The Chain by Adrian McKinty #The Chain #Book Review #Book Blog

Orion July 2019 (Hardback)

Book Description

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.

YOU ARE NOW PART OF

THE CHAIN

My Thoughts

Oh my goodness, what a premise. As a parent this is an absolutely horrendous situation, in order to ensure your own child’s safety you must take someone else’s child. I find it hard to imagine being in this situation and impossible to say how I would respond, clearly any parent would do anything for their child but with such a moral dilemma it truly is an impossible situation.

The main protagonist Rachel responds promptly and begins to plan the kidnap, enlisting the help of her ex brother in law, a former marine with his own issues and the two hatch a plan to ensure the safe return of Kylie. The book was broadly split into 2 parts, the first part was centred on the kidnap plot, while the 2nd half focussed on the aftermath. For me the first half of the story felt ‘action packed’ and not entirely plausible, while the latter part of the story also explored the people behind the Chain and its origins.  I much preferred the 2nd part of the book, although I am very aware that in this type of situation it’s difficult to really say what an authentic response would actually be!

Written in the 3rd person, the story was mostly about Rachel’s response to the kidnap, however there were sections where Kylie’s experiences when kidnapped were detailed and we also gained insight into Pete’s personal circumstances.  I found Rachel to be a bit aggressive as a character and not someone I entirely warmed to, again I have reservations saying this because she was portrayed in panic mode, experiencing the worst situation imaginable.  Pete had a bit of ‘Jack Reacher’ to him, although struggling with his own demons made him a little reliable I think.

Overall a book with a great premise that for me didn’t quite meet my expectations, although I have seen some rave about it on Instagram.  I can however imagine this translating well on to the big screen and I do wonder whether there will be a movie in the making.  Has anyone else read The Chain, what did you think?

About the Author

ADRIAN MCKINTY was born and grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the Troubles of the 1970s and 1980s. His father was a boilermaker and ship’s engineer and his mother a secretary. Adrian went to Oxford University on a full scholarship to study philosophy before emigrating to the United States to become a high school English teacher.

His books have won the Edgar Award, the Ned Kelly Award, the Anthony Award, the Barry Award and have been translated into over twenty languages. Adrian is a reviewer and critic for the Sydney Morning Herald, the Irish Times and the Guardian. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children.