From the very beginning, I thought the plot was unique, fresh, and absolutely horrifying, I loved the direction this went in and I really appreciated how reminiscent this was of a Criminal Minds episode. I only saw one of the plot twists coming and didn’t figure out why or how The Chain was able to operate for as long as it did until we got closer to the end. I’m not a parent but my stomach churned the entire time imagining a child and their parents being put into this situation.

Besides the physical torture, The Chain prides itself on the psychological and mental breakdown of its victims. Ultimately, it turns victims into criminals. That said, there were a lot of philosophical references and theories that McKinty applied to the story (he studied Philosophy at Oxford so it makes sense). I noticed I’m becoming more interested in that subject and reflecting on how complex humankind is. It’s interesting how our survival instincts will kick in once we or the ones we love are in danger and if we’re stripped of any bit of control, access, and money we do have.

I already mentioned this, but if you like Criminal Minds I genuinely think you’ll enjoy this story. Also, the chapters are pretty short! The main thing that stopped this from being a solid 4 was the writing (really didn’t care for it - at all. I think the use of third-person wasn’t needed for this story and it should’ve only been written in 1st IMO), a lot of repetition (I found myself skipping chapters or skimming through certain ones), and the way the chapters were set up/formatted. BUT, I still think the overall plot was unique and interesting and for that, I would recommend giving it a try.