Cover Image: The Chain

The Chain

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Member Reviews

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.

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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.

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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.

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I’ve heard so many people raving about The Chain, so I was eager to see what it was life. To be honest, I don’t think I “got” it. I can see it being a movie, 100%, but as a book it just didn’t suit me. The premise is great, the writing is good, but I just wasn’t into it as much as I thought I would be! Delighted to see the author getting his recognition though! Much deserved after all this time!

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I’d like to thank Orion Publishing Group and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Chain’ by Adrian McKinty in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When Rachel’s phone rings an unknown voice informs her that her thirteen-year-old daughter Kylie has been kidnapped and the only way she’ll be returned is firstly for Rachel to pay a ransom and secondly that she must kidnaps someone else’s child to keep The Chain running. If she fails to do either, Kylie will be killed. Rachel’s an ordinary woman and she can’t believe this is happening to her – but it is!

‘The Chain’ is a well-written, exciting and incredibly nail-biting thriller with a powerful plot and believable characters – Rachel who’s recovering from cancer and Pete her ex-brother-in-law who has problems of his own. It’s so horrifying that I was afraid to continue reading but couldn’t stop as I had to find out what was happening to Rachel, and as the tension increased I had to remind myself to breathe. There were surprises and a huge twist near the end that was shocking and totally unexpected. This is the first novel I’ve read by Adrian McKinty and it definitely won’t be the last.

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Don’t break the chain!

Rachel O’Neill has had a few tough breaks. Her husband, who she supported through law school, has left her for a younger model, and she has fought breast cancer. She lives for her daughter Kylie and is now ready to restart her life. What on earth can go wrong? Well, how about getting a notification that her cancer may be back and a call to tell her that Kylie, her daughter has been kidnapped?

Rachel’s life, for the foreseeable future, is now therefore entirely focused on getting Kylie back alive but it’s not a simple kidnapping and apart from the $25,000 ransom demanded she must do the unthinkable to get her daughter back alive.

In order to enjoy this book, the reader must buy into the premise that a parent will do anything at all for her offspring. Once that hurdle has been jumped what follows in the plot seems entirely logical and plausible. In actuality, many would refuse to cooperate and the kidnappers’ plans would fail dramatically. I admit to having trouble accepting the theory but came around eventually and never came across a “that would never happen” moment.

Despite Rachel’s character being well-drawn I did not warm to her, preferring to relate to Pete, her rather rebellious ex-brother in law. Kylie came across well as a resilient teenager and her father, Matty as a rather shallow individual who was generally pretty ineffectual. The thriller lost a star from me as the characters of the perpetrators were not fully explored and, in addition, I felt that the denouement was rather rushed. However, it’s a good read and one to be recommended.

mr zorg

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

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Firstly a huge thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book ahead of a lot of other people. Your support is highly appreciated!

When I first heard about The Chain I was instantly intrigued. The blurb sounded like something straight up my street, and not only that - it was also supported by so many big authors! After I got the taste with the sampler, I knew I was hooked and needed to know what happened next with Rachael and Kylie.

The premise of The Chain is incredible. I've mentioned before that scenarios that could happen in real life frighten me. This one was no different.

Without trying to give too much away The Chain follows a group of very sophisticated individuals who basically get parents to kidnap someone else's child in order to save their own, and in turn the operation runs itself.

I really enjoyed Adrian McKinty's writing style, the narrative was scary and gripping, plus the last few chapters had me biting my nails and pulling my hair - GOSH it was intense!

The reason why I'm not giving The Chain a full five stars is that I really wish the author didn't give so much away throughout the book and saved the big reveal for a more shocking effect. I didn't get blown away by the twist and it was a bit disappointing.

The pacing was good, the narrative kept me interested but the lack of surprise left me on the fence. I really wish there were more twists and turns throughout the book.

It'll be a one time read for me, but I would definitely recommend if you'd like a terrifying read about how far parents are willing to go to save their children and have them back.

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An absolute masterpiece. The story was dark and gripping and didn't follow usual clichés. It faced facts and, although cold and twisted, said what we all would do in the situation the main character is put in. I couldn't put this book down. You need to read this.

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Don't Forget to Breathe!!

Let’s play a game of “Would you rather” …….

Would you rather be a victim, or an abuser?

What if you had to be both?

This is what Rachel is dealing with. After dropping her daughter off at the bus stop, as she does every morning, she gets a call from a woman, the woman explains that she has kidnapped her daughter Kylie and she will only get her back by following just a few simple rules, if these rules are not followed, she will kill her.

1. No authorities, and no police!
2. Pay a ransom…….. a staple in a kidnapping right?
3. Kidnap a child…….are you intrigued now?
4. Call that child’s parents and give them the same information that you are getting right now.
5. Hold that kidnapped child somewhere, until the parents of the child have paid the ransom, and also kidnapped another child…….I can see your eyebrows raising!
6. Until all of the above have been completed, Kylie will be held.
7. And here is the kicker!! – After Rachel has followed the rules above, the child of the woman on the phone will be released!

And so on, and so on…

Welcome friends, to The Chain

You see, what is so clever about this book, is that it plays on the “what would you do for your child” part of you, and because you are there with Rachel all of the way, it makes you think ‘what would I do’?

Would I do anything to protect my child? Abso-bloody-lutely, but the thought of putting another parent through the same trauma as you are going through right now is just heartbreaking. And you know that when you get told they will kill your child, you believe them, because their own child is at risk too!

You’ll never look at one of those silly chain letters again!!

Grab this one when it is released on 9th July

You’re Welcome

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Original and thought provoking. The book provides the reader with the ultimate moral dilemma and is sure to provoke a lot of discussion. I love Adrian McKinty's Northern Irish novels and this is a complete departure but its pace and scope makes it an idea summer read and, indeed, ripe for a movie adaptation.

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I really enjoyed The Chain, from the first chapter I was drawn in. Rachel's plight had me flicking through the pages quickly, how far will she go to get her daughter back? Adrian McKinty has written an exceptional story, with great characters and a plot that really makes you wonder.
I did enjoy the first half of the book slightly more than the second half, but overall this is a cracking read.

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The premise to this book is fairly simple but disturbing and frightening and every parents worst nightmare. I am of an age where I remember the chain letters (of the pen and paper variety!) doing the rounds when I was a youngster, I never took any notice and no harm ever came to me (yet!) but "The Chain" is in a different league all together and is not something that can be ignored ... ever!

The Chain is a gripping, psychological thriller that starts with a bang, levels off in the middle and rises again at the end. The characters, although interesting, didn't really ingrain themselves into my psyche for some reason and I struggled to connect with them to the point where I wasn't particularly bothered what happened to them however, I liked the writing style which was easy to read and loved the unique story. There is also the underlying warning regarding social media and the ease at which seemingly innocent information can be collated and used against you and your family - people really need to be taking this more seriously.

I would happily recommend this book as its something different and overall enjoyable despite the middle being a bit "meh" and the characters being a bit flat; it kept me reading to the very end.

This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be my last so thank you to the publisher, Orion Publishing Group, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review and once again, for introducing me to another new author to look out for.

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I had heard so much about this book and was really looking forward to reading it. The Chain is based on the premise of chain letters and makes you wonder just how far people will go so as not to break the chain and face the consequences. It is tense and gripping and has a well paced plot which will keep you on the edge of your seat. A good idea for a story and this would make a great movie.

Thank you to Netgalley, Orion Publishing Group and the author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Remember those awful chain letters doing the rounds years ago, promising all kinds of horrible punishments upon you and your loved ones if you didn't pass the letter on to a whole load of other people? Well The Chain is much more disturbing than that. Your child has been kidnapped. To save your child you must pay a ransom and kidnap someone else's child. If you fail to do either of these things, or involve the Police in any way, your child will be killed. Charming. This is the situation Rachel finds herself in after her 13 year old daughter, Kylie, is taken from a bus stop one morning on the way to school. She is, understandably terrified when she receives the telephone call informing her of what has been done and what is required of her to ensure her daughter's safe return. Rachel cannot begin to imagine where she will lay her hands on the $25k ransom let alone how she is going to be able to kidnap someone else's child and hold them hostage. But she has no choice. Kylie's life depends on her mother finding the money and courage to follow the rules now she is part of The Chain.

From the blurb I was expecting this book to be more of a thriller than it actually was. For me it turned out to be more of a family drama, which is fine, and there is plenty of action towards the end, so maybe my expectations of a Tarantino-style escapade from start to finish were a bit high.

A good read, well written and with some great characters, but a little on the tame side for me. Great summer escapism.

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I don't know that the execution quite lived up to the excellent premise here, but the concept and pacing were both really fantastic and made for a gripping read that I really enjoyed.

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This book asks the question, how far would you go to protect your child? We all like to think we'd do anything for our children but would you commit a crime? kidnap? murder?
This is a great premise for a book and it doesn't disappoint Fast paced with a few twists and turns . it kept me guessing to the end. Highly recommended.

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I loved the premise of this book and was looking forward to a gripping read, but, for me, it didn't quite make it. As soon as the convenient ex marine brother- in-law arrived in the plot and for some reason was allowed to assist Rachel I felt cheated. I had anticipated it would be a book more about "ordinary" people placed in an extraordinary situation begging the question "what would I do?"
Thank you to netgalley and Orion books for an advance copy of this book.

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I haven't read anything by this author before, so didn't know what to expect. I loved it!! The premise of the novel and 'The Chain' was quite unique, and not like anything else I'd come across before in any thriller. So, go and read this and enjoy it!

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A ruthless concept that ensnares the reader just as quickly as the vicious Chain does to the reluctant participants. How far would you go to protect your loved ones? Just hope you aren’t selected to be a link.

It’s clever, disturbing and you won’t want to put it down!

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Have you ever been so enthralled by a book that you purposely put of reading the end because you didn't want it to be over. That you knew from the very first page that you're going to be consumed by it. You're going to try and talk to anyone about this book! Well this is that book for me!
I went into this book with so much excitement because just by simply reading the description, I just knew I had to read this book. Please please accept my request NetGalley!! And then they did and even though I have a mountain of books piling up, I ignored them all and dived heads first into reading this book! I just hoped that it was as good as I was hoping it was going to be.


What first attracted me to this book, is the premise. What would I do in that situation? What would I be capable of in order to save and protect someone I love? I don't have any children, so I couldn't put myself in the mindset of a parent, but that doesn't mean I still couldn't feel and understand the characters in this book. It's such a horrible place to have to be put and yet, is it a hard question for a parent? I asked a couple of parents what they would do in that situation, and they basically told me anything. If it meant saving their child, someone else's is the last thing on their mind. Which is scary to think, what you're capable of when it comes to protecting and ensuring the safety of your loved ones, your child.


This book did a clever way of highlighting how scary and easy it can be to take a child. How simple it is to use things like social media; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, when people are constantly uploading everything. Every detail of their lives, every minute, you location and that of their children's, and how people can use all of that information for their own benefit. How quickly it can be done as well. It's frightening.
This book had me hooked throughout, from the very first page, actually from it description, and that's rare. It started off high and heated and continued at that heated, high adrenaline speed for half of the book. Not really knowing. But after that and it slowed down a little I began wondering what was going to happen and if the author did the right thing starting the first half of his book off so adrenaline filled, as it now seemed to be taking a lull. But it needed that. Especially with what was coming.


Sometimes it's nice to know things within the story as a reader, before the character knows anything and then see them uncover these things for themselves, especially when this is done in a clever way. Which this book did do. Leaving, maybe not so subtle hints here and there, I could see how the plot was going to unfold and I was getting ready for it.


This book was something I've been waiting to read and I thoroughly enjoyed it!! Definitely the best book I've read so far this year and it didn't disappoint me. I'm going to be seeing if this author has any more books out because I am now most definitely a fan!

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