The Chain

Consider for a moment what you would do. You've dropped your child off at the bus stop on their way to school, and you're heading towards a normal day. You've had some health challenges yourself recently, but you're getting your life back together. You're going back to work. Your life is taking a turn for the better. Until you answer the phone and a panicked voice tells you, they have kidnapped your child, and then they explain the nightmare scenario that you need to get onto straight away if you ever want to see your child again. It's a choreographed scenario, it's stylised, it feels like they've done this before, but it's not until you're well into the steps to get your child back that you realise it has most definitely been done show more before. There are people out there who have kidnapped other children to get their own child back, and some of them are nearby. You're being watched. You can't go to the cops, you can't turn to your ex for help. You've got no money, you're not a kidnapper for goodness sake, and you're tied to a chain that's got you locked into it for life.

If you've been living under a rock, or outside the crime fiction chat bubble, you may not be aware that THE CHAIN has been talked up in every corner, by every reader, and in just about every circle - as the film rights were sold to Paramount for a seven-figure sum. Needless to say, the buzz has been pretty deafening. Somewhere in the middle of that, it's worth nothing a quote from McKinty (taken from a story by the Guardian):

“On the surface I was winning all these awards, getting great reviews and getting praised. On the other hand it was completely fake. I wasn’t providing any income for the family. They were selling two or three thousand copies a year. You can’t really live on that. So my poor wife was working full-time and I was living this life of the artist.”

He's talking about a time not so long ago, when at the seeming height of his popularity in Australia in particular, McKinty was thinking about giving up writing. It took an intervention from agent Shane Salerno, spurred on by fellow crime writer Don Winslow to enable McKinty to keep writing, and the thought that his incredible storytelling skill could have been lost to us all fills me with sadness and my shopping cart with an order for copies of his entire back catalogue.

Let's hope this time round the great reviews, the positive buzz, the acclaim are actually going to translate into something ongoing because behind this novel is one of the all time great authors. Right from his debut novel DEAD I MAY WELL BE, McKinty has telegraphed a sublime story telling skill that's brutal yet nuanced, detailed yet open to interpretation, populated by some outstanding characters.

According to the Author Notes with the book, the idea behind THE CHAIN came to McKinty in Mexico City in 2012, when he heard about the concept of exchange kidnapping, when a family member offers themselves as a replacement hostage for a more vulnerable kidnap victim. Tying that idea to poisonous chain letters doing the rounds in the 1970's McKinty has come up with an unusual idea - a chain of kidnappings where the parents of a victim not only have to pay for their child's return, but must in turn kidnap another child to continue the "chain". Past participants in this chain of events are then often called upon to convince current participants to co-operate. People are closely tracked, their actions noted, commented on, they are threatened, and everyone, regardless of background, beliefs or circumstances, once they are on the chain, can't get off.

THE CHAIN never becomes bogged down in the technical details of how this surveillance is undertaken, nor does it become overly gory or the children under explicit threat (if you're a reader who is turned off by explicit violence towards children then you're okay to proceed with this novel), but it does have pace in spades, it has panic, it makes no bones about the threat that the parents feel, nor the discomfort occasioned by their need to pass on the terror. And the way that it eventually resolves itself is a good, old-fashioned opportunity to do some serious cheering for a brave person. The perpetrators in this story are there, they are explored a little bit, but to be honest by the end of it all, it's not about them, or their chain, or the past but all about the future, and just how far you would go if somebody you loved was threatened and just how narky people can get when the threat looks like it might never go away.

Please buy THE CHAIN (I got a review copy, so I bought copies as presents and a whole lot of people can probably guess what they are getting for Christmas now). While you're at it, buy all of Adrian McKinty's books as I've just done. There isn't a dud in the bunch, and you will not regret it.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/chain-adrian-mckinty-0 show less

This is one that will keep you up to the early hours of the morning because it become imperative that you find out what happens next. What a fiendishly clever and original idea Adrian McKinty has devised. I don't believe I have ever read a novel anything like it. The main character, Rachel will grab your heart immediately. She is without a doubt the last person that anyone should expect to be able to meet what the person behind this bizarre scheme demands. She's divorced, a cancer survivor, a working mother and struggling from payday to payday. You feel for her impossible dilemma. Empathy for a fellow human being is one of the ingredients that makes this thriller so extremely intriguing.

Good lord, where to begin? I know I say that a lot but DAMN!

This book moves fast. You are constantly moving, never having to a place to breathe between plot points, and it really works for this novel. It keeps you on your toes in an exhilarating way. I was fascinated with the concept ever since I saw it at Barnes and Noble, and I’m glad that the plot was more than just what was on the back!

I think Rachel was perfect for The Chain, but she was too perfect. She was resilient enough to do the dirty work, but also brave enough to take it down for good. She’s a wonderful main character, whose complexities astounded me (and my families bookclub). Whenever we would finish a section, the first thing anyone could say was “this book was a show more good choice”.

That's not saying it’s perfect. Nothing is, but it thrilled all of us and made us ask the questions of if we could do it. My only ~thing~ with it was near the end, where it started telling you the metaphorical reasonings for The Chain. I already had grasped onto the topics McKinley was reviewing without the need for him to tell me. It was shown throughout the novel, and for the first time in this book, it dragged. It quickly picked up after that (due to the sheer amount of action within the pages).

I think the characters are realistic. Yes, including the psychotic twins in there. I will say, I think Ginger was the more twisted one. Olly had his faults, but Ginger would’ve done awful things with or without him. He just happened to be super smart and helpful.

I think the ending tied off a little too nicely. I would’ve loved an open ending on this book due to all of the philosophical, moral, and ethical questions it posed. I wished we were left to ponder a bit more. show less

One morning, two cell phone calls throw Rachel Klein’s life into terror and turmoil. First, an Unknown Caller conveys a cryptic set of instructions. Then, a second Unknown Caller tells Rachel that she has kidnapped her daughter and proceeds to deliver another set of instructions: Rachel must pay a ransom and kidnap another child in order to gain Kylie’s release. If she calls the police or fails to follow the instructions and breaks The Chain, her daughter will die.

Those behind The Chain are certain that parents will do anything for their children. But they really have no idea . . . .

With well-developed characters and an intriguing premise, the story grabs readers at the outset. The moral dilemma is a constant; the agony practically show more palpable. But as the story plays out there are a couple of disconnects that create a bit of a bump in the road for the telling of the tale . . . since epi-pens are available by prescription only, eBay does not sell them, only epi-pen trainers and cases . . . revolvers do not have safeties that need to be disengaged before firing. And, after Amelia’s close call, when Rachel and Pete leave Kylie with the kidnapped girl, why is it that neither of them tells her about the child’s nut allergy so that Kylie doesn’t inadvertently give little Amelia food she should not have?

The narrative divides itself into two sections: first, there is the kidnapping, the revelations regarding The Chain, and the emotional aftermath. Then there is the attempt to destroy the abomination that is The Chain.

But the backstory of the perpetrators hardly seems sufficient cause for the actions of the duo, whether considering their behavior within their family or contemplating The Chain. As the twisty plot evolves, emotion holds the reader in its grasp: the terror, the anguish, the guilt, the desperation . . . and the consequences of the choices made at each turn.

It’s a compelling premise that spends far too much time reminding us that Rachel is struggling with the moral dilemma even as she does whatever is required of her to save her child. It’s an introspective look at parents and children, but readers may find the narrative falters with an ending that is, quite simply, a bit too pedestrian in light of what came before. show less

Very interesting concept and done very well. Begs a lot of questions about how you would handle the situation if it were you.
The characters were written very well and you get a clear picture of who they are. I especially liked Rachel, she made choices I think I would have and wasn't an idiot like so many heroines seem to be written lately.
The ending is very rushed I felt and I was left wanting more information, but to avoid spoilers I'll just leave it at that.
I do recommend this book and will read more from this author.

'The Chain' is my first book by Adrian McKinty, and for sure won't be the last. I am not a parent, but I think if someone kidnaps your child is a parent's nightmare and phobia. Rachel and all the parents becoming and being part of the chain have it harder. On the one hand, they are victims, and on the other hand, they become criminals.
'The Chain' is an eye-opener for the issue of social media and the sharing of personal information. The theme is very thought-provoking, and we all, as human beings, take off the leg from the gas with the sharing on social media, especially when it has to do with children. Because children are vulnerable, and our job as adults is to keep them safe.
It has been a long time that I had to read a book only show more during day time because it gives me the chills. Every character, from the youngest to the oldest were fleshed out and were believable. Their believability made the book scary. The book felt real that it can happen in a vast metropolis area. It felt like a real event reading an article in the newspaper or a news site or watching/listening to the news on the TV/radio.
I like the flashbacks of the villain's life; getting the background and early life adds to the story's darkness. As a Greek-Israeli, I enjoyed seeing how the author combined those two cultures to the plot. Greek through the myth of Minotaurus, Ariadne & Jason, and the Israeli using the Hebrew language. McKinty's writing is prolific and very interesting, and I am looking forward to reading his other works. show less

I think there has been at least one, probably more, television shows that copied the plot of The Chain by Adrian McKinty. It seemed the author was proud of the book, and kept stating how brilliant the characters are. I didn't agree.

I enjoyed the philosophical thoughts: J.G Ballard's civilization is a thin visual veneer; de Quincey's drug addiction is like an itch that can't be scratched; Tacitus's you hate who you have wronged, Albert Camus's look for summer inside you when it is winter; Howard Carter look not just see; and Solipism's if others don't think of you, you don't exist. I jotted those down after reading. I may have the names and concepts wrong.

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