The Chain

What a ride! Read this book in a day because I HAD to know what happened. A thrilling nightmare from beginning to end in all the best ways.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview THE CHAIN by Adrian McKinty.
This book asks the question - what would you do if....
What would you do if one morning you cell phone rang and a stranger told you that your child was kidnapped, that in order to get your child back, you had to kidnap someone's child, pay a ransom, and do things you could not fathom? That is what happens to Rachel, a single mother suffering from cancer. The caller tells her to get 25 thousand dollar and get ready to take someone else's child.
The caller tells Rachel if she calls the police - her child will be killed; if she deviates from the instreuctions, her child will be killed - and if she breaks this "chain" - everyone she knows will be killed.
Rachel knows this is not a joke and so she goes to work - she can't rely on her ex-husband, Marty, so she reaches out to her brother in law, Pete. Rachel and Pete race against time to get a young child back to her family.
But things get out of control - and Rachel knows that THE CHAIN will never let her forget - she is bound to it forever. Rachel's live spins out of control - that is until she starts to take control. But nothing is as it seems and life will never be the same.
Excellent book - 5 stars - fast paced and scary as hell! RECOMMEND.

Adrian McGinty has authored the beach read of the year with The Chain! Totally engrossing and will suck you in!

McKinty's The Chain is a novel of heart-pounding suspense. I loved the premise from the beginning as this book just sucks you right in. Will definitely recommend it to my customers who love James Patterson and Harlan Coben. A great summer thrill ride!

Whoa! This book will have you laser-focused from the first paragraph...right to the last!

Victim or abuser. Which is actually worse? And what if you had to play the role of both? Whatever you do...don’t break the chain!
What would you do if your child was taken? What lengths would you go to get your child back? Could you live with your decisions?

Brilliant, addictive, unputdownable! From start to finish I was also at the mercy of those behind the chain. (Ok...the author!) Couldn’t wait to see how this would play out! Definitely one of my favorite thrillers for 2019! I cannot stop thinking about this one!

Highly recommend for all thriller lovers! Toes tapping! Can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Adrian McKinty for an ARC to read and review.

Your child is kidnapped. In order to get her back, you need to find to pay a ransom. And you have to kidnap another child. If that child’s parents don’t ante up, you are to kill your hostage and choose another target. You are now on The Chain, and the only way off is death.

Rachel O’Neill’s daughter Kylie is taken from the school bus stop on Plum Island, Massachusetts, and is put on The Chain. Rachel reaches out to her ex, Kylie’s dad, but he is out of town, so she call’s Pete, his brother and a combat vet.

As Rachel races to meet the demands to get her daughter back, she’s faced with horrific existential questions: to what lengths will go to see her daughter again? What is she turning into? We also wonder, how did The Chain get started? How did anyone become that demonic? We and Rachel will find out.

At once a heart-pounding page turner and a meditation on evil, Adrian McKinty’s The Chain is a master work of crime fiction. The prose is strong, spare, and direct. The characters, particularly Rachel and Pete, and full-fleshed humans. Rachel’s determination and grit emerge in this book of her trials nobody should have to endure.

If you read one mystery this summer, make it The Chain. You won’t regret or forget it.

A Mother will do anything to protect her child - true statement. A Mother, by instinct, will go to great lengths to protect other children. - also, generally, a true statement . Well, what if someone has stolen a Mother’s child and the only way to get him or her back alive is to become part of a terrible chain and steal someone else’s child in exchange for her own? Uh, that’s some twisted sh*t. The Chain will have you locked in from the first to the last word. Although a little far out, it is a great read for those who desire an original thriller and made me not want to share so much publicly on social media because you never know who is watching. It’s nuts to have a glimpse into a circumstance when desperation leads good people to do bad things and the length a parent will go for their child. It is such a moral conundrum. I had a pit in my stomach from the terror and disgust I felt from the whole situation. The idea of anything happening to my children is my greatest fear, and this book had me effed up. I couldn’t put it down because...WTF! 😱 Anyway, the author must have some crazy thoughts in that mind of his to create such a nightmare and successfully deliver it into story-form. I gasped, I stared at the wall wide-eyed, and I may have thrown the Kindle once (or twice). Read it, if you dare.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netGalley for a copy of this book! Wowsers this is one thrill ride of a book. I think this book would be every parents nightmare. Your child has been upducted and the only way to save them is to do the very thing that destroyed your world. Plus it is almost never ending, you will always be a part of the chain.

The author did an amazing job of reeling you in and making you part of this terror. Every parent has to wondering what they would do in the very same situation. It is amazing what you would do to save someone you love.

The characters are rich and flawed and not all of them are likable, which makes this much more realistic. I am not just talking about the "bad guys" either. Truly, what makes a person good or bad are their actions. Every one in this book takes actions that are questionable. What would you do? I have no idea. This is what makes this book so good. It stays with you well after reading it. As a parent myself I don't think I will ever forget it!

Brace yourself! Once you start this book you won’t be able to put it done!! The Chain definitely had me mind-hijacked! As a mom myself I was instantly transported into panic and what would I do mode if this happened to me!

The writing is brilliant! This is a book that’s going to create a LOT of buzz! It’s a definite page turner & easily a must read for everyone!

I devoured this book!! Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copynin exchange for my honest opinion.

An action-packed thriller through the first half of the book! The second half though, at times. almost felt like a whole different book to me. I'll admit I became a tad confused about where it was going, but Adrian McKinty ends up delivering!

Rachel gets a phone call that her daughter has been kidnapped. She is now part of The Chain. She must keep The Chain going by kidnapping someone else's child, among other things, or her daughter will die. No police or her daughter dies. She must choose and act wisely and quickly. How far would you go?

Rachel and her daughter, Kylie, both take us through what they're going through and feeling.

This book was fast-paced and terrifying! I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Mulholland Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine alone.

Remember those chain letters from childhood: pass them on for something good to happen and more importantly to avoid something bad happening if you don’t. What if the good thing was eventually getting your kidnapped child back alive but the only way to ‘pass it on’ was to kidnap someone else's child?

And then encourage your victim’s parents to do the same. By any means necessary.

That’s the horrifying premise of Edgar Award-winning Adrian McKinty’s brilliant new standalone.

That’s the chilling reality facing cancer survivor Rachel when her teenage daughter Kylie is snatched from a school bus stop in Massachusetts. The voice on the phone makes it crystal clear. Just paying a ransom won’t be enough to get Kylie back alive; single Mom Rachel also has to find another child to kidnap, someone whose parents are also capable of holding their nerve, kidnapping another child, and staying quiet.

No law enforcement, no politicians, no journalists. Choose your victim carefully or your own child will be executed. Once part of the Chain, you can never break the Chain. As Rachel scrambles to find money and choose a child to kidnap, she realizes all her moves are being tracked. How far would you go to save your own child? How much pain would you inflict on others? Is there anywhere you’d draw the line?

McKinty delivers a mind-blowing tale that clutches at the hearts of readers.

The Chain is every loving parent’s worst nightmare, on steroids. It’s terrifying and traumatizing in a way that ultra-violent fare just cannot touch. Impressively, Northern Irishman McKinty manages to infuse what is a high-concept, white-knuckle thriller with textures of social commentary and touches of the lyricism that’s won him so many admirers already.

The Chain is an extraordinary triumph from a true master.

What a thrill!
This book takes you in quite the journey, and is unforgiving in its element of surprise.
Books that make me wonder what is going to come next are some of my favorites, and this book did that very well, keeping me guessing the whole time.

The Premise:

A young girl, Kylie, is kidnapped while waiting for her school bus. Her mother, Rachel, receives a phone call soon afterwards. The kidnappers are parents whose own child has been kidnapped and is currently being held for ransom. In order to get her child back, Rachel must pay a $25,000 ransom AND kidnap someone else’s child. If she does not complete these two tasks, her child will be killed and they will find another child. If she involves the police, her child will be killed and they will find another child. Kylie will only be released when the next set of parents (after Rachel) kidnap a child of their own and pay a ransom. And the chain continues . . .

Confused yet?

My Thoughts:

(A few light spoilers, nothing that will ruin the book or give much away)

The Concept: Okay, so The Chain is one of those books where you need to suspend reality for a few hours and just enjoy the story. The idea that a kidnapping for ransom scheme perpetrated by the parents themselves could go on for several years without the police or government becoming involved is pretty slim. At one point in the story, it is revealed that a parent tried to “break” the chain in the past, and the ramifications extended back seven children. It’s never quite revealed what that means, but it’s implied that the people behind The Chain will return and kill the children of anyone who defects. So we’re to believe that seven children were killed in the same geographic area in the past few years, and the police never became involved?

However, if you put that aside, it’s very easy to lose yourself in the story. What would you do if your child was kidnapped and the people holding your child were psycholgically unhinged by the kidnapping of their own child? What are they capable of? There is no greater love than a parent’s love for their child. Making the parents the kidnappers is a brilliant new twist on the old kidnapping-for-ransom theme and really raises the stakes for the reader.

The Characters: The main character, Rachel, is a relatable heroine, as is her daughter, Kylie. It says something about the author’s ability to write a complex female character when we find ourselves rooting for a kidnapper. Assisting her along the way is her ex-brother-in-law, Pete, a flawed veteran who struggles to contain his opiate addiction long enough to find his niece. Her ex-husband, Marty is quite possibly the nicest ex-husband on the planet. The story’s antagonists could’ve been fleshed out a little more. They weren’t frightening enough as villains, especially considering the kind of havoc they’ve been wreaking for several years via The Chain.

Morality: Light cursing. Light sexuality. Light violence. Nothing gory or over the top.

Complaints: There’s a lot of head-hopping, which threw me off. And the villains weren’t all that villain-y. There were a few unanswered questions (ex/ How much did the villain’s grandfather know about the scheme?) and some things that just don’t make sense, like how the entire scheme went undetected by law enforcement for so long.

Would I Recommend?: Absolutely. Suspend your disbelief and just have fun. The Chain puts a new spin on the old kidnapping-for-ransom theme by making the parents the perpetrators of the crime. Even the heroine of the book is forced to become a villain to get her own child back. Fans of suspense/thrillers will love this one!

4.0 / 5 Stars

**Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Creepy, edge of your seat, nightmare fuel for parents! Whatever you read about this book, all that hype, it’s REAL. I was dying to read it after seeing the synopsis. I’m glad I did! I am a bit spooked considering I’m already that paranoid momma! You’ll be holding those kids of all ages in your life tight after this one!!
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I can’t even imagine what the feeling in your gut is like after hearing your child has been kidnapped. Just pay the ransom? No, not today. You pay and THEN you kidnap someone else’s child. Someone screws up and your child is dead. Why? Because it’s not about the money.. it’s about the chain.

Thank you Mulholland Books for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Adrian McKinty never fails! This is an intense from page one book, highly entertaining and the position it puts people in is quite the moral judgement.

The Chain starts off with the simple concept of a kidnapping at a bus stop but that is just the tip of the iceberg with this out of this world story by Adrian McKinty. It starts off like any other day, Rachel has just dropped off her daughter Kylie and is on her way to the doctor when she receives a call that will change her life forever. Someone claims to have kidnapped Kylie and she is to send ransom money and the biggest twist to this is that Rachel has to kidnap another child to take Kylie’s place. You see they claim that this is The Chain and it cant be broken or else people will die. They also tell her she can't go to the media or police or Kylie will die. Rachel, of course, thinks this is ridiculous but all she can think about is getting her daughter back so she decides to do the unthinkable and do as they say. She enlists the help of her ex-brother in law, who has tons of issues of his own, but he being ex-military is the only one who could possibly help her with this outrageous plan.

What is The Chain exactly? They claim it has been happening for decades but has it really? And who exactly is running this whole show? Is it mob-related or cartel? How have they managed to be doing this the whole time and not get caught? And what exactly is happening with all this money that is being collected? Towards the end we finally get some answers and when it revealed it isn't what I expected.

The Chain has its twists and turns and I find the whole idea of a chain interesting. You think why do these people continue to do what is being asked of them and not call the police, what it boils down to is simple...fear. Fear is the one thing that can make you do crazy things. While it comes to a loved one you will do anything for them, even the unthinkable. So these people play on that emotional and ride it for all its worth. And this is what makes this novel so good! Seeing these people wanting to save their loved ones at any cost is heart wretching but would you do anything differently? It's easy to say you would but when your loved one is in harm who knows how you would react. This is one novel that has you by the seat of your pants from the very start and doesn't let go until the last page is turned. The Chain is one novel that should be at the top of your list this Summer.

Once you read this review, go forth and pre-order Adrian McKinty’s The Chain, then share the review with others and instruct them to do the same. This is a chain, but fortunately, it is vastly less dangerous than the chain as described in this juggernaut of a novel.

Every few seasons a book comes along that becomes almost ubiquitous; no matter where you turn, people are reading it, advertisements abound, and even those who have yet to experience it have an opinion on it. Books like the Harry Potter series, The DaVinci Code, and Gone Girl fall into this coveted, yet rare, category. The Chain has the potential to be that novel for the current season – and there is not a more deserving storyteller worthy of such attention. Adrian McKinty is the real deal and here he has stumbled upon a conceit that is so genius readers will wonder why no one has thought of it before.

The Chain is a fairly straight-forward thriller, hitting all the touchstones fans of the genre have come to expect, but in Adrian McKinty’s skilled hands, the ingenious plot and clever construction elevate the novel’s fresh and innovative aura. The forward momentum of this novel is so incredibly propulsive that readers will feel an addiction that is undeniable – with every moment away from its pages taunting the reader to return, like a drug addict desperate for another hit, another high.

The first half of The Chain is broken up into date- and time-stamped chapters, making the reader an active participant in the drama as it unfolds. Rachel’s daughter Kylie is kidnapped and Rachel is told that in order to ensure Kylie’s safe return – and the safe return of the kidnapper’s own child – she must pay a ransom and abducted another individual, one who is carefully chosen because that person’s loved-ones must also pay a ransom and then kidnap another victim. This vicious cycle is The Chain. One misstep or failure in the process with result in Kylie’s death and possibly – probably – that of others connected via the chain.

This section plays out from many perspectives, giving readers a fully-rounded accounting of this complex microcosm. Readers become privy to points-of-view from Rachel, Kylie, the previous kidnappers, the masterminds behind the scheme, and several others who become entangled in this brutal web as events proceed.

In the second half of the novel, Adrian McKinty gives readers a glimpse of the origins of The Chain. This was fascinating information and some readers might find themselves longing for just a bit more of it. “How evil develops” being one of those topics crime readers cannot seem to get enough of. Interspersed among these vignettes from the past is an accounting of another mission, one that is no less dangerous but which may be even more important than anything that has come before.

Saying anything more about this book would ruin The Chain for the reader, which will not happen here. Across these seventy-seven chapters – an internally significant number cleverly implanted by Adrian McKinty – characters are pushed to their limits, difficult choices are made, and lives are lost. Needless to say, the characters are forever altered, but what makes The Chain so unforgettable is that the reader is also affected.

In the end, The Chain cuts to the heart of the reader because it echoes the interconnectedness of humanity. Adrian McKinty takes one of our greatest strengths and turns it into a weapon – forcing both the characters and the reader to contemplate the unthinkable as every other avenue loses viability. Do not miss this book; everyone will be talking about it this summer.

I don’t have kids nor am I young enough to pass as a child but this book made me want to never leave the house and never post on social media again. A true thriller that kept me on my toes the entire time. Will definitely be recommending and will be checking out this author’s other works.

The premise of this book was so interesting, I couldn't help but request it. THE CHAIN delivered the premise and more. What a great book!

Chances are, you just got a huge amount of anxiety just from reading that blurb. But hey, don't you worry! Once you start reading the book, you will be consumed with anxiety almost the entire way through! How exciting, right?! 

I actually loved it. I loved being on the edge of my seat and watching how things would play out. The Chain was actually very entertaining and fast moving for me. I thought the plot of the entire story as a whole was well executed, both of them! It was the type of book that I was looking for the moment I picked it up. 

The story-line was something that I have never read before. It was very original not played out or over-exaggerated. I mean seriously think about it-- Victim or abuser? Which one is actually worse? And what if you had to play the role of both? What would you do? Do you even know what you would do? Because I didn't! I kept trying to put myself in both situations and just couldn't even fathom. I would much rather just be the observer as a reader, thank you very much!

The story was riveting. The writing was riveting. The plot was riveting. I thought The Chain as a whole was brilliant. Point blank. If you're looking for a story that will keep your attention, on the edge of your seat, you anxiety cup filled, and still move quick enough to read in one sitting-- then The Chain is for you!

The Chain. What an elaborate concept...and nightmare! This is the worst version of a chain letter you can possibly imagine...and be apart of!!

This cover caught my attention when I first saw it on NG. Then it was popping up everywhere. It was receiving so much hype and praise, I had to request it.

It’s easy...Follow The Chain and you get your kid back. Pay the ransom. Find another target and kidnap someone. The Chain continues. Each link in The Chain is precious. The Chain has to go on. No police! Whatever you do, <b>Don’t Break The Chain!</b> The Chain has <b>never been successfully broken.</b>

McKinty didn’t waste time. From page one, this is a fast-past thriller, filled with action, tension and fear. I wasn’t sure McKinty could sustain that same emotion throughout the story, but he pulled it off!

It’s Thursday morning and Kylie is sitting at the bus stop. Like a typical 13-year-old, her social media/phone are more interesting than her surroundings. Before she has time to respond, there is a man standing in front of her. He’s wearing a ski mask and pointing a gun at her.

<blockquote>”She knows she shouldn’t have gotten into the vehicle. That’s how girls vanish. That’s how girls vanish every day. If you get in the car it’s over. If you get in the car, you’re lost forever. You don’t get in the vehicle, you turn around and you run, run, run.”</blockquote>

Kylie is thinking about her mom. She doesn’t deserve this. First the cancer, then the divorce, now her daughter is kidnapped. Rachel is on her way to the oncologist. Probably bad news. Her phone rings. It’s an unknown caller.

<blockquote>“Two things you must remember,” a voice says through some kind of speech-distortion machine. “Number one: you are not the first and you will certainly not be the last. Number two: remember, it’s not about the money—it’s about The Chain.”</blockquote>

McKinty is now on my radar and “The Chain”, which is my first read of July, is also a fav read of 2019!

<b>My Rating: </b> 4.5⭐️’s (rounding up 😊)
<b>Published:</b> July 9th 2019 by Mulholland Books
<b>Pages:</b> 368

<b>Recommend:</b> Yes

<b>Excerpts: </b>
<blockquote>“A true predator sometimes kills even when it isn’t hungry.”</blockquote>

Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Adrian McKinty for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
#NetGalley #DontBreakTheChain

Terrifying concept

Rachel Klein is 35 years old and recently divorced. She worked two jobs for years to put her ex-husband through law school and then got traded in for a newer model. She has a daughter, Kylie, that she loves dearly, is a breast cancer survivor, and will be starting her first "real" job at a local community college soon.

Then she gets a phone call, part of a devious plan. Kylie has been kidnapped. As soon as she pays a ransom AND kidnaps someone else's child, she will enter into The Chain and eventually Kylie will be released.

This is a tense, hard-driving scary book. This is a terrifying concept. Not only do you become part of the conspiracy when you have to kidnap a child but you must depend on others to do their part.

This author has a devious mind to come up with this tale. Unique and well thought out plot and strong characterizations made this a winner all around to me.

I received this book from Mulholland Books through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

A real heart pounding & page turning psychological thriller. As Don Winslow says on the cover “This book is Jaws for parents.”

“Number one: you are not the first and you will certainly not be the last. Number two: remember, it’s not about the money—it’s about The Chain.”

Andrew McKinty’s The Chain is a riveting thriller with a terrifying premise.

The Chain works like this: your child is kidnapped, and the only thing that will ensure their safe release is the payment of a ransom, and for you to then kidnap a child, whose parents must in turn pay a ransom, and kidnap a child. If you fail to comply, your child will die, if your victim’s parents fail to comply, you must kill their child and choose another target, or your child will die. Attempt to inform law enforcement, or in anyway interrupt The Chain and you and your entire family will be the first to die.

Rachel Klein is not an obvious target for this macabre network. She is newly divorced, recently in remission after treatment for breast cancer, and has very little money. When her thirteen year old daughter, Kylie, is abducted, and Rachel receives the chilling instructions as the newest link in The Chain, she balks, as most right-minded people would. What Rachel is being asked to do is unthinkable, but with the life of her beloved daughter at stake, Rachel realises she has no choice.

The first half of the book is an absolute page turner, I raced through it wondering just how far Rachel was willing to go. McKinty skilfully communicates the fear and desperation experienced by victims of The Chain. When the lives of our children are threatened there is very little a parent won’t do to protect them, and it is exactly that primal instinct that the sociopathic minds behind The Chain exploit.

“Be thankful for our mercy and remember that once you are on The Chain, you are on it forever. You are not the first and you will not be the last. We are watching, we are listening; we can come for you at any time.”

The pace slowed somewhat during the second half as Rachel, and Kylie, struggle with the aftermath of their experience, but it ramps up again as Rachel realises the only way she and her daughter will ever escape The Chain, is to expose the diabolical masterminds behind the scheme.

The Chain is an impressive thriller that will get your heart racing and keep the pages turning. Don’t miss being part of The Chain.

What a crazy roller-coaster ride! I mean this in the best possible way by the way.

The story-line goes:

Child is kidnapped
Parent asked to pay ransom
The parent has to kidnap someone else’s kid before their own is released
The Chain must go on

I hope the rules of the chain are clear. They might sound simple enough but of course, they are not. First of all, it’s a nightmare to have your kid kidnapped. Secondly, people just don’t have a load of cash lying around in case of ransom demands. Thirdly, what kind of a person kidnaps kids? Well, most parents would do anything for their kids. That is the position our MC, Rachel, finds herself in.

The Chain has a fast-moving pace. Once the story began, there was no slowing down. The characters have to act fast to get their kids back and my heart was pounding at each move. I love how the tension escalated with each new twist in the chain. I kept wondering whether the victims would win or perhaps the chain would get broken.

The author portrays the character in a manner that will have you sympathizing with them. My heart broke for Rachel and her daughter, Kylie who were caught up in the nightmare. I am still not sure how they were picked but I can’t imagine being forced to participate in something like that. The plotline is terror-filled and masterfully presented. This isn’t the kind of book that you get easily distracted from. It grabbed my attention and held me captive until I turned the last page.

If you are looking for a tightly-plotted, edge-of you sitter kind of thriller then The Chain by Adrian McKinty should be your next read.

I absolutely loved this book! Such a unique premise, and so well written! I don’t have children, but I do have tons of nephews and a raging anxiety problem, so this book got me. And I mean, sweating, heart in my throat, furiously swiping on my Kindle got me. Tore through this in one sitting got me.

Such a twisty, unpredictable ride! Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

Wow this book had me intrigued right from the start it was a fast paced thriller i couldn't put down. As a mother myself this brought forth so much terror in my mind. Its one of my biggest fears and i could really relate to the morther in the story doing everything possible to get her daughter back and living in fear.
I don't want to give much away but it revolves around Rachel a single mother who is recovering from breast cancer. Rachel is suddenly hit with some tough decisions when her 12 year old daughter, Kylie, is abducted from the bus stop. The kidnappers contract Rachel letting her know she is now part of the chain and once you are in the chain you can never get out. Rachel then has to make some of the hardest decisions of her life. Will Rachel be able to rescue kylie? Will they be haunted by the chain forever or will they be able to break free? This is one psychological thriller you need to add to your summer reading list to find out!

I would like to thank Mulholland books and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

You can also find my review on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BztRruGgbEF/ and goodreads