This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite
In The Chain, the first book in The Kinship Series by Robin Lamont, Jude Brannock is an animal rights investigator heading to Bragg Falls to retrieve a video secretly filmed by Frank Marino, a slaughterhouse employee. But when she gets to Bragg Falls, she discovers that Frank is dead, the video is missing, and the town is hostile to a woman they feel is threatening their jobs. Despite the numerous threats and hostilities, Jude is determined to stay on and find out what really caused Frank's death, as well as recover the missing video. But the higher-ups in the slaughterhouse know of her plans and are willing to do anything to stop it. Fast paced, with a deft blend of mystery and suspense, The Chain is a promising start to a new series.
Since it deals with the routine practices that go on at meat processing plants (AKA slaughterhouses), some descriptions may be too graphic for more sensitive readers. But, as someone who grew up on PETA and has seen many of their disturbing clips, Lamont's descriptions of the fictional processing plant are really well written and not gratuitous at all. While many in the town oppose Jude's mission, Lamont portrays many of the slaughterhouse employees as people who experience poverty and through circumstance are forced into the unsavory environment. Even so she still doesn't absolve the characters or the reader completely, urging us all to make a better choice.
With the exception of the romance, which I felt was rather awkward, The Chain was a well written, informative novel. Who knows, maybe it will have created a vegan or two.
