The Island

Praise for the instant New York Times bestseller The Chain
"McKinty hangs on to his wit and literacy even under duress...Beneath its surface of high-speed thrills, The Chain is clearly the work of the philosophical thinker McKinty has always been."--Janet Maslin, New York Times
"The pace quickens and the tension builds whenever the mother and daughter appear in a scene. In the end, what makes The Chain so frightening - and why it works so well as a thriller - is that all of Rachel's actions remain completely relatable, even as she whipsaws between terror and determination, morphing from victim to perpetrator."--Tina Jordan, The New York Times
A deeply unsettling story about the limits of morality, raising questions about the nature of good and evil and the depths of parental love.--Joumana Khatib, New York Times
This is more than nail-biting; think cuticle-shredding.--Bethanne Patrick, The Washington Post
A chilling, diabolical page-turner you'll want to savor.--People Magazine, Book of the Week
Thrillers... don't get much more psychologically rich than The Chain. --David Canfield, Entertainment Weekly
Told in a spare, punchy style, this is a blazing, full-tilt thriller that entirely justifies the hype.--The Guardian
The Chain is a straight-up, stone-faced thriller, a present-tense race...thunderous ride into the darkest, most fearful reaches of a parent's mind)--Paddy Hirsch, NPR
The Chain turns out to be awfully hard to put down.--Connie Ogle, Newsday
An original premise, relentless pacing, and strong female characters lift this nail-biter from Edgar winner McKinty, which takes a no-holds-barred look at how far a parent will go to protect her child. . . . Readers won't be able to put this thriller down.--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
At once a commentary on social media, greed, revenge, love, and true evil, and written with an almost lyrical quality, this book will have readers searching for more McKinty titles to devour. An unmissable thriller.--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The Chain is that rare thriller which ends up being highly personal. ..a satisfying and deeply rewarding read.--Tod Goldberg, USA Today
We promise that if you make room on your summer reading list for The Chain, you won't be disappointed.This intense thriller...is sure to raise the goosebumps.--Lambeth Hochwald, Parade
Edgar Award-winning author McKinty has crafted the perfect summertime page-turner.--USA Today
In McKinty's devilishly capable hands, the penalties and payoffs for not participating in the eponymous chain are very much life-and-death. . . . McKinty, a terrific creator of characters when it comes to people under pressure--consider Sean Duffy, his maverick Northern Irish detective who polices Belfast during the Troubles--has struck new thriller gold with Rachel, an ordinary woman whose side you won't be able to leave as she fights, tooth, nail, and whip-smart brain.--Daneet Steffens, Seattle Review of Books
McKinty's novel is one of those twisty thrillers that will keep you on your feet until the end.--The Palm Beach Post
Rachel Klein, a philosophy professor battling cancer and a bad marriage [is] the perfect pot in which to simmer a stew of ethical, moral, and existential quandaries while the action maintains a constant boil.--Boris Kachka, Vulture
One of the breakout hits of the summer.--Mackenzie Dawson, New York Post
One of the best thrillers of the year.--Jeff Ayers, Associated Press
This high-concept rollercoaster--dubbed Jaws for Parents in a striking blurb by novelist Don Winslow--is the one that will have readers talking this summer. . . . The Chain turns out to be awfully hard to put down.--Connie Ogle, Newsday
Adrian McKinty is one of those rare writers who creates characters and dreams up stories that are consistently real and sizzling.--Jeffrey Mannix, The Durango Telegraph
Adrian McKinty's new novel will leave any parent gasping for breath. --Quinn Keaney, PopSugar
Parents beware, because Adrian McKinty's The Chain is pure nightmare fuel.--Sabienna Bowman, PopSugar
Beneath the gripping plot lies an inquiry into the power of social media and crowdsourcing.--The New Yorker
There are few recently published novels better situated and more player-ready for screen adaptation than Adrian McKinty's The Chain. Readers have eaten this book alive and so did the film world...The names attached to that adaptation gives fans good hope for a delirium-inducing result.--CrimeReads
A mesmerizing excursion into a chilling crime that challenges the protagonist and reader in unimaginable ways.--Mark Rubinstein, CrimeReads
This nightmarish story is incredibly propulsive and original. You won't shake it for a long time.--Stephen King
You have never read anything quite like The Chain and you will never be able to forget it. Brilliant. Beautifully written. A masterpiece of tension. The Chain scared the hell out of me but I could not put it down! I raced to the end of the book and then went back to see how Adrian McKinty pulled it all off. The Chain belongs in the elite company of world-class thrillers like Gone Girl and The Silence of the Lambs. This is nothing short of JAWS for parents.--Don Winslow, New York Times bestselling author of The Cartel and The Force
Rachel Knight's daughter has been abducted, and the only way Rachel can save her is to add another kidnapped child to the terrifying chain. Pairing an irresistible concept with a winner protagonist, The Chain promises to be your new addiction once you succumb to the first enticing page.--Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Better Sister and The Wife
The Chain is diabolical, unnerving, and gives a whole new meaning to the word 'relentless.' Adrian McKinty just leapt to the top of my list of must-read suspense novelists. He writes with confidence, heart, and style to spare. He's the real deal.--Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Mystic River and Since We Fell
A masterpiece. One of the finest novels ever produced in the genre. This is up there with Marathon Man and The Silence of the Lambs. I may not read a better thriller in my lifetime.--Steve Cavanagh, author of Thirteen
The Chain is a grade-A-first-rate-edge-of-your-seat thriller. I can't believe what went through my mind while reading it--the things I might be willing to do to save my child.--Attica Locke, author of the Edgar Award-winning Bluebird, Bluebird
Diabolically gripping. Adrian McKinty has written a novel that's nail-biting, smart, and convincing, with a plot-jolting twist that readers of Gone Girl will love. Hang on tight, because once you start this book, you can't stop-like the characters in the story, you'll be caught in The Chain.--Meg Gardiner, author of Into the Black Nowhere
Adrian McKinty's The Chain is the rare thriller that's not only fiendishly clever but also powerfully empathetic, with both hair-raising twists and complex, fully-realized characters.--Lou Berney, author of November Road
Starting The Chain is like climbing aboard a runaway train. You'll miss meals, sleep, and your stop on the bus - guaranteed.--Val McDermid, internationally bestselling author of Broken Ground
Scary, plausible, gripping.--Ian Rankin, internationally bestselling author of In a House of Lies
McKinty has written several gripping stand-alones, of which this one is the best yet; in fact, it may well be the biggest thriller of the summer. . . . It's called the Chain, and it's a Ponzi scheme from hell. . . . A pitch-perfect psychological thriller. . . . Expect the buzz to build quickly for this one--think The Woman in the Window for 2019.--Booklist (starred review)