Allyson Marta is a celebrated mixed-media artist dwelling in the shadows of Seattle’s gritty underbelly. She struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder while grappling with the jagged edges of self-harm and past suicide attempts. Her identical twin, Andrea, is a hedonist at heart. She thrives as the vibrant art director of the cult-favorite “The Caretaker” horror movie series, which ensnares devotees in its macabre embrace.

When H0rr Studios, the go-to streaming service of horror fans worldwide and Andrea’s employer, reports her missing, Allyson finds herself torn between her ongoing recovery and helping to unravel the mystery shrouding her histrionic twin’s whereabouts.

After Roger Wotke, the star of The Caretaker, also disappears, Allyson is thrust into a perilous crossroads where the twin demons of mental anguish and familial duty collide. In a descent into the abyss of society’s dark appetite for what goes bump in the night, Allyson grapples with safeguarding her tenuous sanity or delving deeper into the labyrinth of depravity that threatens to expose not just her own darkest secrets, but also those of her family.

‘Conjoined’ is the debut novel from Chicago-based author, K T George. The action is seen from several different perspectives in the third person and the past tense. Plunging straight into the fast-moving story, we are introduced to forensic investigator, turned horror film creative director, Andrea Marta, who has been abducted. Andrea, of Argentinian descent and from a wealthy family, is clearly a feisty individual who makes every effort to escape from captivity.

In the second chapter, we meet Andrea’s twin sister, mixed-media artist, Allyson, who has ongoing struggles with her mental health. News of Andrea’s disappearance seems to leave Allyson unfazed; we therefore quickly realise that their relationship is rocky and the dynamic between them, complex.

In a third thread, we share the thoughts of celebrated actor, Roger Wotke, a colleague and on/off partner of Andrea. When he too disappears, Allyson has a choice to make; does she prioritise her own mental well-being or does she try to ascertain what happened to her sister and Roger? When successful investigative journalist, Ram Helm, suggests she should tag along with him, it seems her mind is made up. Shortly after this, a third person goes missing from the same film studio. In addition, dismembered feet keep washing up on the beach; is this coincidence or somehow connected to the disappearances?

Chapters unfold with a mixture of present day and backstories being interwoven; at times I wasn’t sure if the story was moving forward or if we were delving into memories or imagination. As Andrea is initially alone in her predicament, her story has to be told through description. Having no dialogue other than when she is talking to herself, I found my concentration wavering.

I would have liked more depth to the main characters to fully empathise with them in the first part of the book. However, I commend the author on their research into sensitive areas such as mental health, self-harm, drug misuse and racism. They also touch on a myriad of emotions, including rivalry, jealousy, pain, fear, mistrust and revulsion.

This is K T George’s first novel and a story of two halves. The structure suffers at times through too much frantic action and, certainly at the beginning, the plot seemed muddled. For the most part, I found it dark and humourless and had I not committed to delivering a review, I may have given up. However, once Allyson became fully focused on finding out the truth, I became more invested in the story.

Whilst it’s a little rough around the edges, the book certainly packs a punch and fans of this genre will be rewarded for their perseverance. There are rather a lot of characters and some unanswered questions but it’s an unusual, unpredictable read and in my opinion, worth a rating of three-and-a-half stars. I wish the author well with their future writing endeavours.

K.T. George resides in the heart of Chicago with their family of four and their beloved fluffer, Lincoln. They draw inspiration from the vibrant cityscape that surrounds them. Formerly an esteemed I.T. Executive and cybersecurity expert, their unique ability to seamlessly transition from science to art has cemented their status as a formidable force in the literary realm.