Bookseller Reviews
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A thriller like no other you’ve read before
A page turning thriller that makes you realise just what a mother would do to get her child back.
Kylie is kidnapped on her way to school and the only way ... READ MORE
Fast paced unforgettable read.
What an absolute page Turner! It has been so long since I've read a book that you just dont want to put down, if that is you then this is the book you NEED... READ MORE
A chilling and gripping thriller
This is a thriller with a difference. The question is less 'who did it/was it?' and more 'will they do it?'. Your child is kidnapped, because the kidnappe... READ MORE
Never Break The Chain
This is truly compulsive reading. It's an excellent, original premise, and McKinty writes so well that the tension continues to the very last page. Highly ... READ MORE
Heart-in-mouth thriller!
WHAT. A. READ! The Chain had me at the edge of my seat every time I picked it up, I thought my heart was going to jump out of my mouth at times! This is de... READ MORE
Adrenaline Spiking Read!
You are driving to your oncologist appointment after being clear a year. The phone goes, someone has your daughter. You need to get ready, in 5 minutes som... READ MORE
All that matters is The Chain......
This had me hanging on to every word from page one! Rachael is a mother, an ex wife, a cancer survivor, a victim.
The Chain has taken her most precious thi... READ MORE
Addictive ? I'm in Rehab after reading this !
The Chain puts the 'Thrill' in thriller and is the type of book that the expression 'page-turner' was surely invented for .
Don't start reading this th... READ MORE
You will kick yourself that you didn’t come up with the premise yourself!
A great hook concept executed extremely well.
Addictive, The Chain will capture you within seconds and you will pass this recommendation on in the style of... READ MORE
Inventive and Compelling
Adrian Mckinty keeps up a relentless pace in this parents nightmare of a novel. It's a one sitting book I guarantee you won't want to put down. An incred... READ MORE
ADDICTIVE!
I don't read books that involve kids much, just don't enjoy them so I was a bit apprehensive about this one BUT I'm so glad I got it. From page one you are... READ MORE
I felt the fear in my core
The Chain is long and full of consequences, and the whole idea of it makes my skin crawl- which is why this is such a good book! The idea of it draws you i... READ MORE
Thrilling read
This book takes you on a parents nightmare, and the only way to break free is to do the same to another parent.
It was tense, fast paced and engrossing. I... READ MORE
A somewhat predictable ending but a highly addictive read
A scarily realistic concept with a great plot line and incredibly well written.
The book is split into two parts, the first, throwing you straight into the... READ MORE
A unique, adrenaline filled thriller
In The Chain we meet 13 year old Kylie, abducted whilst waiting for the school bus one morning, and her mother Rachel, who receives a terrifying phone call... READ MORE
"It's not about the money, it's about the chain".
Whatever you do don't break the chain! Once you are a part of the Chain there is no getting out.
I got this as an ARC and it is so good!! I started it on m... READ MORE
Don't break the chain!
3.75/5 A fast paced, dark, thriller. I have mixed feelings about The Chain. I felt myself continuously shouting "WHAT?!!" throughout this book. I liked the... READ MORE
It’s all about The Chain
If you have children, this might not be for you.
The concept - kidnapping another child to have your own kidnapped child returned to you - is such an o... READ MORE
Nicely twisted
Fast paced and intense. A slightly different take on a kidnapping scenario with some interesting moral dilemmas. I really enjoyed this and am pleased to se... READ MORE
Synopsis
Winner of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2020
Longlisted for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2020
Waterstones Thriller of the Month for March 2020
You are not the first and you will ceratinly not be the last.
Victim
Survivor
Abductor
Criminal
You will become each one.
Your phone rings
A stranger has kidnapped your child.
To free them you muct 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.
Publisher information
- Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
- ISBN: 9781409189602
- Number of pages: 416
- Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 30 mm
- Weight: 284g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allA rivetting page-turner
Wow, what a page turner! This absolutely grabbed my attention from the first paragraph to the end!
The premise is a sort of hostage-replacement scheme.... READ MORE
Tension from pg 1 to the end!
Thank you to the publishers for this advance review copy.
This book was suggested to me by Neil Broadfoot, (author of no man's land) and let me tell you it... READ MORE
Fast-paced, engrossing. briliantly original
It's a brutally simple question: could you inflict unimaginable pain on an innocent family if it was the only way to save your own? That's precisely what R... READ MORE
A good premise but not completely successful
I loved the premise of this book and was looking forward to a gripping read, but, for me, it didn't quite make it. As soon as the convenient ex marine brot... READ MORE
Don't break the chain!
Don’t break the chain!
Rachel O’Neill has had a few tough breaks. Her husband, who she supported through law school, has left her for a younger model, and... READ MORE
Different and enjoyable
The premise to this book is fairly simple but disturbing and frightening and every parents worst nightmare. I am of an age where I remember the chain lett... READ MORE
One of my favourite thrillers of the year. It's relentlessly, brutally, breathlessly exciting!
What would you do to save your child’s life? The answer most parents would give is ‘anything’. The Chain puts this to the test in the most horrendous of ci... READ MORE
Completely unique and deeply unsettling
This book needs a seat belt because it blasts off at some serious speed. The opening chapters are shocking and the principle of The Chain is completely uni... READ MORE
Frighteningly believable
This was such a scarily plausible book. Its frightening how such a thing is truly possible. It definitely makes the reader think about social media use, an... READ MORE
So much potential!
“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 P... READ MORE
Original, brilliant and oh so very clever.
Welcome to The Chain, once you are in The Chain you will never get out, even if you follow all the rules.
Your daughter has been taken and you will do any... READ MORE
Totally riveting
I have never read any of Adrian McKinty's books so I came to this without any preconceptions. I thought the blurb looked interesting.
Rachel Klein is divo... READ MORE
Smart suspense!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From start to finish I just couldn't stop reading it! The suspense and twists, perfect! I literally felt awful for the char... READ MORE
Relentless, intelligent thriller with heart
I’m a big fan of Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy series. This is a relentless, intelligent thriller with a heart. Written in a different style but it still has... READ MORE
Gripping
There's currently a huge buzz surrounding this novel, so when I received a review copy from the publisher I was thrilled and delighted. It seems everyone's... READ MORE
Very Different.
This book was very different. Just what lengths will a mother go to for their child ? This story took off at some speed and kept up the momentum. This coul... READ MORE
A unique, compelling read
Two things you must remember. Number one: you are not the first and you will certainly not be the last. Number two: remember, it’s not about the money – it... READ MORE
A must read
Absolutely loved this. Couldn’t put it down
So tense, it'll make you ache.
'The Chain' is tense from beginning to end, not a single page offers relief from the pressing situation at hand, and it compels you to continue pressing th... READ MORE
Addictive
I didn't think I would like this book, seemed a bit unbelievable, but a chapter in and I was hooked. Couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend.
Not convinced
Not sure about the hype surrounding this book at all. It seems to me to be another book in the growing group these days that consist of really mediocre and... READ MORE
Major page turner
This book is the first in a while that i could not put down. When you finally make the connections before the characters realise, your simply turning the p... READ MORE
Very twisted
I really appreciated the first part. The second, not so much. It became predictable, I felt like: how come Rachel doesn't get it?! In a similar situation I... READ MORE
Suspense, twists and an actual ending
I was recommended this by one of the ladies working in Waterstones Birmingham, I probably wouldn’t have chose it if she hadn’t mentioned it, but I’m glad I... READ MORE
Dutches Kay
This book is amazing, one of my first ever books I purchased at WS.
Page turner
One of the best books I’ve read this year
A must buy!
If you love a good kidnapping then you’ll love this book! A truly must read!
Amazing page turner!
I visited Waterstones Birmingham to buy some books and the chap behind the counter recommended I buy this as opposed to another one I had selected. He was ... READ MORE
Had me hooked!
Loved this book from the very first page. I couldn't put it down! A real 'edge of your seat' thriller.
Page turner.
Fortunately this is not a believable subject, but perhaps all the more enjoyable because of it. A parents nightmare, I found myself trying to work out how ... READ MORE
Gripping read!
A Stephen King fan looking for a new author to read was recommended this book by the great staff in Crawley. It sounded different. It sounded intriguing. I... READ MORE
Lived up to the hype
This book has been a massive hype and by reading the synopsis, you probably realise why. The book had such a unique storyline that when I brought this book... READ MORE
moira
Had me on the edge of seat could not put this down great book for lockdown
Not the best I’ve read...
Where do I start...
This isn’t a very descriptive book, it almost felt like it was written for teenagers with basic one sentence descriptions of everythin... READ MORE
Absolutely loved this!
This was fast paced and just brilliant. I read this in 2 days! Enjoyed it all! One of the best books I have read in a while!
Amazing !
Probably the best book so far I’ve read ! So intense and didn’t get boring at all
The Chain by Adrian McKinty
This book is a corker.
I spend an awful lot of time on Twitter. I’m not ashamed of that. It’s part of being a book blogger and part of the job I do. Th... READ MORE
Brutal and mesmerising
Well crafted and addictive. If you put this book down, there is something very wrong with you.
Buy this book.
Binge worthy. Not overly written and an original plot that has you on the edge of your seat. Buy it or borrow it but read it. Fast paced with each chapter ... READ MORE