The Chain
Stan Weaver’s life falls apart after his eight-year-old daughter, Kylee, disappears from a party. His marriage crumbles. He and his wife, Maggie, are separated, and barely talk to each other. Six years pass, and neither has recovered from the pain of losing Kylee, or each other. Then, while driving his truck route, Stan thinks he sees Kylee on the road. Unnerved, but desperately hopeful, he contacts Maggie. What follows is a whirlwind adventure, as Stan and Maggie try to unravel the truth about Kylee’s disappearance and mysterious reappearance. Soon, they realize that several parties want Kylee back. The family is quickly on the run, looking not only for answers, but safety.
The Chain has everything I look for in a book. It zips along in a fast-paced story that kept me glued to the pages. Preston continually throws out hooks that raise more questions, and drew me deeper into the mysteries surrounding Kylee and her abductors. At every turn, there is something unexpected and surprising. This is at once a road trip, and a journey into one family’s healing. While Stan and Maggie try to grapple with the growing surreal impossibilities they are confronted with, they try to be a normal family with Kylee. This is brilliantly conveyed as the family engages in the everyday activities of eating, joking, laughing, and playful teasing. Their attempts to find normalcy is in striking contrast to the increasing strangeness they are confronted with, intensifying it for the reader.
Preston is a natural storyteller of the first order. Get ready for a roller coaster ride, with plenty of twists and turns. His characters are vivid, and he poignantly captures the black hole of grief that Stan and Maggie are trying to crawl out of. Kylee is an intriguing character. Just girl enough to feel real, just different enough to show she is far more than just a girl—and why others are seeking her. The villains are frightening and powerful, and capable of defying physics. Everyday things, such as music playing on the radio, become a mode for foreshadowing the bizarre things to come.
Hold onto your hats. There are surprises even at the end. While much is tied up, fortunately, there is plenty of mystery left for a sequel. Preston can count me as a BIG fan. I’ll be preordering my copy as soon as it’s available.
The book may be purchased from the author at: http://www.jeffreypreston.net/
Or on Amazon at, http://www.amazon.com/Chain-Jeffrey-M-Preston/dp/0982437331
