Actually had so much promise, but pretty much the same feedback as I gave to The Escape Room - a great premise that started strong and then became unsatisfying and ridiculous. It was an ok read, not terrible at all, could have been very good.

WOW! This is the first Adrian McKinty I have read and it didn't disappoint The subject matter was electric - how far would any parent go to save their own child? I was hooked even though it was hard to read at times. I would recommend this to anyone who is into tense, gripping and exciting thrillers!

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Chain is a stand alone thriller with a killer premise. An unseen organisation forces individuals to kidnap an innocent random family's child and then blackmail the parents into paying ransom and committing the same act as part of a chain. If they try to contact the police or act against the chain, their child dies.
It was a gripping, intelligent read that felt like the book equivalent of the TV series 24; its pace is like real time and the action never slows. The characters are dealt with sympathetically and you feel that in this situation you would do the same. There was one particular crescendo of set up and tension involving discovery and life-threatening disaster that made me go wow after I reached a safe place to pause.
I think the uniqueness of The Chain is its premise and the fact that it easily puts the reader into a situation that feels real, emotionally relatable and pushes us into what we might be capable of for the ones we love.

The author talks about having come up with this idea a while ago and it is such a killer idea to be turned into the novel it is. And what a great idea.
Rachel, the main protagonist has the passion and determination that make you really question what you would do in the situation she is in and even when her choices are questionable, believe that she makes them with the right reasons.
The momentum of the first half of the book worked slightly better for me than the second one (and the formatting on the e-book I got through netgalley was a bit wonky which made some bits difficult to read) .The second half of the book was slightly less gripping but absolutely necessary and I finished the book in just under 24 hours. I couldn’t see where the plot was likely to go and genuinely wanted Rachel to succeed and survive. She was a character that deserves to.
This is a perfect summer/winter read for lying on the beach or by a log fire and I hope to see it on book club lists so it gets the exposure it deserves.

One scary book! How far would you gotif it was your child that was kidnapped? It's the theme of many movies and books, and this one is no exception to showing us what parents will do to protect their children.
I particularly liked the way in which each subsequent set of parents in the chain reacted to the previous ones as heinous villains and monsters, and yet... They immediately realise that they too have to be monstrous in order to save their children.
Everyone is guilty, and I enjoyed the way the author didn't shy away from writing the dark and terrible thoughts about what particularly a mum would do to save her kid - even if that meant killing another.
A tense and fast paced book about the dark side of the mirror. The ending isn't even really needed, it felt kinda like the author had to shove in a bit of action, because the book is compelling enough with just the examination of parental psyche. Enjoyable nonetheless.

This book has a unique concept for the plot and it is well written throughout. I kept talking about the story to other readers while I was experiencing the story because it is the kind of plot which needs discussing / sharing. There is palpable tension on every page, likeable main characters, seriously scary criminal masterminds and a plot which would lend itself well to a TV series where this story could be enjoyed by many more people.

This was touted as a breathlessly tense Gone Girl style thriller, and I should have learnt from my past disappointment with novels which purport to be the next Gone Girl because I was underwhelmed by this. I can see how the pace would be engaging because it doesn't leave much room for gathering yourself between bouts of action,but ultimately, I need more time to care about the characters who are placed in danger from the get-go. There's no time to grow to like the protagonist so I felt unencumbered by a strong desire to see her succeed.
The accelerated speed is a deliberate (possibly?) attempt to prevent the reader from questioning plot-holes or alternative courses of action, and too often I was thinking 'well why doesn't she do this or that?' which detractedfrom my emotional involvement. That said, I did finish it, and fairly quickly, so it wasn't poorly-written and I liked the brother in law character as well as some of the more unique ideas in the backstory.

Well, where to begin? I’ve heard lots of people have read this book in a day but I couldn’t do that. My nerves wouldn’t let me! The tension is there from the very beginning and doesn’t let up until the last page. This really tapped into my fears as a mother and I had to keep reminding myself this is fiction.

Rachel, the main character and mother of Kylie, has been beautifully written. As a divorced mum, recovering from breast cancer, she’s hugely believable. Her vulnerability is evident. I’d call her a ‘lioness’ mother. She appears calm until you hurt her baby. Then she comes out fighting. Definitely something I recognise in myself.

But this isn’t a book that only parents can relate to. Adrian McKinty cleverly brings Kylie’s Uncle Pete into the story. There aren’t many people who don’t have a nephew or a niece or a cousin or maybe a godchild. Or a neighbour’s child who you absolutely adore. The Chain puts a moral dilemma in front of us all and asks us to choose – your child’s life or keep The Chain moving.

By using multiple viewpoints, McKinty keeps us, the readers, on our toes. Sometimes we’re allowed to know things in advance. Other times we’re on the back foot. But never bored. Each chapter moves us along the Chain, getting closer to the true perpetrators.

With the atmospheric setting of Plum Island in the fog, this is a book crying out to be on a screen. Personally, my preference would be a TV series rather than a film. The plot would need to be slimmed down to fit into a couple of hours for a movie. This is a story that deserves to be told in its entirety. And it’s such a fabulous story. I already have my book of the year for 2019 but The Chain has jumped into my top five if not top three. Believe the hype and read it.

Wow, what a page turner! This absolutely grabbed my attention from the first paragraph to the end!

The premise is a sort of hostage-replacement scheme. Your child is abducted, and you can only secure their release by paying a ransom and abducting another child yourself. Once your victim's parents have abducted someone, your child is released. This is the chain.

I think the really horrific part of this story is that it is totally believable - and shows the lengths good people will go to in order to preserve their loved ones. It also shows the great inner strength people find when in dire circumstances.

Its a pacy, well written book with a great plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat - I couldn't bear to put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Chain has an intriguing concept from the start. You receive a phone call from someone saying they've kidnapped your child. To get your child back, you must kidnapped someone else's child. If you don't, your child will be killed. What would you do? This is the chain and it is every bit as intense as you think it will be. It will make you think. The story is made up of rotating POVs and remains fast-paced throughout. Highly recommend this addictive thriller with a unique concept.

So this one is outside my normal reading comfort zone, but the premise drew me in like a moth to a flame!
What would you do to save your own child? Kidnap another one , kill another one?
This was pure escapism, but escape into a very dark place where the ultimate moral and ethical question is being asked if you.
The plot moves quickly, there is action and tension and more than a sprinkling of those moment which make you want to scream Nooooo!
A real plus for me was the use of a strong female lead character. At first glance Rachel does not appear to be likely action action heroine,A cancer survivor, a single mum, at the end of a string of part time jobs, she is just getting back on her feet. Can she cope with the chain?
Yes! And she does so with intelligence. In partnership with her brother in law, ex Marine Pete, she is the one who keeps her head. Can she be the one to break the chain?
This was a quick read and an absorbing one. A really good summer read!

I felt that at first this seemed to be an unlikely story which became frighteningly more possible as I progressed.
The story is a take on the chain letters that used to be popular in school promising endless postcards or recipes as long as the chain remains unbroken. This Chain is about kidnap and murder!
This story gets more intense as it reaches the conclusion and at that stage it is compelling. There is a real fear that it could happen and how one would react.
A novel idea leading to an unusual story. I enjoyed it and recommend it

A story which haunts and stayed with you long after you have finished it! A mother's love for her child is exploited as she is forced to kidnap someone else's child to save her own. The shocking lengths that a parent will go tochallenges the reader - is this a step too far? What would you do to save your child? Kidnap, threats, extortion, all become distinct possibilities in this world of deceit amongst ordinary, honest families who would never be suspected of such evil acts. The claws of The Chain will never let go and it plays on the fear of future retribution if it is exposed. The perfect crime it would seem, with far reaching tentacles that scares even the reader. This is plausible - it could happen!
Adrian McKinty does what other authors rarely do and exposes the Who and more importantly the Why of the origins of the Chain. Just because we understand How and Why doesn't excuse the evil but adds depth to the story. Well told in Adrians signature style, with just enough description, just enough information, with pacy short
sentences to add momentum as the end approaches.
A chilling page turner with an all-too -possible premise. Will recommend this far and wide 😀

Part one- thrilling. Part two- utterly thrilling. I wasn’t sure where part two could go. Yet, it went somewhere and somewhere further. The palimpsestic nature of the narrative shift creates a page turning, solution seeker in the reader. Excellent plot line. Fantastic text. Highly recommended!

The unstoppable force of "The Chain" exploits parental love, generating extreme fear and feasting upon it. It corrals perfectly ordinary people into an unenviable corner where they are compelled to make radically unethical decisions, all to protect the ones they love.

It’s a toxic and merciless business and makes you wonder what YOU might do if you were approached by "The Chain", like the poor folks caught up in this story. When you realise the lethal consequences for inaction or defiance, if they said ‘jump’ would you hesitate to ask ‘how high?’

Events continue to conspire against those who have been contacted by "The Chain", even though their part has been played. Yep. This story doesn’t hesitate to kick someone when they’re already down, or test them beyond every conceivable breaking point.

It’s a devilishly inspired concept that delivers crucial punches at all the right times, in all the right places.

***Actual rating: 4.5 / 5***

I really enjoyed the first two thirds of this book. The idea of The Chain really intrigued me, kept me turning the pages. The final third of the book felt slow and tiresome, it became a chore to keep reading and I skimmed the last couple of chapters

The Chain is never ending, parents kidnapping children to free their own. Once you are part of The Chain, you're never free. They will always be watching, always nearby. And you will never, ever know where they are.

A taut, terrifying thriller. I often find that rotating POVs cut tension, but here they are cleverly used to ratchet it up, ensuring that the reader never has a moment to relax. This is an amazing, terrifying read that will stay with me for a long time. I'm already recommending it to people and it's not even out yet! I think this will do really well, and it certainly deserves to.

This book made me think. It made me worry. I got stomach ache from being in knots. Just how far WOULD I go to save one of my children? How far COULD I go?

I read myself into Rachel's situation. She is divorced, I am widowed. My children are way older than Kylie but my daughter is pregnant. I have a life limiting medical condition.

My children are my everything. They are my links to their father. They are people I am inordinately proud of having raised. Every stage of their lives have been miraculous to me.

So, could I do what Rachael was forced to do?

I don't know. I think I could. As to would I.?

In a heartbeat.

spoiler alert ** Clever idea for a book... not come across something like this before.
You work on the idea that a parent will do anything to get their child back.
And Rachel did.
The first half of the book was massively entertaining,I couldn't turn.the pages fast enough. It was all the suspense,because if you look back,other than the poor traffic cop,nobody gets hurt. It's just the fear.
The fear that lives with you even when you get your child back,because you're still part of the chain.
The second half was good,just not quite so good,I felt it was pitching too many odds against our hero's (fighting cancer and drug addiction).
Overall though,highly entertaining book that I'll be telling people about for a while.

This is a fast paced thriller that I couldn't put down until I'd finished! It only took me a few hours to read.

The story follows Rachel, a mother to Kylie and a cancer patient. When her daughter is kidnapped she must do everything in her power to try and get her back.

I won't say much as I don't want to spoil it for anyone but I enjoyed this!