I gave this book a 5 star because I have read two other books by Chevy and I have to say by far this is the one I love the most. It had me terrified, sad and happy for Annie. There were parts of the book where I could not contain my tears for this girl and there were parts in this book where my heart sand to my feet. If you have not read this book I highly recommend you do, it will not disappoint. I love love love her writing. ( )

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Still Missing by Chevy Stevens is a 2010 St. Martin’s Press publication.

This is my first introduction to Chevy Stevens. Yes, most of my thriller loving reading peers have been singing her praises for years, and yes, I have several of her books on my TBR list- but for some reason I never got around to reading any of them. When I saw this book was available in the Kindle Unlimited program, (as of this writing), I checked it out on impulse.

The setup: A real estate agent, Mary O’Sullivan, is kidnapped after an open house event. She’s held captive in the mountains by a monster she dubs 'the freak', and is subjected to every kind of horror imaginable. One year later, after a miraculous escape, she describes what she went through via her sessions with her therapists, which alternates with current day events, as Mary and her family adjust. But is Mary’s ordeal really over?

The book starts out describing Mary’s kidnapping and time in captivity, which is very intense and had me squirming in my seat. I realized I had not read this type of thriller in a very long time, and I was no longer desensitized to this type of content. Whew! It was a little rough, I have to admit.

But as the story progressed the crazier things got. Still, I never would have guessed how things would turn out. What a truly messed up, twisted story!

I would have given the book a higher score, but the ending felt abrupt and a bit unsettled. I felt unsure of what Mary's plans were- for sure. I wondered if she was backing out, letting people sway her decisions, which was not the ending I wanted for her.

Overall, though, this was a very solid debut for this author. This book, despite being around thirteen years old has stood the test of time very well. I will definitely read more of her work- when I’m sure my heart is able to take the suspense…

3.5 rounded up. ( )

Wow, this book was really different from my usual reads. It's pretty slow moving, but don't give up, as it gets better toward the end. There's a whole lot of character development, and lots of time to try to guess who might be guilty, and of what. Some of the characters were pretty likeable, and others were very unlikeable. The main character, Annie, the victim, was kind of both, but I guess she had an excuse so I don't judge her. Especially after getting to know her family and their history. What a bunch of losers.

One of my favorite quotes from one of them was "Annie wasn't kidnapped. A man took her."


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So creepy but kept you sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to see what would happen next. Scariest thing is that it could happen in real life!!! Such a good book!! ( )