Chained

Cover Story

When Sam Jones wakes up handcuffed in a cellar she naturally assumes she is suffering the aftermath of a great night out. But then she realizes that she's chained to a beam in the ceiling and the cellar door is locked. As her memory returns, she recalls all too vividly being kidnapped from the car park of the film studios where her boyfriend, Hugo, is shooting a TV series.

Before Sam gets free she's going to have to work out what her kidnappers are playing at. Is she their real target, or have they mistaken her for someone in the TV series? And what are they after - money, perverted kicks or publicity for a cause? Meanwhile Sam has a stinking headache and no Solpadeine.

We Say

Chained! is another crime thriller in the Lauren Henderson 'Sam Jones' series. Here, we have the heroine being kidnapped by suspected animal rights fanatics. It soon becomes clear that the kidnappers have abducted her by mistake - it seems they were intending to kidnap a colleague working on the film set Sam was taken from.

Sam's time in a cellar whilst kidnapped is brief. This is unfortunate because this is really the only interesting part of Chained! Once Sam has made her escape - via non-too-believable methods - the story switches to trying to infiltrate the animal rights group responsible for her abduction. Sam is aided by various acting 'luvvies' and we're introduced to various stereotypical and bland characters. Dialogue can only be described as unrealistic. Dialogue in fiction should read as though it has been spoken. In Chained!, the characters talk as only a fictional character could - "That'll teach you", after a beating. Yeah, okay.

For a crime story, there's little to surprise here. You're not given any real reason to feel any sympathy for any of the characters involved - they're simply too boring to worry about. The story attempts to climax with drama and you can see where Lauren Henderson has tried to pick up the pace. Unfortunately, the only excitement you'll feel at this point will be knowing that you've nearly finished the book.

Nice cover, though.

Review by: Rob Cook