Thirteen-year-old Kylie is waiting for the school bus on Plum Island, Massachusetts, when a man and a woman pull up wearing ski masks. This is nothing short of JAWS for parents. The Chain scared the hell out of me but I could not put it down! Learn more and receive a FREE set of personalized book recommendations! I defy anyone to start this book and put it down without finishing it. Two pages later, the two kidnappers are stopped by a New Hampshire state trooper and of course have to kill him, because The Chain has also been sold as a movie. All of these devices serve to build palpable tension, but the structure also contributes to how deeply disturbing the story becomes. Otherwise The Chain will be broken. #GiveawayContinue, Read More In The Morning Ill Be Gone by Adrian McKinty, Review: Stirring humanityContinue, Read More FLATLAND A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin Abbott, Book ReviewContinue, Read More Trust by Chris Hammer (Martin Scarsden #3), Book Review + GiveawayContinue, Read More UPRISING by Nic Low, Book Review: Candid walk through historyContinue, Read More DEAD LIONS by Mick Herron, Book ReviewContinue. But then a phone call changes everything. Nail-biting, smart, and convincing. "Val McDermid, internationally bestselling author of Broken Ground"Scary, plausible, gripping. One of the finest novels ever produced in the genre. His father was a boilermaker and ship's engineer and his mother a secretary. This inherent breakneck quality lends The Chain structural confidence. In 2019 after giving up writing Adrian had a global hit with his standalone novel The Chain. Its only once in a great while when a high concept this good comes along for a book. Rachel isn't alone. I have read earlier McKinty novels and really enjoyed the prose, characters and storytelling. I have loved the Michael Forsythe trilogy, the Sean Duffy series, and to a lesser but still definite degree Falling Glass. I admit I was a skeptic at first and poo-pooed the idea, that it wouldnt work. Read more >>. I raced to the end of the book and then went back to see how Adrian McKinty pulled it all off. The depth of characterisation I have come to expect from McKinty was absent. I went on a wild ride. $7.98 . The morning starts like any other. No law enforcement, no politicians, no journalists. PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, by That darkness and corruption dwell behind the shiny, happy faade of middle-class life is a common enough theme in American storytelling. Winners announced at the Audie Awards Gala in New York City on May 28th hosted by award winning author Jack Gantos", "2015 Shortlist | Australian Crime Writers Association", "Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce the Nominees for the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Awards", "bloody delighted to be shortlisted for best mystery audiobook! The Chain scared the hell out of me but I could not put it down! Anyone can read what you share. 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. Pairing an irresistible concept with a winner protagonist, The Chain promises to be your new addiction once you succumb to the first enticing page. Some scoffing is in order when the disguised, disembodied voice of The Chain recommends antiquated gimmicks like burner phones, the dark web and Bitcoin as the basics of this operation. You won't shake it for a long time. The Chain cannot be broken or the childrenher child, her Kyliewill be executed. B. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Janet Maslin, "Here's an Existential Thriller:Pass It On. It's a ride I won't soon forget. Adrian McKinty. "David Lagercrantz, author of The Girl in the Spider's Web and The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (Continuing Stieg Larsson's Millennium Series). Guys. The suspense here is intense, as one would expect, given the premise, but the true brilliance in this unrelenting novel comes from the way McKinty makes Rachel confront her own capacity for evil and deal with its reverberations, not only on herself and the child she kidnaps, but also on her own child, Kylie. The psychopathy of The Chain perpetrators and the ease with which they toy with their victims, the self-inflicted nature of that torture is chilling. His father was a boilermaker and ship's engineer and his mother a secretary. While Rachel scrambles to get the money together (even though it isn't about the money, she is told) and pick a child to steal, it becomes clear that she is being tracked and her every move is being monitored. The caller is a mother herself, whose son has also been abducted, and if Rachel doesnt do exactly as shes told, both children will die. Im Jo, an Aussie book reviewer. "Meg Gardiner, author of Into the Black Nowhere"Adrian McKinty's The Chain is the rare thriller that's not only fiendishly clever but also powerfully empathetic, with both hair-raising twists and complex, fully-realized characters. Adrian McKinty | The Chain. Read it that way and it's a thriller on more levels than one. See the full list. He's the real deal. In his Sean Duffy series of police procedurals, he writes with a dry humor that often tips into hilarity, but there's none of that here. Adrian McKinty's The Chain was one of last year's hottest thrillers. Psychological notes are played deeply. You Save 11%. January 25, 2023; Tagged film, miscommunication trope, romance, romantic comedy, single parent. 58 distinct works Similar authors. The Chain by Adrian McKinty. "Lou Berney, author of November Road"Starting The Chain is like climbing aboard a runaway train. I have also since read McKintys second blockbuster action-thriller The Island. A pitch-perfect psychological thriller. The Characters: Rachel, her daughter Kylie . ABDUCTOR. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. takes what at first seems like a fantastical scenario and imbues it with all the terror, stress, trauma, and messiness of reality. Try. ", Adrian McKinty interviewed by Jeff Glor on CBS This Morning, "The Author behind, Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, "Author Adrian McKinty strikes it rich with The Chain reaction", "Class, Race and the Case for Genre Fiction in the Canon", "Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty is October's Irish Times Book Club pick", "Go into The Story Interview: Adrian McKinty". Come on. The Chain, Adrian McKintys unashamedly commercial new stand-alone thriller, features a chilling plot and seems written for the big screen. The Chain by Adrian McKinty is worthy of the hype its getting. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. Lisa Jewell If they dont, the child will die. Adrian McKinty has written a novel that's nail-biting, smart, and convincing, with a plot-jolting twist that readers of Gone Girl will love. You get a call from a stranger saying that they have kidnapped your child, they say you have to kidnap someone elses child for your child to stay alive, WOULD YOU DO IT!! Over and over as you read, you'll find yourself asking, Would I do this? Adrian McKinty just leapt to the top of my list of must-read suspense novelists. The happy couple were very smiley as they cosied . More highly recommended action thrillers: Baby Driver helmer Edgar Wright will direct, while Jane Goldman (Kingsman The novel is at its best when its focus narrows, with punishing clarity, on the emotional intensity of its central predicament. "Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter's Bone "I read this book in one long dark night of the soul. He writes with confidence, heart, and style to spare. Trouble signing in? [15], McKinty quit writing in 2017 after being evicted from his rented house, citing a lack of income from his novels, and instead took work as an Uber driver and a bartender. Shipping speed. Hes the real deal., A grade-A-first-rate-edge-of-your-seat thriller. GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | THRILLER | Truly a nail-biter that will pull you in from start to finish. McKintys admiration for Winslow is apparent in the psychopathic behavior he injects into some of The Chains power players, in the long reach of Mexican drug cartels, in the presence of a highly sympathetic major character whos gotten hooked on hard drugs, and in the basic decency of the books central family. $13.99 + $3.65 shipping. Please enter an email address so you can get access to our awesome newsletter. Try AbeBooks Description VICTIM. It seemed like any other morning. Beautifully written. Now the girl, Kylie, thinks about how worried her mother will be. The very definition of a page-turner. McKinty returned to writing after the book landed him a six-figure English-language book deal, and was optioned for a film adaptation by Paramount Pictures. Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of crime and mystery novels and young adult fiction, best known for his 2020 award-winning thriller, The Chain,[1] and the Sean Duffy novels set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. "If the hotel walls had ears, this would be their story", "Roger Ferris, International Man of Mystery", "Five-minute memoir: Adrian McKinty recalls a scary school run during", "Aged 16, I vowed never to read another novel", "Mean season: In Northern Ireland, the Troubles come as regular as rainBy Adrian McKinty (Harper's Magazine)", "From Uber driving to a huge book deal: Adrian McKinty's life-changing phone call", "I gave up writing and found work in a bar a year and a half later my book was sold to 36 countries", "New Thriller 'The Chain' Has An Origin Almost As Exciting As Its Plot", "Troubles fiction too urgent and topical to be historical", "Review - Dead I Well May Be by Adrian McKinty", "Fifty grand by Adrian McKinty | Book review", "Adrian McKinty's Hard-Boiled Belfast Trilogy", "The best recent thrillers reviews roundup", "CLAU - Beehive Award Nominees: 2007-2008", "Spread the Word 2009 | Fiction and Non-Fiction Books | National Book Tokens | World Book Day | Booksellers Association", "2010 Spinetingler Award Best Novel: Rising Star WINNER | Spinetingler", "Booktrade.info - Book Trade Announcements - 2011 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Longlist Revealed", "2013 Spinetingler Award Best Novel: Rising Star/Legends WINNER Spinetingler", "Le tueur se meurt de James Sallis: meilleur polar de l'anne 2013", "Announcing the 2013 Ned Kelly Shortlist | Australian Crime Writers Association", "Grand Prix de Littrature Policire 2014 la slection", "Long List Announced for Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award 2014", "Carrick author Adrian McKinty scoops literary accolade for Troubles thriller", "20th Annual Audie finalists announced in thirty categories. I asked myself again and againwould I do that? In 'The Chain,' McKinty hooks the motif up to a power supply, connects it to wi-fi and plunges it into the Dark Web. Book bloggers, perhaps your next great read or author interview is waiting for you on this list? Stanley Milgram's postwar experiments in social cruelty, determining what kind of electric shocks subjects would administer to other people if they thought it was normal, aren't directly cited here, but they are essentially what The Chain is aboutBeneath its surface of high-speed thrills, The Chain is clearly the work of the philosophical thinker McKinty has always beenHe would like you to realize that what you're reading is existentialism in action, with Rachel defining herself moment by moment with each choice she makes. Mr. McKinty, what have you done? Otherwise The Chain will be broken. It just doesn't get any better than this. Read reviews and buy The Island - by Adrian McKinty at Target. And then, in the moments where McKinty gives readers a breather, Who would do this? You have never read anything quite like The Chain and you will never be able to forget it. YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED. McKinty's writing is paced to match. Remember those? He grew up reading science fiction and crime novels by the likes of Ursula Le Guin, J G Ballard and Jim Thompson. YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIMS PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD. The Chain Author: Adrian McKinty Published: July 9, 2019 352 Pages. The Chain. [19] The Chain was published in 37 countries. Entertaining and definitely a page turner but probably not a book you want to analyze to death as it does have some problems along the way. Ten years after her teenage daughter went missing, a mother begins a new relationship only to discover she can't truly move on until she answers lingering questions about the past. Far fetched and contrived would be the two words that immediately come to mind. Iactually felt McKinty plumbed far greater depth in the narrative ofThe Chain mastermind than that of Rachel or her daughter.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'bookloverbookreviews_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_1',685,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bookloverbookreviews_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[320,50],'bookloverbookreviews_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_2',685,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-bookloverbookreviews_com-large-leaderboard-2-0_1'); .large-leaderboard-2-multi-685{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:50px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. New Thriller 'The Chain' Has An Origin Almost As Exciting As Its Plot. RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020. Book review: The Chain by Adrian McKinty Some scoffing is in order when the disguised, disembodied voice of The Chain recommends antiquated gimmicks like burner phones, the dark web and Bitcoin as the basics of this operation. "John Katzenbach, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Analyst"Just when you think every single plot has been done along comes something new. Adrian McKinty steps on the gas early in this pulse-pounding, nerve-shredding, high-octane tale and he doesn't let up. KIDNAPPER. Where McKinty succeeds, in a book that feels heavily worked over to ensure no tangents detract from main events, is in making sure the premise isnt the main event. Adrian McKinty is a Northern Irish writer of crime and mystery novels and young adult fiction, best known for his 2020 award-winning thriller, The Chain, and the Sean Duffy novels set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. In his 2019 novel The Chain, Adrian McKinty digs into the depths of just how far a parent will go to protect their child. Both of these sections primarily focus on Laurel. . You wont shake it for a long time. CRIME & LEGAL THRILLER | This is up there with Marathon Man and The Silence of the Lambs. DISCLOSURE: As an Amazon Associate (and affiliate with a range of other retailers) I earn from qualifying purchases. When he gets the, Master of international intrigue Daniel Silva follows up his acclaimed #1, An ambitious stand-alone thriller that is both an absorbing crime story and an in-depth exploration of grief, betrayal and corruption Iless latest calls to mind the late, great. This nightmarish story is incredibly propulsive and original. She must pay a ransom and kidnap another family's child, and then that family must do the same for her daughter to be released. This is up there with Marathon Man and The Silence of the Lambs. This is nothing short of JAWS for parents., Diabolically gripping. And maybe thats the problem. [21] Steve Dougherty writing in The Wall Street Journal praised McKinty's use of irony and humour as a counterpoint to the violent world inhabited by McKinty's Sean Duffy character. Which could easily have happened with a premise like this. His Sean Duffy books remain one of my favourite all time series. 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. His father was a boilermaker and ship's engineer and his mother a secretary. Fortunately, her daughter Kylie is made of stern stuff, and as Rachel moves from task to task at the behest of The Chain, she finds out what stuff she herself is made of, too. And when I first started reading I thought I was correct. How? He set that all aside in this one. The Chain : Adrian McKinty : 9781409189589 Share The Chain : The Award-Winning Suspense Thriller of the Year 3.8 (89,187 ratings by Goodreads) Hardback English By (author) Adrian McKinty List price: US$15.67 Currently unavailable Add to wishlist AbeBooks may have this title (opens in new window). In a book like The Chain, you have no choice but to pray for the worst. ATTICA LOCKE, Diabolically gripping. If any of these things don't happen, your child will be killed. Flashbacks inevitably slow a narrative down, and The Chain is all about momentum. Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by, Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser, Best Mystery Nominees->2020 Macavity Awards, Best Thriller Nominees->2020 Barry Awards, October 2020 Barnes & Noble Monthly Picks, House of Spies (Gabriel Allon Series #17), The English Girl (Gabriel Allon Series #13), The English Spy (Gabriel Allon Series #15), Natchez Burning (Natchez Burning Trilogy #1) (Penn Cage Series #4), The Bone Tree (Natchez Burning Trilogy #2) (Penn Cage Series #5), Desolation Mountain (Cork O'Connor Series #17), Windigo Island (Cork O'Connor Series #14). https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/. He studied law at the University of Warwick and politics and philosophy at the University of Oxford. He is a winner of the Edgar Award, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, the Macavity Award, the Ned Kelly Award, the Barry Award, the Audie Award, the . For every child kidnapped, another must be taken. Beautifully written. Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Sure, Rachel is a gutsy protagonist and of course I wanted her to prevail, but her self-deprecation continually broke my emotional engagement. Categories: "Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Better Sister and The Wife"The Chain is diabolical, unnerving, and gives a whole new meaning to the word 'relentless.' "James Swallow, author of Exile"There are many elements that recommend Adrian McKinty's The Chain: A devilishly clever plot, well-drawn characters that leap from the page, a writing style that verges on the electric and the imaginative way he is able to blend fear, panic and determination throughout each chapter. We catch glimpses of them. takes what at first seems like a fantastical scenario and imbues it with all the terror, stress, trauma, and messiness of reality. And the seemingly inescapable web of guilt and lies, is highly plausible and thus compelling. The parent added to the Chain in McKintys telling is Rachel, an academically minded single mother whose breast cancer is resurfacing. I may not read a better thriller in my lifetime. Leah Garrett It must stick to certain rules, including the one McKinty identifies as. RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2019. VIEW MORE at usatoday.com. VICTIM. To McKinty's great credit, he can make readers wonder at any point whether the ground may fall beneath their feet and how much evil they might be pushed toward. Rachel, the mother, is the protagonist, and shes on her way from Plum Island, Mass., where the book is set, down to Boston to see her oncologist about a possible health crisis. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) " The Chain is that rare thriller which ends up being highly personal. Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2019). SUSPENSE | Average for the last 12 months. Adrian McKinty was born and grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, during the Troubles of the 1970s and 1980s. WELCOME BOOKLOVERS! Dannii Minogue looked very loved-up with her rarely seen boyfriend Adrian Newman at a women's national basketball league (WNBL) game in Melbourne.. 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. A mother is told to kidnap another parent's child if she wants to see her own kidnapped child ever again. The Chain sounds like the kind of horrifying crime ring that might prey on wealthy businesspeople in far-off places ravaged by drugs or gangs. The scheme brings to light a spectrum of humanity ranging from unimaginable viciousness to well, Rachel thinks she knows her own nature until this storys onslaught of terrible choices hits her. Beneath its surface of high-speed thrills. Buy "The Chain" on IndieBound. But would we root for him if he kidnapped another person's an innocent person's child? latest thriller moves at a brisk pace even as she plays with narrative structure: The book is split into three sections, including a first one which alternates chapters between the time of Ellies disappearance and the present and a second section that begins as Laurel and Floyd meet. In a late-night phone call, Salerno persuaded McKinty to write what would become The Chain. Dark and unsettling, this novels end arrives abruptly even as readers are still moving at a breakneck speed. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Jewells (I Found You, 2017, etc.) I really wanted to read this, swoon & write a glowing review. [16] Upon hearing of his situation, fellow crime author Don Winslow passed some of his books to his agent, the screenwriter and producer Shane Salerno. That darkness and corruption dwell behind the shiny, happy faade of middle-class life is a common enough theme in American storytelling. Weight: 288 g. Dimensions: 196 x 128 x 30 mm. You think this is hitting rock bottom and surely Rachel has experienced all the bad luck possible? Rachel is a part-time philosophy lecturer; divorced, recovering from cancer and struggling to make ends meet. Rachel's 13-year-old daughter Kylie was waiting at the bus stop while she headed to a doctor's appointment. How closely can we be tracked? [18], The stand-alone thriller was inspired by the chain letters of his youth and contemporary reports of hostage exchanges. Her mind races. We arewell, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006). Working within a vividly chilly New England locale, McKinty conjures a fatalistic sense of mystery and confusion. Publisher: Mulholland Books/Little, Brown, Categories: And because McKinty hangs on to his wit and literacy even under duress. I have never read an Adrian McKinty book before. It must stick to certain rules, including the one McKinty identifies as Chekhovian (and didnt have to, in this genre): Is there a gun? I raced to the end of the book and then went back to see how Adrian McKinty pulled it all off. What comes next is clunky and a little didactic, making the story bigger than it needs to be, but at least were in the hands of someone who knows how to finish things off with one last irresistible sprint into darkness. The last third was kind of pointless, didn't care anymore. Brilliant. This information may be used to tailor the advertising provided to website viewers. In an interview on CBS McKinty talked about never giving up and took the interviewer, Jeff Glor, to Plum Island, Massachusetts, where The Chain is set. Inspired by the exchange kidnappings that take place in Mexico and the old-school chain letters of his childhood, crime novelist McKinty (Police at the Station and They Dont Look Friendly, 2017, etc.) Beneath its surface of high-speed thrills, The Chain is clearly the work of the philosophical thinker McKinty has always been. 4.8. Are we not men? Inspired by the "exchange kidnappings" that take place in Mexico and the old-school chain letters of his childhood, crime novelist McKinty (Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly, 2017, etc.) We learn Kylies kidnapping is just the latest in a horrifyingly effective ransom scheme, wherein parents are tasked with taking a child hostage in order for their own child to be released. This is pure high adrenaline storytelling and thats okay. I started this website in 2009 and quickly realised I enjoy writing and blogging about books almost as much as reading them. "[25], His novel The Dead Yard was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of the 12 Best Novels of 2006. [26] Audible selected Falling Glass as the Best Mystery or Thriller of 2011. This was not a good book, and I feel like everyone is pretending it is just to piss me off. . Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advicefor instance, try not to get wounded, for injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Who would create something as evil as The Chain? McKinty was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1968. [72] says the actress. [28], In 2016, The Guardian included book 5 of the Sean Duffy series, Rain Dogs, about the investigation of a death at Carrickfergus Castle, in their "The best recent thrillers" coverage. In The Chain, McKinty hooks the motif up to a power supply, connects it to wi-fi and plunges it into the Dark Web, where The Chain slithers like a basilisk, feeding on our obsession with social media, and our blithe ignorance of online privacy and security. To get her daughter back alive, Rachel must not only pay a ransom, but also do the unthinkable: Take someone else's child, and assume the role of kidnapper herself. An Amazon Best Book of July 2019: The Chain is one of those white-knuckle, stay-up-till-3 a.m. thrillers that keeps you reading feverishly because you just need to know how this one plays out.