I am delighted to be taking my turn today on the blog tour for The Chain by Adrian McKinty Thank you to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for inviting me to take part. Are you ready to take on The Chain.

About the book…

Now I am not one to just copy and paste blurbs, but in this case I don’t see the need to mess with perfection. I can’t sum up the premise any better so I ain’t even going to try!

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 PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD.

IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON’T HAPPEN:
YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED.

YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE CHAIN

Hooked yet?!???

The power of The Chain lie in the fact that it makes you examine what would you do? It is not coincidence that Rachel is a philosophy graduate and teacher, for this is the ultimate philosophical, moral and ethical question, “What would you do to save your child?”

What would you do to save your own child? Kidnap another child kill another child ?

The fact that Rachel is an unlikely action hero makes this story more compelling. A cancer patient, single mother, just turning her life around, she shows us the ultimate in what you will do when your child is threatened.

Throughout the novel her layers are peels back to reveal a strong independent woman, it is her smart and tactial thinking that pushes the story forward.

When Pete, her ex Marine brother in law steps into the story I admit to a little eye rolling. My thoughts immediately were among the lines of ‘ Here we go, big man to save the day’ but I was wrong . This is a partnership, Pete’s tech knowledge and past experiences are a support to Rachel but his drug addiction continually threatens to undermine their success. All the key mistakes they make are his mistakes, Rachel is the constant, Rachel is the key .

Crucially Rachel embraces life, the catalyst for the books finale is that she doesn’t just want her daughter alive, she wants her to live .

This was pure escapism, but escape into a very dark place where the ultimate moral and ethical question is being asked if you. The plot moves quickly, there is action and tension and more than a sprinkling of those moment which make you want to scream Nooooo! A real plus for me was the use of a strong female lead character.

Can Rachel be the one to break the chain?

This was a quick read, but an absorbing one. If you are looking for an unforgettable summer read then this might well be it!

and there is more…

For more fantastic reviews of this book check out other talented bloggers on the Blog Tour.