I don’t usually buy a book upon impulse. But The Chain (Mulholland Books, $28.00) jacket shows an empty child’s swing in a blood-red background. So, I picked it up, flipped through it, and discovered a horrible ethical dilemma, terror for any parent.
Rachel’s daughter, Kylie, has been kidnapped. She receives a call specifying how and when to pay the ransom, but also a demand that she kidnap another child herself or hers will be killed. Hence, the chain goes on and on. Probably for years, one kid after another.
Would you really kidnap someone else’s child to save your own? Under the rules of the chain, if a kidnapped child dies before he or she can be ransomed and returned, the poor parents must kidnap still another child approved by the leader of the chain.
Adrian McKinty has created truly a horrible villain behind The Chain and has composed an incredible moral dilemma. The book flies along with short sentences and paragraphs, snappy dialogue and ever-increasing tension. However, in one of my first writing seminars I was told: Never resolve the crisis with a coincidence. Without giving it away, you stand warned.
Steve E Clark as seen in the New York Times is Author of Justice Is for the Lonely and Justice Is for the Deserving, Kristen Kerry Novels Of Suspense. Steve is a 2017 NY Big Book Award winner and a 2018 Independent Book Award recipient. You can purchase his books via https://steveclarkauthor.com/buy-the-book/ or request it at your local book store. Want to know more about Steve Clark, read more reviews or speak directly with Steve? Learn more about Steve at SteveClarkAuthor.com
Recent Comments