The Chain by Adrian McKinty

Thirteen-year-old Kylie is old enough and responsible enough to walk to the bus stop by herself. Neither  she nor her mother ever considered—or prepared for—the possibility that someone might kidnap her. 

But that’s exactly what’s just happened. 

Rachel receives the call on her way to a doctor’s appointment. An appointment that promises bad news. But Rachel never makes it to the appointment because she’s learned that she and Kylie are now part of “The Chain.” 

Kylie has been kidnapped and if Rachel wants her back, she has to follow very strict instructions. She can’t call the police. She has to deal with it alone. She’s to gather the ransom and purchase bitcoin to pay. But that’s not all. After she’s paid the demanded ransom, she has to find a target and kidnap someone herself. Only when that person’s family has paid their ransom and kidnapped another, will Kylie be released. 

But once you’re part of the Chain, you’re always part of the Chain. 

So here’s a fun fact, The Chain is currently under option with Edgar Wright attached to direct. But that’s not all. His upcoming book, The Island (due out in May), has also been optioned and is being developed for Hulu!

The premise of this book is literally a parent’s nightmare. And at first, the people behind the Chain itself seem to be part of some large scheme that’s years in the making. At least that’s the impression they’ve given everyone touched by the Chain.

Rachel is contacted by the woman who kidnaps Kylie. She’s also warned twice with regards to following the instructions. She’s physically assaulted by another member of the Chain and also told to look into the murder of another family as proof of the Chain’s reach. 

There’s no denying this is an intense story, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. 

My main issue was with the bad guys. I wanted more on them. We did get chapters about the start of the Chain and a few from the POV of the main baddie, but I didn’t really feel like McKinty delved into the motivation and mind of the bad guys as much as he could. It felt like he pulled the punches, so to speak. 

It was also frustrating that there was a piece in particular where they feel Rachel needs further punishing. That paired with another tidbit where Rachel is told that the Chain might, in some cases, pick a target themselves rather than leaving it to Rachel, felt like there was something more being hinted at that was never fleshed out or explored. 

All in all, this was well-executed and fun read—certainly it will make great fodder for a movie—but I felt like it could have been more. 

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