwood.
In the spirit of such iconic horror classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Deliverance, Kin begins at the end and studies the possible aftermath for the survivors of such traumas upon their return to the real world — the guilt, the grief, the thirst for revenge — and sets them on an unthinkable journey… back into the heart of darkness.
“If you’re a fan of Jack Ketchum, Richard Laymon, or movies like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE and DELIVERANCE, don’t miss KIN. Burke’s novel not only re-imagines the classic slasher tropes, but it invents new ones. This is a modern classic, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.” – FEARNET
“If you took the moral quandaries about revenge, justice and violence against evil from Dennis Lehane’s Patrick Kenzie novels, spread it over the sprawling cast of a Stephen King thriller, and mixed it with the Southern Gothic grotesques of Eudora Welty, you might end up with something like Kealan Patrick Burke’s new novel, KIN.” – LITSTACK
“From the first chapter I found myself comparing KIN to the absolute best work of Jack Ketchum, James White Wrath, and Richard Laymon. You might be thinking that I’ve listed an awful lot of great authors here and mentioned more than a few classics in this review and that there’s no way this book could live up to that hype. You’d be wrong. KIN is not only the best novel I’ve read all year, it is one of the most horrifying ones I’ve ever read. I hope you give it a shot.” – HORROR WORLD
“It’s odd that an Irish transplant to the Northern US has written one of the best Southern Gothic novels in recent memory. I’ll look forward to Burke’s next work just as much as I hated to see this one end. I would highly recommend KIN to lovers of old fashioned horror fiction with a twist. If you’re going to read just one noir cannibal revenge novel this year, KIN should fit the bill.” – DARK DISCOVERIES
“THIS is serious horror fiction that has set a high standard for future stories in this subgenre. Don’t miss it.” – THE CROW’S CAW
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A story about a family of cannibals who live in the backwoods of Elkwood, Alabama. When one of the boys makes a mistake it unleashes a series of chain reactions for both the killers and the victim’s families. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and actually found myself sympathizing with one of the killers. I guess that goes to show just how well written this story was. This was a graphically detailed gory fun read. The one time I wish there was a sequel so I could know what happens to certain characters.
4.5/5
God, this took me way too long to read. I absolutely loved this story, minus a small issue near the end, which I’ll mention in this review.
I ended up getting busy with reading other stories, and for whatever reason, I never prioritized finishing this one, and now I really regret not crushing through this more quickly.
This is that rare breed of horror, life, trails, suspense and emotions that KPB is known for. All of the characters are realistic, have depth and thankfully have their stories all finished up by the end. No loose ends, which is a rare thing to accomplish.
My lone gripe with this tale was the quickness of the ending. I wished each character had another 15-20 pages to wrap up their particular story lines, but how it was done was adequate for me. I just wished there was a bit more.
Highly recommend this and I can’t wait to dive into all of KPB’s other releases!
My Thoughts…Kin by Kealan Patrick Burke is a wild roller coaster ride of backwoods violent vengeance. This book holds several plots that are intense and strung together with unbelievably strong characters written with a Tarantino vibe of story telling. Readers will enjoy this fast paced hardcore journey that reaches an inner peace and solitude.
A naked girl, bloodied and near death, is found and rescued from a country roadside by an old black man and his son, who take her to the local doctor and save her life. Claire Lambert and three of her backpacking friends have been brutalized by a cannibalistic family in the backwoods. Claire had managed to escape. Her friends were not so lucky.
So begins Kealan Patrick Burke’s disturbing novel, starting where many horror novels often end. And, while the book may be seen as a revenge novel, it is far more than that. The book is truly about “kin”–not just the murderous Merrills but the families of all the victims and how they come to terms with the horrific events. Burke is skilled in delving into the psyches–indeed, the souls–of his characters and their motivations. The strength of this novel is in the character development, leading to the suspenseful confrontations at the climax. Burke’s focus on family relations, good and bad, throughout the book is a powerful and provocative theme.
I really enjoyed this book.
A deeply horrifying and dark tale.
The author takes us on a dark and torturous journey. The events occur in a small town infested by a murderous family that is so well described I felt like I was there. The cast of characters are so well developed, creative and horrifying that terror chilled my bones.
A fantastically written tale of dark and twisted beings.
I went back and forth between a 4 and a 5 star rating. The final section of the book was 5 star amazing. There is an epic confrontation and a satisfying ending
The middle section was a bit slow. More of getting to know the characters rather than any real action. I felt too much time was spent with Louise, Pete’s stepmom and a pretty minor character.
Parts 1 and 3 had lots of violence and some pretty disturbing scenes. The story was most interesting when focusing on the Merrill clan. They are terrifying psychopathic cannibals who are remorseless killing machines.
Did I think I was ready for this book? Yup. Was I though? Nope. This story starts with Claire, a final girl, wandering around naked and mutilated after her and her friends were ambushed in Elkwood. There’s a family that just isn’t quite right.. and everyone knows to steer clear.
The story jumps around from multiple POVs and I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the minds of all the players in this book. This book makes you wonder.. are there towns out there where this actually exists? *shudders uncontrollably
I have been reading a lot of Kealan’s work recently and this one just takes the trophy for most messed up book I have read. If you like extreme horror, this book is for you. Gore I can handle, but it did have some triggers that set me off.
Trigger warnings: rape, incest.
Where to start with this one?
Some books come into your life and blow you away with their sheer strength and rawness. Kin is such a book. It’s bloody and brutal and horrific. But that is only a small part. Ultimately, it’s a story about revenge and about survival, how what is instilled in us as children shapes our perception of the world around us, even if, to the rest of the world, those beliefs are so terribly wrong.
Each and every character has a part to play and you’ll find yourself so caught up in their individual stories that the pages fly past. Burke has a knack for peeling away their skins (no pun intended!) and exposing their every thought, no matter how horrific.
There’s a scene in this book (if you’ve read it you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about) that will stay with me for a very long time…
But there’s goodness too, with characters who make you want to sweep them up and protect them from this nightmare world they’ve found themselves in.
Definitely not for the squeamish, but a brilliant portrayal of human nature, guaranteed to have you open-jawed and reeling. I already know this will be amongst my top reads of the year.
This is such a great book.
I would have liked to read what happened to her during the process beforehand rather than during the book.
I really loved this book, but am greatly disappointed that the original cover art was changel to the present disgusting cover.
Just too violent
Not for the faint of heart. Tough subject but a totally different read about a secluded family and an indifferent society.