The Chain - Adrian McKinty

The Chain

By Adrian McKinty

  • Release Date: 2019-07-09
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4
4
From 1,483 Ratings

Description

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 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

Reviews

  • Impossible to put down

    5
    By trgii
    Unlike any other thriller I have ever read!
  • Had me sucked in since the beginning!

    5
    By mrs.muench
    Just an absolute page turner. This writing style is my absolute favorite. Can’t recommend this book enough!
  • Good Read!

    4
    By SLE1996
    I enjoyed the author’s writing style for the most part, but found certain pieces of the plot to be implausible and illogical. I also was not a fan of the ending - I was hoping for something more intelligently crafted by the main characters that I wasn’t expecting. Overall, I read this book in one day and enjoyed it, I think it’s a good read for a plane or a lazy weekend. Although, it is a bit disturbing at times!
  • Great!

    5
    By little freep
    A great read, moved along well. And! It ended with chapter 77! How cool is that?!
  • Implausible and improbable

    3
    By applebooksnickname
    The general storyline (chain kidnapping) just seemed hard to buy into and the over reliance of the use social media to track characters hourly movements just made this hard to muster energy to continue. I managed to plow thru it while on a plane but it wasn’t the easiest task.
  • You won’t put it down

    5
    By Jess Jess 111
    Gripping from beginning to end. A nightmare situation that the author unravels with perfect timing, keeping the reader eagerly engaged to know more.
  • Gripping

    4
    By dsa44
    Intriguing concept that kept me turning the pages.
  • Frustrating!

    2
    By booksturbate
    Started off with a bang. Flew through most of the book. Then just when the plot thickened, it became unbearably improbable and childish. Amazing premise with a horrible, horrible ending.
  • God awful writing

    1
    By HydroponicWeeds
    Absolutely hated this book. I read the first few chapters and deleted it from my library. I wish I could get a refund, it was so bad. It felt like a fan fiction someone in high school wrote and felt good enough to professionally publish.
  • Kept me interested

    4
    By Blueshoes57
    It’s okay but not great. It kept me interested until the end. But it wasn’t a book I would look forward to reading every night.