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_askthebookbug 's review for:
The Chain
by Adrian McKinty
• r e v i e w •
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I was almost sure that I'll like The Chain until I got to part two. It leaves one in a conflicting state of mind when half of the book is penned down brilliantly while the other half just sinks. The Chain was one such novel. Being an ardent fan of thrillers, especially the ones written by Higashino, I've always found it extremely difficult to take a liking to other suspense books. He has undoubtedly set up a high benchmark. Adrian is a household name when it comes to this genre and having written few bestsellers, The Chain happened to be one of his most anticipated book of last year. Sadly, for me it didn't work in more than one ways. A book that had immense potential but ultimately failed due to poor execution.
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Rachel O'Neil has had a tough life. Divorced and a cancer survivor, she finally hopes for a fresh start when she lands a teaching job. But it soon comes crashing down when she gets a phone call, informing her about her daughter Kylie's kidnapping. Unlike anything she has ever heard of, The Chain works in a sinister manner. In order to free her child, Rachel is forced to kidnap another kid apart from paying the required ransom. The Chain is supposed to keep going and if defied, her daughter will be brutally killed. Having warned to not to go to the police, she can think of only one person to rely on. Pete, Rachel's brother-in-law instantly appears by her side to help get back his niece. The two, then carry out the instructions laid out by The Chain.
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It doesn't take long for Rachel to realise that she's dealing with someone notorious and malicious. The Chain seems unbreakable, a vicious cycle that makes parents do horrifying things against their will. As Rachel and Pete work together to get back Kylie, she feels the onset of cancer again. She is both mentally and physically exhausted but like any other mother who's child is in danger, she keeps going. I don't want to give away too much but rest of the book focuses on Rachel's quick thinking and her ability to fight back against the criminals. It is here that the story began loosing it's grip on me. The first half was executed masterfully and I found it unputdownable.
.
Right from the time the part two began, I had an inkling that it's probably not going to be the best thriller I've read so far. There were many loopholes, things that seemed impossible and unnecessary romanticism. The Rachel I had come to like changed before my eyes in a clichéd manner. Perhaps this was why I couldn't even give it four stars. I was left disappointed and utterly baffled by how a good thriller ended up being so sloppy. However, Adrian writes really well and right after I finished reading The Chain, I got hold of an ecopy of his bestseller named The One. Keeping my fingers crossed for that one. I wouldn't recommend The Chain to hardcore thriller readers but if you want to assess Adrian's writing and his ability to write a fast-paced novel, go for it.
.
Rating : 3.9/5.
.
I was almost sure that I'll like The Chain until I got to part two. It leaves one in a conflicting state of mind when half of the book is penned down brilliantly while the other half just sinks. The Chain was one such novel. Being an ardent fan of thrillers, especially the ones written by Higashino, I've always found it extremely difficult to take a liking to other suspense books. He has undoubtedly set up a high benchmark. Adrian is a household name when it comes to this genre and having written few bestsellers, The Chain happened to be one of his most anticipated book of last year. Sadly, for me it didn't work in more than one ways. A book that had immense potential but ultimately failed due to poor execution.
.
Rachel O'Neil has had a tough life. Divorced and a cancer survivor, she finally hopes for a fresh start when she lands a teaching job. But it soon comes crashing down when she gets a phone call, informing her about her daughter Kylie's kidnapping. Unlike anything she has ever heard of, The Chain works in a sinister manner. In order to free her child, Rachel is forced to kidnap another kid apart from paying the required ransom. The Chain is supposed to keep going and if defied, her daughter will be brutally killed. Having warned to not to go to the police, she can think of only one person to rely on. Pete, Rachel's brother-in-law instantly appears by her side to help get back his niece. The two, then carry out the instructions laid out by The Chain.
.
It doesn't take long for Rachel to realise that she's dealing with someone notorious and malicious. The Chain seems unbreakable, a vicious cycle that makes parents do horrifying things against their will. As Rachel and Pete work together to get back Kylie, she feels the onset of cancer again. She is both mentally and physically exhausted but like any other mother who's child is in danger, she keeps going. I don't want to give away too much but rest of the book focuses on Rachel's quick thinking and her ability to fight back against the criminals. It is here that the story began loosing it's grip on me. The first half was executed masterfully and I found it unputdownable.
.
Right from the time the part two began, I had an inkling that it's probably not going to be the best thriller I've read so far. There were many loopholes, things that seemed impossible and unnecessary romanticism. The Rachel I had come to like changed before my eyes in a clichéd manner. Perhaps this was why I couldn't even give it four stars. I was left disappointed and utterly baffled by how a good thriller ended up being so sloppy. However, Adrian writes really well and right after I finished reading The Chain, I got hold of an ecopy of his bestseller named The One. Keeping my fingers crossed for that one. I wouldn't recommend The Chain to hardcore thriller readers but if you want to assess Adrian's writing and his ability to write a fast-paced novel, go for it.
.
Rating : 3.9/5.