March 2017

In NEVER LET YOU GO, Chevy Stevens shows how she has matured the writing chops for which I came to know her in STILL MISSING, which was her debut novel. The protagonist, Lindsey Nash, was the victim of an abusive relationship. Eleven years ago, she fled one night with her young daughter, Sophie. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to prison for something that happened that evening that was not related to her flight. Flash forward and he’s set free, and while she thinks she has covered her tracks very carefully, she gets the feeling she is being watched. Her home has been broken into. She goes through her days consumed with unease, knowing something is not right.

At the same time, Sophie, who is now 17, is longing for a relationship with her dad, and she does not understand why her mother is so worried about him. Andrew is manipulative, constantly shaping those around him to suit his needs. But Lindsey knows all too well what he is like in his core. She also knows what really happened the night they fled, a secret she has been harboring. Andrew is not the only person who Lindsey needs to be afraid of, and her obsessive fear of him keeps her from seeing other clues of harm that may come her way.

I pride myself on cracking the clues in thrillers, but here Chevy completely surprised me. It has many twists and turns, and once again she has proven to be an amazing plot master. This was a complete ride of a read.