A new thriller, The Chain, by Northern Irish crime writer Adrian McKinty is in the running to be picked as the 'Big Summer Read' by The Tonight Show in the US.

Five books have been put forward for the show's summer book club and a public vote decides which one will feature on the popular chat show, which is presented by Jimmy Fallon.

McKinty himself has appealed for votes, saying that two years ago he was homeless and that to appear on the show with his family would be a dream come true.

McKinty is the award-winning writer of books including the Sean Duffy series, set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. However in recent years he had been finding it difficult to make a living from writing and had started driving an Uber to make money.

Following advice from a new agent, he then wrote The Chain, a US-based thriller, which netted him a six-figure English language book deal and a seven-figure film deal.

The US-based thriller has netted McKinty a six-figure English language book deal and a seven-figure film deal

The Chain is the story of a kidnapping with a difference. In the book, parents are told their children have been kidnapped and they have to kidnap another child in order to achieve the release of their loved one.

McKinty is second at the moment in the public vote, trailing by 2% behind Ask Again, Yes, a cross-generational family drama set in upstate New York.

The Tonight Show Summer Read vote is online and voting closes on Thursday. You can vote here.