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The Chain cover art

The Chain

Written by: Adrian McKinty
Narrated by: January LaVoy
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Publisher's Summary

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

©2019 Adrian McKinty (P)2019 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

An instant New York Times bestseller!

One of the best books of 2019...

  • TIME
  • Chicago Tribune
  • New York Post
  • Booklist
  • Kirkus
  • The Strand Magazine
"McKinty hangs on to his wit and literacy even under duress...Beneath its surface of high-speed thrills, "The Chain" is clearly the work of the philosophical thinker McKinty has always been."—Janet Maslin, New York Times

"The pace quickens and the tension builds whenever the mother and daughter appear in a scene. In the end, what makes The Chain so frightening—and why it works so well as a thriller—is that all of Rachel's actions remain completely relatable, even as she whipsaws between terror and determination, morphing from victim to perpetrator."—Tina Jordan, The New York Times

"A deeply unsettling story about the limits of morality, raising questions about the nature of good and evil and the depths of parental love."—Joumana Khatib, New York Times

What listeners say about The Chain

Average Customer Ratings
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THIS is suspense!!

I love thrillers, especially when the story grabs you from the start. The Chain barrels along, intensifying as the stakes get higher., I couldn't wait to find out how it would end!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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worth a listen

it took me a little bit to get into, once I was it was so intriguing, suspenseful and had me not wanting to stop listening. great book, kinda scary to think that this could happen.

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Great Read

I came into this novel without reading any previous reviews and was very happy with my choice.

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2 people found this helpful

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A very engrossing story

I really liked the character development
And the suspense was gripping. I couldn’t stop listening. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers

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1 person found this helpful

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Story plus the right narrator... so good!

Read this book in a day.. very good story, (although difficult content when kids are involved..). But the narrator really had the vocals mastered for all the characters, making the story a lot easier to listen to. 👍🏻

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Aggressively mediocre

This book had potential but the writing was quite poor in many parts. The storyline was interesting but not well executed. It dragged on unnecessarily and unfortunately the narrator did not do a great job and keeping you engaged. in particular the narrators voicing of the child was grating and irritating. Overall you should probably take a pass on this

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I love it

I loved how fast it went when I like fast paced books. I don't like when books take forever to get to the chiller part of the book.

I was on the edge of my seat that I finished the book within 30ish hours

NEED to READ this BOOK.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Could easily be an excellent movie

An excellent and original modern thriller that felt authentic and relatable in a world that no longer has privacy and we are constantly being manipulated. How far would you go to save your child?

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    4 out of 5 stars
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a good story great to listen to

The story is interesting and makes you consider what is happening when depravity gets creative. The audio is well done, January has become one of my favorites. there are a few odd noises but nothing to distracting.

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    3 out of 5 stars

went on and on at the end

it was a struggle to finish I just felt like it went on and on.

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