Reviewer Wendy Thomas. Wendy lives in Southern New Hampshire with her husband and six children, ages 9-17 and has been published in various regional magazines and newspapers. She writes a weekly column, Simple Thrift for the Nashua Telegraph.
Author: Chevy Stevens
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-59567-8
Well written with a pace that takes off and doesn't let up, Chevy Stevens has managed to create a story that will have everyone talking and will have you think twice the next time you are tempted to stop by an open house
Author: Chevy Stevens
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-59567-8
Click Here To Purchase Still Missing
Wow. Wow. Wow.
Lock the doors, check your windows, and be prepared to stay up late reading Sill Missing and then thinking about non-stop after you have finished. It will forever (and I mean forever) haunt you and leave you wondering how it was that you endured such a heart-racing, oh-my-god, thriller of a ride.
Annie O'Sullivan is a thirty-two year old realtor who is abducted right before she packs up for the night from an open house showing. Her abductor keeps her prisoner in an isolated cabin exerting his dominance over her by determining everything about her life from what she eats to how often she is allowed to use the bathroom.
Told as a narrative in the present tense based on Sullivan's sessions with her psychiatrist, the story continually transitions smoothly from the past to now. The fears, the obsessions, and phobias resulting form the trauma feel real enough to make you ache for this character. It is easy to identify with this strong woman who managed to survive although not quite in one piece and in an “I never saw that coming” ending you will feel as if someone had on some level violated you as well as Annie.
“Back inside, he noticed I was shivering and told me to sit by the fire to warm up. Our Talk didn't seem to have upset him. I considered asking if he's killed anyone else, but my stomach clenched at the though of hearing his answer. Instead I said, “Can I wash off please?”
“Is it time for your bath?”
“No, but I –“
“Then you know the answer.”
The rest of the day I wore deer blood. It made my skin crawl, but I tried not to think about it, I tried not to think about anything – not blood, dead deer, or murdered fathers. I just focused on the fire and watched the flames dance.”
I know that the phrase “brutally honest” is so often used in reviews that it had become virtually meaningless but in this case, it's a term that aptly and quite fittingly describes this story. This story as told by Annie Sullivan reeks of brutality and honesty. It will, without a doubt, shake you.
Well written with a pace that takes off and doesn't let up, Chevy Stevens has managed to create a story that will have everyone talking and will have you think twice the next time you are tempted to stop by an open house.
Still Missing is Chevy Steven's debut novel.
Click Here To Purchase Still Missing