The Chain
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4.0 • 1.6K Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher 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
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The premise behind this story made our skin prickle. When Rachel Klein receives a phone call from someone who says she has just kidnapped Rachel’s 13-year-old daughter, Kylie, her world begins to collapse. “It’s not about the money,” the woman on the phone says, “it’s about the chain”—a torturous scheme that means in order to save Kylie, Rachel must commit an unthinkable crime herself. Adrian McKinty, the acclaimed author of the Sean Duffy detective series, has crafted a spellbinding thriller with characters who had us riveted with their ability to face down impossible choices.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An original premise, relentless pacing, and strong female characters lift this nail-biter from Edgar winner McKinty (the Sean Duffy series), which takes a no-holds-barred look at how far a parent will go to protect her child. Divorced teacher Rachel Klein, a cancer survivor, lives on Massachusetts's Plum Island with her 13-year-old daughter, Kylie. She's driving to Boston one day to see her doctor when she gets a call from an unidentified woman who sounds upset. The woman tells Rachel that she has kidnapped Kylie, and the only way to get Kylie back is for Rachel to kidnap another child. The woman, whose own child has been kidnapped, and Rachel are now links in a chain of abductions. If Rachel doesn't follow the program, Kylie will die. In desperation, Rachel and her retired military brother-in-law, Pete O'Neill, eventually kidnap a random child to win her daughter's release. At that point, an angry Rachel and Pete, ignoring warnings to continue to remain silent and do nothing, go on the offensive to track down the people responsible for the kidnapping chain, culminating in a violent confrontation in a marshy area south of Plum Island. Readers won't be able to put this thriller down.
Customer Reviews
See AllIncreasing the Stakes
This book was a great read, really hooked me in for the first half. Although then it was a bit confusing after that, maybe it’s because I didn’t understand the transition? But it came very full circle and I can’t complain. Exquisite amount of detail made me feel right in the moment, and having so many twists and turns really kept me from putting it down.
Good!
In between a 3.5 and 4 but rounding up here because I loved the ending on this one. A story that really emphasizes the lengths one would go for love and family. I loved that each chapter started with a quick sentence or two simply setting the scene. Since perspectives change throughout I found this so helpful in the overall plot. I’m so glad I picked this one up.
“Life is fragile, fleeting, and precious. And to live at all is miracle enough.”
A MUST READ
Had me on the EDGE of my seat. Definitely recommend!!