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.

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.

Chain letters have been around for eons and usually rely on superstitions or related fears to facilitate extortion schemes of some kind. The chain in McKinty's tale is a human one and relies on kidnaping and other monstrous deeds. The first half of the book sets the scene with a vivid example of how this particular chain operates. The more satisfying second half is all about what happens when you rattle the chain. There's a dash of Death Wish and a bit of Die Hard. It moves along quite nicely until our chain gets yanked by an over-the-top, cinematic and frankly ludicrous denouement that would make Sam Peckinpah blush. I pulled the chain and all the good stuff went down the ... drain. There are compensations, however. Did I mention that all the evildoers are Red Sox fans?

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.

This was a difficult book to read for me. Being a parent, you about your child’s safety all the time. This book is something that is possible with the crazies that are out there. This book is so frightening

Great idea for a book-- grabbed me right from the beginning and kept my interest through most of the book. The ending was a little abrupt, and kind of left me wanting more, but I am not sure what more I wanted.

All in all, a very solid read and one that both my customers and coworkers will enjoy.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and it didn’t disappoint. Sure, some plot points are a bit unrealistic, and there wasn’t as much character development as I’d have liked. However, I still found this to be a truly enjoyable and engaging fast-paced story. The author does a great job of putting the reader in the middle of every parent’s worst nightmare: their child being kidnapped. Some portions of the latter half of the book were a bit confusing until I figure out how it connected to the rest of the story. There are a number of key characters, and they, for the most part, were well-drawn and realistic. There are a few unanswered questions, and the ending wrapped up a bit quickly compared to other portions of the book . The story may cause the reader to ponder their social media presence. I look forward to reading other books by McKinty.

This book really grabbed my attention when I started to read it but as the book progressed my interest left. I am not sure if it was the plot itself or that I didn't really feel attached to the characters. It isn't a terrible book but just not one that I overly enjoyed.

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.

**received a Kindle ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I was excited to read this because I thought the premise sounded interesting and I noticed Stephen King had written a positive blurb for the book.

I was sorely disappointed. The concept was intriguing but I lost interest quickly. Everything felt unbelievable.

Fine. You need to suspend disbelief a bit with this book. But even then, I was bored. It was incredibly repetitive and filled with uninteresting characters that grated on my nerves. Even the kids are annoying! It felt very much like reading the script of a bad Criminal Minds episode.

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.

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.

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.

If anyone is paying any attention, I don't think you know how much I've been dying to read The Chain by Andrew McKinty.  I am very picky about the adult books I choose to read and review on this site. When I pressed the request button on both Edelweiss and Netgalley, I was POSITIVE about the choice. The premise is spectacular and being endorsed by Stephen King is a clincher.


However, as positive as I was about requesting an ARC of The Chain, I was also POSITIVE I would no sooner be granted an ARC than the St. Louis Blues would win the Stanley Cup. Funny thing about  I sit the day of the  history making, Stanley Cup St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup Parade and reviewing The Chain. Who knew? I didn't. 

Remember those stupid chain letters from school... ok I'm old... but there were these chain letters that used to circle around and said unless you send this to X  amount of people, bad luck or sickness, or some kind of horrific event will befall you because this letter it has been around the world seven times and no one has ever dared break this chain. 

Take that and up the ante by ten and throw in modern technology, the dangers of social media, kidnapped children, ransom money and spyware, and you have one hella class-a debacle. A gunshot from page one that grabs you by the jugular and doesn't let go.

You don't have to be a parent to be horrified or to put yourself in the main character, Rachel's, place. You don't have to have children to put yourself in her position and wonder what you would do if you found out your only child was suddenly kidnapped by strangers and the only way to get her back was to kidnap someone else's child child, pay twenty-five thousand dollars in ransom and find a target to do the same.

Otherwise, they will kill your child and your family, and find someone else to do it. Because if they don't? The person who kidnapped their child will kill him and so on and so on the chain goes. But do as they say and they will give you your daughter back and the chain just ticks along.

McKinty portrays Rachel's fear, hesitation and ultimate ability to go through with what she has to do with absolute brilliance. Her fear is palpable and her guilt comes across like waves breaking on the shore. The looming fear of her battle against breast cancer and having to depend on her brother-in-law who has an addiction to heroin complicates matters at dangerous turns.

McKinty also weaves the very current and relevant dangers of social media into the inner workings of the chain. Its growth, success and the victim's ability to keep the chain going rest solely on two things 1) fear-> buy-in and 2) social media. What makes this entire premise believable is that everyone knows someone who is just like the parents chosen as targets based on their open social media presence. 

Minute-by-minute people jump from one platform to the other. I'm grabbing lunch with x person here, getting x drink here, going shopping here, haircut here, x child will was just accepted to x activity on x days from x time to x time on and I'm so proud!

It is completely feasible that someone could use this information to watch you, watch your child and figure out a time and place to snatch them. I never let people check me into places on FaceBook, I always thought it was a good way to get yourself stalked and killed. It isn't paranoia. It is the truth. 

By taking an all to real social structure, McKinty has taken something that could have been completely implausible and made it very realistic. If I was a parent I would definitely think twice about tracking my child via GPS, what I posted, who could see it, and the same about my child's use of social media.

The middle of the book was interesting. See the how and why the Chain came to be? This was very well done indeed. I'm not going to go in-depth because I don't want to spoil it. However, as inexcusable as the deed is, knowing the psychology behind the masterminds was extremely satisfying. Throughout the first half of the book, I found myself often asking- who are the puppet masters and why would they do this? Yes. Of course there is the money but it is obviously much more than the money. McKinty fulfills on a promise of answering these questions and he does it with a depth that almost - almost- gives you a sense of empathy for those in question.

So you must be wondering, what's the problem? To be short? The ending. And that is one of two problems with the ending. It is rushed. It comes very quickly and then boom it is over. Although had it been dragged out, I probably wouldn't be happy with that either because of the second issue with the ending.

The ending is predictable. There is one piece that I didn't see coming but once that part is over? The rest pretty much ends as you would expect it to because it is how all these kind of books (see James Patterson, John Grisham etc... wow throw Stephen King into that mix and... what did I read as a teenager)? Anyhow, no one wants to see a predictable ending drawn out. Unfortunately this left me disappointed and I walked away with a bad taste in my mouth- unsatisfied and just shrugging my shoulders with a meh feeling. And I hate that feeling. The endings have to be big because they are the last impression in a stand-alone novel. With such an amazing story being told, it deserved a better ending.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Does this sound extremely creepy or what?

You just dropped off your child at the bus stop. A panicked stranger calls your phone. Your child has been kidnapped, and the stranger explains that their child has also been kidnapped, by a completely different stranger. The only way to get your child back is to kidnap another child within 24 hours. Your child will be released only when the next victim’s parents kidnap yet another child, and most importantly, the stranger explains, if you don’t kidnap a child, or if the next parents don’t kidnap a child, your child will be murdered. You are now part of The Chain.

The Chain by Adrian McKinty has a very interesting premise that I have not seen before. Every parent’s ultimate nightmare is having their child abducted. But what if the only way to get your child back from a kidnapper was to kidnap someone else’s child? Yes, that sounds completely twisted and weird. Is the only way to break this chain, to allow your own child to be killed? Yikes!

This is a thriller with twists and turns and lots of suspense. I have a feeling that those who love intense page-turners will love this one!

Coming out on July 9, order here now.

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.