S. F. Prescott

Filled with tension!

CHEVY STEVENS lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she’s not working on her next book, she’s hiking with her two dogs on her favorite mountain trails and spending time with her family. Chevy’s current obsessions are vintage airstreams, Hollywood memoirs, all things mid-century modern, and stand-up comedians–not necessarily in that order. Her debut novel, STILL MISSING, was a New York Times bestseller and won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel.

The Hitchhikers is the first of Chevy Stevens’ novels I’ve picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed it. One the more tense stories I’ve read this year, following two teens on the run who hitch a ride with a married couple traveling the country in their RV. The scenes are vivid, the backstories are heartbreaking, and I couldn’t put it down.

The pace was steady throughout, something I prefer in this genre. And it definitely lived up to my expectations compared to similar books. The characters felt real, their issues relatable, and I felt especially sorry for Jenny. Learning her backstory was so tragic, and it’s understandable how she could get swept up in something so far out of her control after enduring the abuse she did. The story gripped me from the first page, and I was especially satisfied with the ending. The last scene on the beach felt hopeful and all loose ends were tied up.

The author’s voice is strong and her writing style is immersive, something I find easy and enjoyable to read. I can’t wait to read more of her books!

For readers who enjoy tension, dual narratives, and gripping stories.

Synopsis:

It’s the summer of 1976 and Alice and Tom set out on the remote Canadian highways in their new RV, hoping to heal their broken hearts after a devastating tragedy.

They’ve planned the trip perfectly, taken care of every detail. Then they meet two young hitchhikers down on their luck and offer them a ride. But Simon and Jenny aren’t what they seem. They’ve left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.

Now Alice and Tom are trapped, prisoners in a deadly game, with nowhere to turn. As the tension builds, the lines blur, and the question becomes, In whose heart does evil truly lie? What secrets are Jenny and Simon hiding? And who will live another day?