This book starts off really powerfully. Rachel’s daughter is kidnapped, and she therefore becomes part of The Chain, a spooky entity forcing people to commit crimes to get their kids back. I was hooked from the start, as it was quite an unusual concept, and one that I really liked. Rachel herself was a great main character, she was strong, stubborn and resourceful, as anyone would need to be in this situation. Her daughter, Kylie, was also a strong person, and just as determined to get herself out of the situation.

I felt like the first part of the book was clever, fairly fast-paced, and the story showed a detailed look into the complexity of human nature. Rachel’s emotions were closely examined throughout, her guilt, determination, love, relief and her dangerous side were all shown.

Unfortunately, it’s the second half of the book that I felt let it down. To me, it felt really disconnected. McKinty starts dropping sections written from the perspective of the people behind The Chain. I personally feel this would have been more powerful if it had started earlier in the book, and there hadn’t been such a strong division between Parts 1 and 2. Learning more about The Chain’s leaders was definitely interesting however, so I did like that this was added in.

I also expected more characters to be introduced in part 2, but instead it was the same people, but with more personal issues being thrown at them. I would have liked to see a character who was just a strong, independent and courageous person, without having them battle through an emotional or tragic backstory just for the sake of it. It just felt like a lot to me, for both main characters to have a really intense story, and I would have liked to see some more in-depth analysis of their personality, as was shown in part 1.

The ending was a little cliche for me. There was a lot of heroics thrown in, and it was a bit much. I know it’s a bit ridiculous to say it didn’t feel realistic, as the whole concept is very ‘out there’, but it just felt a little overdone, and I was just reading through it super quickly to get past all the dramatics. I was disappointed by the ending, as I was hoping for something more deeply thought out.

There are definitely things about this I loved, but it mostly comes in the first half of the book, and the second half didn’t live up to how awesome that was. Still a great read, but just not my favourite, and I’d probably rate it a 3* read. However, I know that lots of people have loved this book, so maybe this is just me!

READER.

ADDICT.

ACCOMPLICE.

YOU WILL BECOME EACH ONE.

If you haven’t heard of The Chain by now, you must have been living under a rock. I don’t see any other explanation. There has been a huge buzz and a fantastic campaign online and guess what? It worked on me too! When the first tweets appeared, I got curious. I decided not to research the book… yet. Then more talks happened, and my willpower failed me. When the opportunity to read the book arose, I took it, with both hands!

With no hints except for a hashtag and a cover, I joined the chain…

I HAVE NEVER READ ANYTHING LIKE THIS BOOK.

I mean it. I have read a lot. I mean… a lot. And you know what they say: ‘there’s nothing new under the sun…’

You are wrong! Adrian McKinty proves that the human mind can still push the boundaries of imagination to throw you in a unique kind of nightmare.

We have all received chain letters. Who ever thought they were fun was wrong. Still they can be effective when sent to the right person. The author picked the idea, locked it into his secret lab, and created a mutant version. A dangerous and possibly deadly version fueled by fear.

Divorced mother Rachel, in remission from breast cancer and on her way to the hospital, receives a call from a stranger who claims to have kidnapped her daughter. Rachel is given instructions to follow if she wants to be reunited with her child. Simple? No. Far from it. Now the unwilling player of a game she hasn’t chosen, Rachel must pay a ransom and kidnap another child to replace her family’s role in the chain.

Let’s stop there a minute. Having your kid abducted is awful. But it wasn’t enough for the author, whose scarily brilliant mind toys with our most basics instincts. I witnessed Rachel go through different stages, just like a mourning person travels through the grieving process. This woman, who could be any of us, is turned from a victim to a criminal, without ever meeting the Gods playing with her and her daughter Kylie’s lives. Adrian McKinty throws punch after punch, and I could feel the despair in Rachel, but also in everyone involved in The Chain. The insufferable tension was diluted with all the conflicting emotions swirling around. Breaking each step of the game in steps might be rational, but nothing in the situation is. Can an average person turn into a kidnapper? Can someone bring themselves to bring the exact pain they’re suffering from to another family? My heart was ripped apart, tramped on, cut in tiny chunks for dogs to eat, and the dilemmas had my mind racing. The torment is real.

Rachel isn’t alone in this mess. Her ex brother-in-law, Pete, is a devoted uncle and the perfect guy to help. Ex-Marine, his skills come in handy. But Pete has issues of his own, adding risks to the mission…

To say that the characterization is brilliant would be a euphemism. Each character, however small, is multi-dimensional, intense, yet normal. Yes, normal is the word. They could be your neighbor, your dentist, and even you. Nothing is black and white. Adrian McKinty paints a grey world with a million shades scattered on a white canvas with sharp precision and no mercy.

I wasn’t expecting the book to be cut in half, allowing me to dive in a different kind of nightmare for the second part. More action, tainted by the aftermath of traumatic events. How do you cope with what you’ve done, even if it brought you back the most precious thing in your life? Again and again, Rachel stands up. Her strength is not out-of-this-world, it’s the essence of what’s left in us when we are faced with a wall. What would we do if seats were swapped? The thought had my heart skip a beat several times.

More tricky and dangerous decisions are made, leading the characters to an adrenaline-filled ending. If I had gathered a few hints during the journey to the last chapters, I was still left gobsmacked and totally drained when I reached the final destination!
This novel deserves all the praise it is getting, for its strength lies in the author’s outstanding writing and complex plot. The Chain is one of the finest thrillers ever!

Rachel O’Neill gets a phone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped her 13-year-old daughter, Kylie. Rachel is told not to call the police or the FBI or Kylie will be killed. But these aren’t ordinary kidnappers. They say someone else has kidnapped their child and if Rachel wants to get her daughter back, she has to kidnap another child and hold their parents to ransom. Only when those people kidnap a child will Kylie be released. This is the chain.
Apparently, no matter how far-fetched this seems, there was a ring like this in Mexico which the author used for inspiration.
The premise of the book was fascinating and gives insight into how far someone will go for their own children. It would have been easy to cast these characters as desperate and one dimensional with excuses on how they are only doing what they have to but each character had layers and was both heroic and flawed. Kylie’s kidnappers were every inch as real as Rachel and every bit as sympathetic, despite their actions.
I also liked that you got to see part of the aftermath, with Kylie’s bedwetting and Rachel’s crippling anxiety afterwards, it showed that these were real people with real emotions.
That said, I was really disappointed with the third part of the book. Once we had Kylie back and Rachel decided to go after the Chain, things fell apart and it turned from thriller to farce quite quickly. She made stupid mistakes and new characters who were flatly one dimensional were introduced which completely destroyed the threat aspect. The Villains were almost stereotypically stock characters.
There was a lot that I enjoyed about this book but I do think the entire last act could have been rewritten.

Chain letters. We've all seen them. Some of you may have even received them. Vile things, preying upon the superstitious, the weak and the vulnerable. Why people think that they are any kind of entertainment is beyond me. As a means of extortion though they, sadly, can be very effective. With The Chain, author Adrian McKinty as taken this notion and kicked it up a notch, bringing it squarely into the realms of the insta-generation. The world in which our 'connectivity' makes us all potential targets and easily trackable, and even hackable, victims.

Imagine the scene. You are a parent. You receive a call telling you that the person on the end of the line has kidnapped your daughter and the only way you can free her is to take someone else's child until they, in turn, take another. And so the cycle goes on. Yes, there is a financial impact, a ransom which must also be paid, but said ransom is secondary to maintaining the integrity of this new, grotesque form of chain letter. Sends chills right through you doesn't it?

This is exactly what happens to Rachel, whose daughter, Kylie, is kidnapped whilst waiting for her school bus. This sets off a chain of events which sees Rachel doing all she can to see her daughter's safe return and to bring the perpetrators to justice, even if it means a fight to the death. Rachel is an intriguing character. Having recently gone through cancer treatment, she is a much stronger character than her body may portray, and she has a resolve and strength of spirit which can definitely be envied. The author chose well in creating her as the central character, and as she moves between despair and determination she is believable, if not always likeable. Don't get me wrong. I had sympathy for her situation, but didn't always feel in tune with her character.

She doesn't do it all on her own. She has help from her ex brother in law, Pete, a man with his own demons to battle. Former Army, Pete has an addiction which he needs to constantly feed. He was perhaps more likeable as a character than Rachel, but ultimately just as flawed. as for Kylie. Well, she'd obviously inherited her mother's spirit as despite her captivity, she had a great deal of fight and sense in her, way beyond her years. If anyone, she was the one I felt for the most, and perhaps the most sympathetic character, retaining a humanity which appeared lost in the adults in the room.

The book is effectively separated into two halves. Part one deals in Kylie's abduction and return, part two in the aftermath. Where as part one is slow and deliberate, part two is much faster, the tension, and the action, ramping up as we gallop towards a conclusion. For me, although slower, the first half of the book was actually stronger. It dealt far more with the emotional turmoil of being forced to act far outside of your moral code and examined how far a family would go for their child. It forced you as a reader to think about what you would do in similar circumstances and makes for uncomfortable reading at times, but never crosses the line that would take it into unpalatable territory.

The second half of the book, in which we got to know the people behind 'the chain' is where the book took a fantastical turn that forced me to suspend disbelief a little more than I am normally comfortable. Some of the situations seemed a little convenient, others a little predictable. There is a fantastic showdown at the end that will get the adrenalin pumping and keep you on the hook, especially if you are looking for a faster pace. I just wasn't entirely convinced by the motives, or even the characters, who were behind the scheme. I had also guessed who one of the key characters was very early in the second half, making it more a case of when I was going to be proved right rather than if.

The quality of the writing is never in doubt and this is a very assured piece of work which put me right in the heart of the action. The setting was spot on, a mixture of both the urban and rural landscapes which made the story work. I don't think this could have been set anywhere other than America but the author chose wisely taking it just outside of the city as it fed into the anonymity of the scheme but also the danger of discovery as the town Rachel comes from is still a fraction too close knit for her own part in the chain to run entirely smoothly.

The book didn't entirely click with me, perhaps because I'm not a parent, perhaps because I'm just a heartless moosebag, or perhaps because the kidnapping element was resolved by half way through the book and you know then that there is going to be a (moderately( happy ending, even if more action is still to come. I still enjoyed it, but having read a book with a very similar premise as couple of years ago, I perhaps wasn't as blown away as I'd hoped.

That said, this book is no doubt going to be a big hitter this summer, in part down to a great social media campaign in which we are all part of 'the chain' ourselves just by virtue of talking about the book. It's already proving popular with bloggers so why not take a punt yourselves? Dare you become part of 'The Chain'?

What is being asked of you may seem impossible now but it is entirely within your capabilities.”



Rachel drops her daughter Kylie at the bus stop, same as usual. But she then receives a call to say Kylie has been kidnapped and to keep her safe, Rachel much follow the rules.,..She’s in the Chain now !

The voice tells her, pay $25,000 to a given account, or Kylie will die, no police or Kylie will die, she must follow the rules or Kylie will die!

The rules are complex, but basically Rachel has to kidnap another child, make the same demands as she has been given…..only once these have been followed will Kylie be released, unharmed. She must not break the chain!

What follows is one of the most tense thrillers I’ve ever read, with that most searching of questions, What would you do to save your child? Could you kill another child? How far would you go?

Rachel is a fantastic character, struggling with her cancer diagnosis and the ever present threat of reoccurrence (I know how this feels), yet finds the strength of a mother bear defending its cub….

Incredibly plotted by Adrian McKinty, with complex rules in a ‘game’ that seem all too plausible, which makes this terrifying. Completely believable and utterly compelling… …it really is a must read.

Thank you to the publishers, the author and NetGalley for a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

The Chain is a psychological thriller which plays upon the most primal of emotions – that of a parent’s love for their child. Drawing on his childhood in Northern Ireland, where chain letters were rife, for inspiration, Adrian McKinty has taken the concept and run with it, creating a dark read full of pervading menace.

When Rachel Klein’s daughter, Kylie, is kidnapped on her way to school Rachel receives instructions on how to get her back. Firstly, she must pay a ransom and secondly she has to kidnap another child. She must not, under any circumstances, contact the police or authorities – if she does her daughter will be killed. Rachel is a divorced cancer survivor who is trying to start her life anew. She knew she was strong but her resilience is put to the test forcing her into situations she never imagined.

This is a plot driven novel which forces the reader to question whether it is better (or some could say worse) to be the victim or the abuser? It is a clever trick to make Rachel veer from the former to the latter and threw up some interesting and intriguing moral dilemmas. I would have liked a little more characterisation to add depth to the moral conundrums but, the concept is so well executed that I was kept on the edge of my seat. Rachel’s quandry is clear and we watch as she draws up a shortlist of children to kidnap, scopes out places to keep them and works out a plan for abduction.

Thrown into the deep end Rachel is forced to make tricky decisions and brings in her former brother in law, Pete to help her. I enjoyed the dynamic between Rachel and Pete and his love for both Rachel and Kylie is clear to see. It was interesting to see how their personalities changed, how the pressure of the chain affected them and how far they would go. It adds a nice frisson to the book creating some additional tension beyond the initial kidnapping.

I enjoyed how Adrian McKinty plays with emotions and pushes his characters to their limits, it kept me firmly on my toes ensuring that I didn’t quite know how things would develop. It is a pacy, page turner of a book with a great premise and is a wholly entertaining read. I have no doubt that this book is going to be huge and would make a great blockbuster movie; peril, emotional turmoil and characters teetering between good and evil, what more do you want?

Some books are hyped to high heaven without justification, but the excitement surrounding The Chain, written by a multiple award-winning crime writer, is perfectly justifiable as this thriller has a considerable amount of substance to it. I read over 1000 books per year, with the bulk being from the crime thriller genre, but it's a rarity to come across one that I know I will remember for many, many years to come; this is the epitome of unforgettable. I highly doubt that there will be a better book forthcoming to knock The Chain off the top spot as my favourite book of 2019.

It begins by dropping you right into the middle of exciting, fast-paced action that starts the story off in such a captivating fashion; I was gripped and tried so hard to slow my reading speed because this is such a high-quality thriller and there is so much that should be savoured within it. The writing is some of the most compelling I've encountered in a while and I genuinely felt bereft when I reached the end.

It is a thoroughly unnerving and deliciously disturbing read and is so compulsively readable that I effectively cancelled my plans to ensure I had the time to enjoy it. This is as close to my perfect thriller as it gets. The chilling story centres around a family whose child is kidnapped and in order to get them back the parents must kidnap another child and so on and so forth. McKinty has crafted such a claustrophobic and almost stifling atmosphere and it runs the entirety of the novel.

So believe the hype people; it's real and I can guarantee any crime connoisseur will swiftly fall under the author's spell. I don't think it's really possible for me to adequately express just how fantastic The Chain actually is, so I would say — READ IT! The potent mix of incredible plotting, twisty surprises, rapid-fire action and fantastic characterisation. Be warned, though, this is not for the faint-hearted as it is one of the sickest and most twisted books I've picked up in years, and I loved every single second of it.

I am already terribly excited about what's to come in the future; Mr McKinty please don't make us wait too long! Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

What kind of person kidnaps a child?

Kylie sits at a bus stop on Plum Island it’s just a normal school day, until it isn’t.

Rachel gets a phone call and the world she was beginning to put back together shatters instantly.

Marty, Rachel’s ex – he’s not going to be helpful, anyway he’s away working his new partner, Tammy, says. He’d go to the police and then, well there’d be repercussions and that would be bad.

Pete, Marty’s brother, he’s an ex Marine – he’s seen stuff, he knows stuff and he cares for Kylie but he’s got a problem and that might ruin everything.

What kind of person wouldn’t kidnap a child?

She’s gone and Rachel has to stay strong. Has to do what she is told. Has to get Kylie back. Has to do as she’s told. She has to do something that makes her as bad as the others. She has to do something any mother would do under the circumstances, something no mother would ever dream of having to do, would ever think they could do – doesn’t she?

The Chain

What is this thing that makes you do such heinous things? Who is behind this abhorrent thing that is The Chain?

Operating by fear and anonymity The Chain appears to be the perfect kidnapping business model. The kidnappers are the victims of a previous kidnapping and the ransom is paid by bitcoins. No one knows who The Chain is only that they have become a part of it – another link in The Chain – victim and perpetrator in fear for their children’s lives, their families lives, their own lives.

We follow Rachel and she is a feisty character, determined, smart and likeable. Will she get Kylie back? Will she do as she is told? Does she want to live the rest of her life wondering if The Chain might call upon her again, put her and her family at risk again? What about all the other victims – past, present and future? What can she do? What will she do?

You may not agree with everything Rachel does, you may think you could never do any of this but you cannot, surely, do anything but admire Rachel’s grit and determination. Her plan maybe dangerous, difficult and even downright crazy but along with the ever loyal Pete she knows she has to carry it out.

The Chain knows everything doesn’t it? The Chain manipulates people and situations to it’s own end. What is The Chain doing? Does it know what Rachel is up to?

What happens throughout this book will mess with your head, mess with who and what you thought you were and then have you hoping that you could be as strong, as brave as Rachel but really happy, grateful and relieved that this is not happening to you.

Adrian McKinty has written a hard hitting story that some may find difficult to read but those who do read it will be gripped by this unique thriller.

Thanks

My thanks to Orion for the invite to read an eARC of The Chain by Adrian McKinty via NetGalley

Rachel is due to go to her oncologist having had a call that they want to see her following some blood tests. She is feeling much better and hopes that she is on the road to recovery. What she didn’t expect on the way was a phone call that changed her life. She was told that her daughter Kylie had been kidnapped on her way to school, and that in order to release her she has to do certain things. One of which will be to kidnap the loved one of someone she chooses in order to continue the chain. Her every move is being monitored. She has to find $25,000 before she can start and she will then be given instructions how to continue. Wow! This book hooks you in from the very start, even before you get to know much about the characters, the plot line is so strong. You are not only the victim but forced into being the next perpetrator. Remember getting chain letters which if you didn’t send it on something dreadful was going to happen? Think on a larger scale and read on. A world where we track ourselves through social media minute by minute but maybe not think that there are GPS trackers that can be put in childrens shoes. A tense, brilliantly written read that I couldn’t help reading “just one more chapter” . A very cleverly thought out intriguing plot which is a little dark at times, wonderful characters and one I think will be talked about for a very long time. This would make an excellent film. 5* all the way. “It’s not about the money it’s about the Chain”.
(amazon done- Misfits farm)
(rest of links on publication day)

“YOUR PHONE RINGS.
A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD.
TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD.
YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM'S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD.
IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN:
YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED.
YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE CHAIN”

The Chain has an elaborate and horrific plot line. Your child has been kidnapped and the only way to get them back is to kidnap another child. How can you do that but then as a mother how can you not? This story really tests the limit of what a parent will do to protect their child and made me question what I would do in this scenario. Could I do the unthinkable to another parent? The answer is not an easy one to give and I guess you really don’t know until you have to make the choice.

The first half of this book was fantastic. I really felt for Rachel and was drawn into her story. I did not want to stop reading. I had to know what Rachel was going to do. I felt like I rode the rollercoaster of emotions with her. Devastation, despair, anger, fear, determination, hopelessness. Parts of it felt unrealistic and far fetched whereas others felt so real and disturbingly simple.

However the second half of the book took a strange turn and didn’t feel in keeping with the first half. Having read the acknowledgments, where the author confirms that this was initially a novella, it makes sense that potentially the original story would have ended just after the half way point. With that in mind though, I’m not sure if I would have been happy with that ending or if the ending we did get was the only acceptable option.

I know this all sounds a little vague but I don’t want to give too much away....

This book had so much potential and although it was a great read, it didn’t quite deliver on that potential. My rating is reflective of the first half of the book which I really loved!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Described by Don Winslow as "Jaws for parents", The Chain involves a scenario that is every parents' worst nightmare and is a no holds barred look at what a parent will do for their child. The book has received a lot of word of mouth being mentioned several times by various writers at Noireland 2019 and on the Two Crime Writers and a Microphone podcast.

The titular chain of McKinty's book is partially based on Mexican exchange kidnappings, in which people offered to take the place of loved ones after they have been kidnapped by Mexican drug cartels. It was also partially inspired by the chain letters McKinty remembers from his schooldays, which frankly terrified us all with their promises of retribution if the chain was broken.

Rachel O' Neill is introduced to us as quite a vulnerable but still resilient character; when we first meet her she's driving to an appointment with her oncologist to check that her breast cancer is in remission. We know she has already been to hell and back but she's about to be tested even more. She receives a phone call telling her that her daughter Kylie has been kidnapped. She must first pay a ransom in Bitcoin and she must also kidnap another child before Kylie can be released. If she alerts the police or tells anyone about it, Kylie is dead. It's an incredibly simple idea yet it is truly terrifying. Rachel soon puts a plan together, recruiting her ex-Marine brother-in-law Pete to help her with the kidnapping. But Pete is now a drug addict, which introduces another layer of danger and unpredictability to the situation. This is a breakneck high concept thriller right from the very first page and the pace never lets up, testing Rachel at every turn.

As with many other recent crime thrillers, The Chain is a comment on the dangers that come with social media, as Rachel finds it incredibly easy to determine when kids will be left alone without their parents as well as intimate details about the children. It's a concept that's all too familiar to those of us with social media accounts and speaks to a very real contemporary anxiety. And with this anxiety comes the thirst for financial gain and a sense of power. As the narrative progresses, we come to understand the origins of the chain and its perpetrators.

The strength of the book is not only the main concept but what McKinty puts Rachel through, from worrying about whether the cancer is back, to worrying about Kylie and whether her kidnappers are treating her well, to worrying about the child that she herself kidnaps, and worrying about how reliable Pete actually is. We're always told to make our characters suffer and to raise the stakes. Here, McKinty offers a masterclass in suspense but all through a gritty reality.

McKinty is a superbly gifted writer and has already won a string of awards including an Edgar Award and a Ned Kelly Award for books in his Sean Duffy series. In these books, which can be described as Belfast noir, his detective, Sean Duffy, is a Catholic navigating his way through The Troubles. The Chain is a very different book to McKinty's previous works as its set in Massachusetts, a location shift that may attract a bigger readership. McKinty's debut, Dead I Well May Be, was published in 2003 so it's fantastic that he has attracted a bigger readership. It was reported a few weeks ago that Paramount made a seven-figure film deal for The Chain so we're going to be hearing a lot more about both the book and the film and deservedly so.

The Chain stays with you long after you've finished it.

Unless you have been living under a rock, don’t have a twitter account or forgot to pay your Broadband bill over the past 6 months you may have missed all the chatter about THE CHAIN the new standalone, thriller by Adrian McKinty. With incredible reviews from all the best crime writers including Stephen King, Val McDermid and Dennis Lehane it was hard to ignore the hype and excitement about this book.

I was fortunate enough to read an early copy in April this year, but wanted to post my review around publication day so YOU can actually buy the book now as today (9th July) is publication day.

This is my first book by Adrian McKinty and I absolutely loved the premise of the book and the fact that everyone was raving about it so as soon as I received my copy I popped it to the top of my pile and started it immediately.

THE CHAIN is a fascinating and thought provoking story about how far we (as parents) are prepared to go to protect our children. Rachel O’Neill is a newly divorced single mum, coping with breast cancer, a useless ex-husband and a 13 year old daughter when she gets a phone call which literally turns her world upside down and inside out. Her daughter has been kidnapped and she needs to pay a ransom PLUS kidnap another child to ensure her daughter’s safety and release and now she’s part of THE CHAIN.

Now, as a parent myself I couldn’t even begin to imagine how Rachel felt but I could totally understand her “mama lioness” taking over – nothing will stop Rachel from getting her daughter back home even if it means going against everything she believes in and crossing lines she would normally avoid . With the help of her ex-brother in law Pete she intends to not only rescue her daughter but break THE CHAIN wide open at any cost.

This is a real roller coaster of a ride, gripping, terrifying and utterly addictive and I highly recommend it to fans of fast-paced thrillers.

This must be one of the most anticipated books of 2019 and I have to say that it’s very deserving of that title! Once my copy of The Chain arrived I became part of its phenomenal journey and that involved me reading it the minute I had it in my grubby little hands! I read it fast and I read it hard….and then regretted it the minute that final page finished! Honestly, you will want to savour The Chain but it’s fast paced, adrenaline rush of a plot runs a turbocharged course and you just have to keep up the momentum at all costs!

The opening chapters start The Chain of events for the reader when a young girl is kidnapped at the bus stop whilst waiting for her bus to school. The kidnappers don’t seem your “hard as nails” organised types especially as they seem very over emotional-a trait that proves difficult when they are stopped by the police. When the young girls mother Rachel answers a call on her phone, little does she know that her actions have now made her part of “The Chain”! To get Kylie released, Rachel has to pay a ransom (so far so typically kidnapping!) but the next part of her forfeit is to kidnap another child and only then will Kylie be released unharmed.

Now the Chain has many links, some stronger than others, but it looks like adding Rachel throws a bit of a spanner in the works! They say that women are like teabags-you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water but Rachel has been thrown into the deep end without a life jacket on!! However, I absolutely loved Rachel! A strong and determined woman who probably felt she wanted to look around for someone else to help her out of this shocking situation but who stood up to the challenge ahead. Without the help of her ex husband, Rachel turns to her brother in law Pete for advice and help but Pete is fighting his own demons…

The Chain has a brilliant premise that is perfectly executed by the author with some cracking plot developments and plenty of compelling characters. A brutal crime thriller full of OMFG moments, it is definitely one that will grab you immediately and refuse to let go so make sure you have plenty of time to devote to it! As a parent it scared the **** out of me and left me wondering just how far the ordinary, law abiding man/woman on the street would go to save their loved one because somewhere out there, someone is waiting to push them to the most extreme and terrifying lengths that they can imagine.

Highly recommended by me!

WOW! I couldn’t put this down and read it in one sitting. It’s a brilliant story that really sucked me in from the off. This has film written all over it. I definitely want more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Wow! This was a bit intense, all the way through. A new author to me and I was so impressed that I have now added a bunch of his back catalogue to my tbr. What I especially loved about it was that it was nothing like any of the other, many books of this genre that make up the majority of my reading matter these days. Yes, at times it was a bit bonkers but, that aside, it grabbed me from the off and held me tight all the way through, releasing me at the end, totally spent. Harrowing is an understatement.
The Chain of the title refers to the kidnapping of nearest and dearest, children usually for maximum impact. Rachel is drawn into the Chain when her 13yo daughter Kylie is taken from a bus stop on her way to school. She then receives a message giving her implicit instructions. It appears that the people behind the taking of Kylie are themselves victims; their own child also having been taken and they had to take Kylie to get their own child back. Rachel is then told that she must continue the Chain to get her own child back; by taking another. Going to the Police is not an option, breaking the chain likewise, these things are reinforced as once you are part of the Chain, you are in it for life...
Poor Rachel, she's been through the mill and then some recently, she's just about keeping her head above water when her world is rocked. But she's gritty and determined and desperate to get Kylie back safe that, well, you'll have to read for yourself to see what happens there. With her ex pretty much clueless, she turns (with permission) to her brother-in-law to help her. But he has his own problems which he tries to work through to assist. And here's where it gets even more bizarre as the truth of the foundations of the Chain comes to light...
It's a riveting read, one that tugged on my heartstrings throughout. It's high paced and emotional with scant respite for the reader. I literally had to put it down a few times just to get my breath back. The ending did slightly let the side down, and I can't explain due to spoilers, but as the rest was so good I am happy with my decision to go with the full five stars. Especially as the book highlighted my own fears about social media and how much we share. It also had me wondering about what I would do if I was in that situation personally... I gave up thinking about that quite soon as, to be honest, just no, I don't want to go there...!
All in all this was a great read that held my attention right from the off and left me (mostly) satisfied at its conclusion. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

My thanks to Orion Publishing Group for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Chain’ by Adrian McKinty in exchange for an honest review. I was also lucky enough to win a proof copy from the publisher.

Imagine you receive a phone call telling you that a stranger has kidnapped your child. They tell you that you not only have to pay a ransom but kidnap someone else’s child. That family has themselves to kidnap a third child. When this happens your child will be released. If any of this doesn’t go to plan, your child will be killed. If you ever reveal what happened...well you can imagine. A pretty diabolical and twisted version of the chain letter!

There’s been a great deal of buzz about this title for months and I was delighted to be approved to read and review in advance. Even though its high concept premise is quite ‘out there’ (as many conspiracy thrillers are) it is very well plotted with strong characterisations and excellent pacing.

I was also delighted by the inclusion of some place names from the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft.

This novel certainly lived up to its expectations and it is bound to be a huge hit with lovers of crime thrillers. I expect to see it rocketing up the bestseller charts next week. I was literally on the edge of my seat for this rollercoaster of a thriller.

Highly recommended.

The Chain arrived with a lot of endorsements, including praise from the authors Val McDermid and Stephen King. I must admit that up until about 20% in I was in two minds whether to continue as it was good, but not gripping. I persevered, mainly due to the complimentary quotes, and I did find myself becoming more invested. 

What did elements did I enjoy? Firstly, the interesting, and frightening, premise. Someone is forcing parents to find ransom money, and worse, conduct the kidnapping of a child to ensure the safe return of their own kidnapped son or daughter. This creates a network of frantic strangers, each forming a link in the chain, who are relying on each participant feeling just as desperate as them to play by the rules, meet the demands, and avoid involvement from law enforcement. If they all comply then they will avoid a domino effect of violent repercussions. This ensures each parent becomes ruthless and commit acts that they would ordinarily consider incomprehensible driving the plot along at a fast lick.

Secondly, interesting questions are raised by posing such a stark moral dilemma. The loss of a child is the ultimate nightmare but the consequences of becoming complicit, becoming a monster, the very person who will knowingly inflict that pain on the next target causes guilt and psychological scars. McKinty conveys the sense that this nightmare prevents anyone truly breaking free, even if a kidnap victim is released. 

Any negatives? While the author is skilful at conveying the emotions of fear, desperation, panic and revulsion, oddly I did find it hard to feel strongly for the characters as individuals. I felt they were thinly drawn; what mattered was the plot and the route that would lead to the resolution. 

This is a good, pacey read. I enjoyed it, I read it over the course of two days, but I do feel some of the praise is overblown. As a caveat, I am aware that reading The Chain soon after the subtlety of Bitter Orange, in which Claire Fuller crafts a strong sense of Frances' inner voice, has led me to compare the two books rather than judging The Chain purely on its own merits.


I would say it is an ideal read to take on your summer holiday.

The first book I've read from this author. Great book, great idea! I'd never heard of the Mexican concept of exchange kidnappings that influenced this book before, but I'm glad the author had so that they could write this amazing story.

This really invades your idea of what's moralistic. It's not moralistic to kidnap a child, but would you do it if that meant saving your own from certain death? It's quite strange reading about a person doing all these things that I would say I'm not capable of, but... I don't blame her. It really does make you ponder the idea of: are humans capable of anything given the right circumstances? I was definitely holding my breath on the nut allergy scene, my mind also torn just like Rachel's as to the right step to take.

I was very drawn to Pete. I always seem to prefer the most broken ones.

Well written, likeable characters.

This is quite an unnerving book as whilst the scenario seems unrealistic, there are sick and twisted people out there that would do something like this.
Rachel gets a call to say her daughter has been kidnapped, and to get her back she must pay 25,000 dollars and kidnap someone else’s child!
She speaks to the woman who has her daughter and knows this is real as the same thing happened to the kidnapper, and they’re all part of a chain.
It’s quite a shocker really what happens in the story and I really did feel for the parents going through this.
This is a gripping read as you’re desperate to know what happens next and it really had me on the edge of my seat at the end.
Thanks to Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have never read an Adrian McKinty book before. Seriously after reading this book I feel like I’ve missed out and will need to catch up on his other boos ASAP!!

Wow this was one addictive read that kept me on the edge of my seat ,desperate to finish it but wanting to saviour every word at the same time.

I have heard about chain letters where you then have to send a copy of the chain letter to numerous people. What if you’re child was kidnapped and the only way to get them back is to kidnap another child!! This chain is relentless and you will never be free from the chain even when you everything they ask you to do.

How far would you go to save you’re child? To save you’re child would you put another family through the hell you are going through?

Loved the original plot and it really made me think what would I do in those circumstances. I love a book that stays in you’re mind after reading it!!

A must read roller coaster of a thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.