A perfect beach read. A parent's nightmare. What are the moral limits one is willing to cross in order to meet the ransom required for the return of a child? How long before someone says no to continuing "the chain?"

If you do not forward this post to five friends, you will never read a good book again.

The Chain has much deeper and sinister implications than the chain mail we used to receive on AOL. The rules are simple: kidnap a child, and yours will be returned. Refuse and your predecessor will be forced to kill and find a new target.

I was immediately drawn to this thrilling and unique premise. However, McKinty surprised me with the real psychological and emotional toll this game plays on its victims. In order to save her daughter, Rachel must subject another mother to the same previously unfathomable fear and trepidation of losing a child. Parents are forced into a hypocritical situation. The question of “How could someone kidnap children?” is forever answered when the alternative is losing yours forever.

This book captured my attention and held it throughout the pages. I wanted to find out more about The Chain’s origins, masterminds and see if the institution would topple. However, I felt something was missing to really push this one from a regular beach read to a truly memorable one. The pacing of various storylines felt off and kept me from adding this to the must read list. I wanted more development to really ingrain me in the narrative.

You can still certainly pick this up for your next dark beach read.

PSA: Clear your schedule, turn off your mobile, lock the door and settle in for one very intense reading session! This is a book that demands to be read in a single sitting without distractions.

I was wondering what all the recent hype was about, and wow did I find out. I can see why this one is getting so much buzz and it's definitely well-deserved. Someone please tell me that this is another summer blockbuster that will be optioned for the big screen?!

What it's about: Rachel Klein, divorced and age 35, is driving to see her oncologist when she gets the first call. A distorted voice tells her "two things you must remember...you are not the first and you will certainly not be the last...it's not about the money -- it's about The Chain." In a follow up call, Rachel receives awful news -- her 13-year-old daughter, Kylie, has been kidnapped. The person at the other end of the phone is very clear. All Rachel has to do do is follow the rules and then she'll get her daughter back, unharmed. There's a ransom demand, and, unbelievably, Rachel learns that she is also going to have to kidnap someone to replace her daughter on The Chain. Any deviations and Kylie will die. No one can break The Chain or everyone pays. NO SPOILERS.

Why you should read it: The writing is excellent; there are so many good quotes I couldn't pick one to start off my review as I normally do. The plot is original and well-paced creating tension and suspense from the very start. The characters are multi-dimensional and elicit empathy and relatabiililty. You root for them, as unlikely a duo as are Rachel and Pete, and even if you have to suspend some disbelief, you go there willingly. It's pure entertainment and kind of scary in many ways. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the e-book ARC to read and review. I'll be recommending this one to every reader I know!

The Chain is one of those stories that grabs your attention within the first few sentences and makes you check the clock to see if you have enough time to sit and devour it all in one sitting. As a mother, this was quite literally a story about my very worst nightmare, which can often make me have a tough time reading a book, yet I just could not put it down.

Imagine, your child has been kidnapped and is being held hostage. The only way you can get them back is to kidnap another child within 24hrs, and have that child's parent kidnap another unsuspecting child and so on, and so on. If you, or your direct links to the chain break the chain then your child dies. You are stuck in a real life version of a chainletter and the consequences of the chain not continuing isn't just bad luck, it's death. Could you toss away everything you know is right and become a criminal?

This book is split into two parts. The first part is incredibly intense and fast paced as we follow Rachel, a mother who has just become a part of The Chain, and her desperate attempts to follow the rules of The Chain to get her daughter back. The second part of the book, while it definitely slows down a bit, is still so captivating, as it continues to follow Rache but also starts to give us a little history to The Chain and how it came to be.

This will keep you guessing right until the end, and just when you think you have it all figured out, there's another twist. Definitely recommend this be added to your summer reading list!

The premise of this book is every parent’s worst nightmare with an unimaginable and terrible twist: You receive a call telling you your child has been kidnapped. But there’s more. The only way for you to get your child back is for you to now kidnap someone else’s child. Do that (and don’t tell a soul) and you’ll get your own son or daughter back. You are now part of The Chain. A heart-stopping thriller (and very quick read), this book keeps you on the edge of your seat and forces you to wrestle with a gut-wrenching question: How far would you go to save your own child?

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Shortly after 13-year-old Kylie hears her school bus drive past the car in which she's held captive--blindfolded, at gunpoint--the kidnappers contact her mother. Rachel Klein's positive steps toward a new life--divorce, cancer remission, new job--take a devastating tumble as she learns she and Kylie are now part of "the Chain." Multiple lives depend on Rachel doing exactly what the Chain demands. Even if they can survive, Rachel and Kylie are beholden for the rest of their lives.

The woman holding Kylie explains she is only trying to save her own kidnapped son. Stick with me here--to secure Kylie's release, Rachel must follow the same rules: send crypto-currency ransom to the Chain's account and then steal someone else's child. Kylie will be returned once Rachel deposits the funds and convinces her kidnap victim's family to pay and take yet another child. Like a snake eating its tail, the Chain perpetuates itself. If Rachel breathes a word, ever, people will die.

The refreshingly horrifying premise of Adrian McKinty's The Chain probes the lengths parents will go to protect their children and the lines others will cross to exploit them. McKinty's standalone thriller, following his Detective Sean Duffy series (Gun Street Girl), is a warped ride through the consequences of the Chain messing with the wrong woman. The action takes some fun and unanticipated turns as Rachel finds help following the rules before deciding to break them. A few convenient coincidences and deep technological details don't slow Rachel's blockbuster roll to cut the links in the Chain.

STREET SENSE: The premise of The Chain is holy cats crazy and wonderful (horrible wonderful). The plot goes places I didn't expect at the halfway point. Things got a bit far afield in the second half, but there is no doubt this one is an entertaining page-turner.

A FAVORITE PASSAGE: There are some great metaphors for the Chain and some lovely descriptions (rough plot be damned, I love authors who add beauty to the horror), but I particularly liked this simple line:

"The Chain is a cage always in search of the most vulnerable birds."

Oh, hell, I liked this, too, because any Jaws reference wins the day with me:

"The plan is simple. All the best plans are simple. Aren't they? Get in the boat, find the whale, kill it. Get in the boat, find the shark, kill it."

COVER NERD SAYS: I love me some plain, simple and artful and this is all three. A rockin' blurb (Jaws-related, no less!) from Don Winslow will also allow me to break my "blurbs are the devil" rule. This is great cover work.

I really didn't care for the first half of this book! And by that I don't mean I hated it, it just didn't do anything for me. The second half of the book was more engaging and interesting for me but I was still thinking it would be about a 2 star read. Not bad but nothing special but the ending was surprising very good and made me feel a little bit of something. I really enjoyed Rachel and Pete and the ending was very fitting! I would recommend this book if it interests you, but if you are only thinking about picking it up because of all the buzz I would pass.

If you have a child, if there is a child in your family who you love, hell, if you've ever met a child - this book will be hard to swallow.

The premise is simple: your child is taken and you face every parents nightmare. To bring your child home, you have to inflict that same hell on another family. We say we will do anything to protect our kids, this book will show you exactly how far that could go.

Within a few short minutes it had my full attention. Victim, accomplice, criminal, victim, round and round. Just when you think one thing is over, it strikes back in another form. Taking a child isn't just about the kidnapping part and criminals aren't always the bad guys.

I absolutely devoured this. From start to finish in maybe 6 hours, split up through a 24 hour stretch. Knowing that my babies were near me at all times while I was reading made it a bit easier to breathe as I flipped pages. Had I taken longer to read this, I'm not sure my psyche could have handled it.

It has already been suggested to a couple of people and is on a purchase list at my library. No doubt it will become a discussion piece.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchamge for my honest review.

I don't normally mind gruesome, but this one was almost unpleasantly emotionally gruesome. I preferred McKinty's previoius books.

Thrilling! This novel grabbed me and didn’t let go. The Chain is diabolical, and those caught up in it must make terrible choices to save their loved ones.

This is every parents worst nightmare. You think your child is safe and then you get that dreaded call that your child has been kidnapped. That made this book intense, terrifying, and I just couldn’t stop reading it. It was really addicting even though it was seriously f***ed up.

You think your life is going good. You have a daughter you love unconditionally, you’ve had some great news about your health, and you just got a job that will change your life. And then you get a call that makes your life crash to the ground. Your daughter has been kidnapped and if you don’t follow every direction perfectly, you’ll break the chain and your daughter will die.

The panicked stranger tells you the rules. You have a short period of time to transfer a lot of money in bitcoins to an account on the dark web and then you have to complete the horrifying second part. You must kidnap another kid and relay those same terms to them. You have to pick someone that won’t go to the cops and break that chain. Any little slip will cause a chain reaction in children being murdered.

Now you must become a part of the chain to get your family back. Would you be strong enough to keep the chain intact? Or will you break that chain and cause chaos to your family and lots of others?

This book was completely insane. I didn’t know much about it until a friend mentioned it to me and I was instantly sold. It was morbid and made your skin crawl but there was something about it that I became obsessed with. The mystery was strong and it takes a bit to figure it out but once you do it is shocking.

The Chain is not for the faint of heart. This will be that book that haunts your dreams and make you hug your children a little closer. It was unique and you won’t be able to put it down. It’s definitely an amazing read in dark sort of way but a must read.

I was in Florida visiting my daughter and grandson so I did not get much reading done these past two weeks. I did read this book and I was chilled. Everyone fears strangers kidnapping their children. What you don’t think about is that you might have to do it. To think that this was an actual thing in Mexico is so beyond frightening. Your child is kidnapped and you are called. They don’t ask for ransom. They ask that you kidnap another child in exchange for yours. You cannot break the chain. If you do, there are severe consequences.

They did not count on Rachel though. She is more of a threat than they could ever imagine. And she is not alone.

I was terrified reading this book. I think because I WAS with my daughter and grandson. Just the thought of the premise of the book gives me chills. Mr. McKinty did a great job of making sure those chills stayed put throughout the story. There is a lot of action to keep you turning the pages. It is fast paced and you will definitely not be disappointed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Mulholland Books for a copy.

Great book with a chilling concept! I genuinely enjoyed the majority of this novel. Having never read Mckinty before, the combination of concept, accessible writing, and technical details was quite impressive. It's obvious the author knows how to have an impact on the reader.
I would have given The Chain 5 stars in a heartbeat had the origin of The Chain, its masterminds, and the story's resolution been more sinister. I didn't want such a happy ending. The Chain itself was too dark. Oliver, Ginger, and the ending just didn't compare to the malevolence McKinty had already established through concept alone.
Very entertaining overall!

I knew once reading the synopsis that I was going to pick up this book and not be able to put it down, and I was right. This book had me from page 1. What would you do if one day your child was kidnapped and you were told you had 24 hours to successfully kidnap another child and not involve the cops to get your child back unharmed? Rachel has to deal with this terrifying situation as she becomes part of the chain.

This book focuses on what a child would do for their child and the concept of love and how strong it can be. The fact that love can make you do something that you never thought you would be able to do. This is a unique thriller with an even more unique premise. This is one that is going to stay with me for a while. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves to read a good thriller!

So here was my one mistake with this book: I started reading it at 1:00am because I couldn't sleep. What the hell was I thinking? Picking a THRILLER to read because I can't sleep? Next thing I know, it's 2:00am and I had to FORCE myself to put it down and get some sleep. And let me tell you, I got NOTHING done today because I just HAD to finish this book.

This book grabbed me from the very first sentence and just would not let me go. There was just nonstop action and it was crazy. I loved the heroine, Rachel. She was so independent and determined and she quickly found out that she would do anything for her daughter. I really don't want to give anything away because I am afraid of accidentally revealing spoilers. I just have to say that you MUST read this book!

There's been lots of publicity surrounding the release of Adrian McKinty's latest novel - The Chain. Did it live up to the hype? Oh yeah it did - thriller readers are going to want to pick up this one!

The premise is a frightening (and pretty dark) one...

"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."

Takes the chain letter concept to a whole new level doesn't it?

McKinty has created a great lead character in Rachel. She's a divorced, single mother battling breast cancer. Why in the world have her and her daughter been targeted? I love books that place an everyday person in an extraordinary position. Can they beat the odds? Thwart the 'bad guys'? Pull off the impossible? Rachel is a force to be reckoned with.

Action is the word of the day in The Chain. The plot is driven forward by twists - most of them ones I could not have predicted. I love being caught unawares by a book. So, the game changes frequently and Rachel has to react and respond to the newest directive. Now, I must admit - some of those plot lines require a few grains of salt. And that's okay - this is pure escapist, entertainment reading.

I had a three day weekend lately - and I devoured The Chain on that extra day. It's addictive, propulsive reading that will consume the reader. The Chain is an action packed thriller film just waiting to be made.

The Chain by Adrian McKinty is a suspenseful ride that everyone must read. I could not put this one down and flew through each chapter to find out the ending. Great book.

There was a lot wrong with this book- but there was a lot I enjoyed about it too. First, I think it would help your reading experience to know that this premise was inspired by real kidnapping events in Mexico. You can read more about the authors story here. Knowing the author’s backstory doesn’t change my rating of the book, but it might ramp up the believably factor a little more. The story is told from a third party omniscient narration- that is, the author moves between characters and you know the thoughts, feelings, and motivations in all. You guys know that I tend to have an issue when there are too many characters to keep track of, but it didn’t bother me here. That said, I didn’t especially connect with the characters (and thought most were pretty one dimensional), but that didn’t stop me from reading through to the end.

I did like the protagonist, Rachel. She is a cancer survivor and single mother who literally would do anything to save her daughter. She studied philosophy at Harvard but is currently driving for Uber after having placed her own career on hold to support her ex-husband through law school. She consistently doubts herself and beats herself up (it was honestly sort of hard to read her negative self talk) but I was rooting for her.

“Kierkegaard said that boredom and fear lay at the root of all evil. The evil people behind The Chain want the money they collect, and what they fear is the individual who might bring the whole thing crashing to a halt. Rachel is not going to be that person.”

My biggest issue was the dialogue. I hate when characters say something out loud for the benefit of the reader- we don’t need it! It took me out of the story. I enjoyed the pacing of this- especially in the first section. It’s balls to the wall and borderline ridiculous in spots but if you just go with it, you’re rewarded with an ending that ties everything together.

While this isn’t on my all time favorite thriller list, it did suck me in enough to see how the characters fared.

TL; DR: if you are able to suspend your disbelief and are looking for a plot forward thriller with a unique premise, this might work for you.

Many thanks to Mulholland Books & Netgalley for an advance copy of this novel.

I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN.

After a few lackluster reads, I was excited to start reading The Chain. Based on the blurb, I knew I would be in for an unputdownable story. Thankfully, I was exactly right. This book pushes parents to evaluate questions they hope they'll never be asked. It blurs the lines between simple survival and morality. It will make readers question the vilest parts of their human nature and the cost of unconditional love.

The first half of this story was exceptional. I was on the edge of my seat and was tensely awaiting every page to see what would happen next. I felt ill thinking about how easily this could happen to anyone I know, including myself. It made me want to delete all of my social media and go off the grid to keep my children safe. It was intense.

There was only one discrepancy that stood out to me and kind of made me want to throw my Kindle. It will be minor to most readers, but certain oversights in my reading drive me crazy, especially when books have gone through multitudes of editing. The author writes, "The barrel pounds into her shoulder," after the main character fires a shotgun for the first time. Um, you better hope the barrel of a shotgun doesn't pound into your shoulder after shooting it, otherwise you're blown to bits, friend. The word he was looking for is stock.

The second half of the story wasn't quite as impressive as I was hoping for after the whirlwind of the first half. A few characters come out of left field and change the feel of the story. Nonetheless, the ending wasn't too over the top or unrealistic for my tastes, which was a win in my book. I still was eagerly turning the pages, racing towards the conclusion for peace of mind. This was highly entertaining and downright addictive to read. I recommend picking this up if you're looking for a fast-paced and unique Thriller.

Capsule review July 13, Toronto Star

https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2019/07/16/families-become-entangled-in-crime-and-mystery-in-these-hot-summer-thrillers.html

The Chain, Adrian McKinty
Here’s a diabolical concept. A 13-year-old is kidnapped at gunpoint by a man and woman wearing ski masks. To get her back, her mother is told she must do three things. Don’t contact the police; pay a $25,000 ransom; kidnap someone else’s child. Only then will the couple release her daughter, just as their son will be released when they fulfil those demands. What The Chain hasn’t counted on is the resourcefulness of the mother, Rachel, and the cunning of her child, Kylie. A terrific ride by an Irish crime writer.