When a mother is targeted by a dangerous group of masterminds, she must commit a crime to save her kidnapped daughter–or risk losing her forever–in this “propulsive and original” award-winning thriller (Stephen King). It’s something parents do every morning: Rachel Klein drops her daughter at the bus stop and heads into her day. But a cell phone call from an unknown number changes … an unknown number changes everything: it’s a woman on the line, informing her that she has Kylie bound and gagged in her back seat, and the only way Rachel will see her again is to follow her instructions exactly: pay a ransom, and find another child to abduct. This is no ordinary kidnapping: the caller is a mother herself, whose son has been taken, and if Rachel doesn’t do as she’s told, the boy will die.
“You are not the first. And you will certainly not be the last.”Rachel is now part of The Chain, an unending and ingenious scheme that turns victims into criminals–and is making someone else very rich in the process. The rules are simple, the moral challenges impossible; find the money fast, find your victim, and then commit a horrible act you’d have thought yourself incapable of just twenty-four hours ago.
But what the masterminds behind The Chain know is that parents will do anything for their children. It turns out that kidnapping is only the beginning.
“McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years. His plots tempt you to read at top speed, but don’t give in: this writing–sharply observant, intelligent and shot through with black humor–should be savored.”
–Tana French
“A masterpiece. You have never read anything quite like The Chain and you will never be able to forget it.” —Don Winslow
“Diabolical, unnerving, and gives a whole new meaning to the word “relentless”. Adrian McKinty just leapt to the top of my list of must-read suspense novelists. He’s the real deal.”
–Dennis Lehane
“Pairing an irresistible concept with a winner protagonist, The Chain promises to be your new addiction once you succumb to the first enticing page.”
–Alafair Burke
“A grade-A-first-rate-edge-of-your-seat thriller. I can’t believe what went through my mind while reading it.” —Attica Locke
Brilliant premise told at a breakneck pace, and I thoroughly enjoyed losing myself in the pages in 3 days (I’m usually such a slow reader, which is a sign of how addictive I found it!)
This book explores the dark side of human nature and how far people will go to protect the ones they love. When people are terrified and desperate they can be made to do unthinkable things. It takes a subject like kidnapping and adds an extra even more twisted element to it. I enjoyed both the story and the characters.
This intense, dark psychological thriller is totally engrossing. 35-year-old Rachel Klein is a divorced single mother, with 13-year-old daughter, Kylie, living on Plum Island, Massachusetts. She survived the devastating trauma and treatment of breast cancer, and now she finds out, it’s returned. Then something far worse happens. Kylie is abducted from the bus stop, and Rachel gets a call from a stranger telling her she is now part of the chain. Think chain letters but horrifyingly worse. Rachel is told she will never be free of the chain and the consequences of breaking the chain are life threatening. Also, should she think of going to the police, her daughter will die.
Rachel has to find the ransom money to get her child back. But, she has no money and is forced into desperate measures. Rachel is helped by her brother-in-law, Pete, an ex-marine engineering officer, currently unemployed and an opiate addict. Faced with the wreckage that comprises her family, Rachel dreams of breaking and destroying the chain. A novel that crime and thriller readers will love.
A really good pace that kept me intrigued from beginning to end. That said, I did find the first half and beginning of the second half stronger compared to the rest of the book.
This started off well. The plot has the makings of a five star film & the cast was perfect. However, having read this in bite-sized chunks, I was left feeling that the author could have done so much more to put the reader on the edge of their seat. There was no real grit, no suspense, no thrill. All in all, not a bad book at all, but it just left me feeling flat.
Any book that I’m still thinking about a week after I’ve finished it is worthy of five stars. This is one of those books–equal parts terrifying and addictive. It will make you question your own moral code. I was drawn in by the disturbing premise and must admit, at nearly halfway through, I found the story was getting slightly repetitive and considered giving up. I’m so glad I didn’t because the second half was spectacular. I loved how the prey continually became the predator, and that theme amplified in Part II as the mother decides to hunt down those behind the chain. I couldn’t put the book down at that point. I highly recommend this one for thriller and horror fans.
I found parts of this book slow. Particularly the beginning. Once it got moving I couldn’t put it down. The characters are well defined and I found myself rooting for them even though sometimes they were doing crazy, horrible things. The reasons behind them doing the things they did made them all that more lovable to me. Definitely worth the slow start.
The Chain has no comparison at all. It is such a realistic, unique book. I can’t wait to see the movie when it comes out! If you haven’t read this book, you really need to! There are so many twists and turns that it keeps you guessing. This book had me exclaiming out loud and for a book to do that, then you know it has to be good! It had me feeling every emotion there is!
Enjoyed this thriller. Will be looking for more books by this author.
This is by far one of the most original and compelling, suspenseful reads ever!
Let me start off by saying wow. I couldn’t put or stop listening to this audiobook. The narrator does amazing job telling this story and keeping me the reader wanting knows more about what is going to happened to next. This book to me is unpredictable. I love thrilled and been wanting to read this book since it came out. I highly recommend this book. And I think I will be reading more from this author.
About Book:
Rachel is mother who is dealing with cancer that probably comes back. When she lets her thirteen year old daughter walk home from school one day. She gets a call from their kidnappers taken her. Someone from the Chain calls Rachel and explains all the rules. And now Rachel has to figure out a way to get back her daughter and continue the chain.
I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in two days flat. Very easy reading, easy to follow not super complicated. Near the ending I guessed the last remaining Chapters which isn’t great for keeping me absorbed in a book, but I finished it. I like the way the author made some chapters one or two pages, lol and each on a separate persons life. Kept me reading!! If you like mysteries or thrillers I def recommend this read.
Five stars as it was an intense and exciting listen. Story was great and kept me engaged to what will happen next. Great narration
What lengths would you go to if someone kidnapped your child? Would you kidnap another child in order to get yours back? Therein lies the premise of The Chain. A taut, grab-you-by-the-throat page turner that doesn’t let go until the very end.
This book is different than any other suspense book I’ve ever read. The plot is chilling, especially if you are a parent!! Recommended!!!
The Chain by Adrian McKinty is the most addicting book I have read in a minute, I mean WOW.
The concept of this book is downright terrifying, and it is perfectly executed. The pacing is lighting fast, and it gets right down to it and never stops. I listened to the audio and was unable to stop once I started because I was hooked immediately. The narrator, January LaVoy, is one of the best narrators I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to and I highly recommend the audiobook for you audio lovers out there. I had an ARC but I didn’t even read it at all since all I wanted to do was listen to LaVoy read the book. I listened to it all in one day because it was just that good and completely unputdownable.
The Chain is positively diabolical and packed with action. I love that the synopsis is the vaguest thing ever, so I don’t really want to talk about the plot and give anything away. It was full of surprises and I am gladly going to call this one of my favorite thrillers of all time. I was very happy to see McKinty has a whole backlist of books I can read now, and I will definitely be reading anything he writes from this day forward. If you want a thriller that pushes boundaries and leaves you feeling breathless, The Chain is it!
Thank you to The Book Drop/Bethany Beach Books and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions and thoughts are my own.
Loved this book though it was anxiety provoking but superb.
I almost feel guilty for giving The Chain a three and not a four. But I can explain. First, the premise is a good one. The main character Rachel and her brother-in-law Pete are put into an unimaginable situation, and I like that they are not perfect human beings who have a moral dilemma to face. Those are the good things without giving away spoilers.
Now for the things that bothered me. The book is written in present tense. I personally should be used to this because I’ve read a ton of screenplays, and I understand the choice. It should make the story feel more immediate, and I guess it does. But the transition from the terrifying events in part one to the events in part two lags. McKinty’s style of telling the story left me feeling more like a dispassionate observer than an emotionally invested one, if that makes sense.
But I can definitely envision this as a movie, and I’m left wondering if the writing style was chosen for this intent.
Overall, this one is a worthy read. It just didn’t have the right emotional hook for me.
This book haunted me, while I read it and long after. Kept me reading through the night.
I think this book got way too much hype. The storyline was good and had so much potential, but the writing seemed elementary to me. On the plus side, it was a shorter novel and it didn’t take long to read.