The Chain

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This book is an absolute blinder. The first six pages of the paperback’s front filler are testimonials from fellow writers and the media, and I can well imagine the publishers having to trim that list down. It really is that good, and is well-deserving of The Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award that it nabbed in 2020 and the many other awards that it has won or been shortlisted for.
The premise is ingenious:
Rachel O’Neil receives an anonymous phone call. They have her daughter and if she doesn’t follow their exact instructions, she will be killed. The kidnapper’s own child has also been snatched and the only way that their kid will be returned safely to them is for Rachel to choose and then kidnap another child, whose parents need to follow her exact instructions… It’s not about the money, it’s about maintaining The Chain.

I love a story where an ordinary person is forced by circumstance to perform extraordinary acts; Harlan Coben‘s standalone novels are excellent examples of this.
However, an excellent premise is nothing if it isn’t executed properly, and this is where McKinty has excelled. Doubtless there will be many suspiciously similar books published over the coming years – especially if the movie comes to fruition. Many good writers are quite capable of taking such a strong idea and making a solid and enjoyable thriller. But McKinty has taken his time and carefully crafted a masterpiece.

McKinty’s prose is descriptive and skilled and the chapters are short and punchy, keeping the pace brisk without ever feeling rushed. The chapters switch between several different points of view, perspectives and even timelines, but are populated by characters distinctive enough that it the reader is easily pulled into their world. McKinty is also not afraid to occasionally foreshadow events, so that the reader knows more than the protagonists. This can be tricky to pull off – get it wrong and the characters can come across as foolish; instead, the reader finds themselves racing through the pages, desperate to see what happens.

I’ve already alluded to the great Harlan Coben, and I feel that even he would be extremely pleased with this effort. And if you’ve ever seen my bookcases, you’ll know that is high praise indeed.
I very highly recommend this book!