Name: Still Missing
Rating: 5 (3 reviews)
Author: Chevy Stevens

About this book

Summary

Book Summary

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two year old realtor, had three goals - sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape - her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

The truth doesn’t always set you free.

Membership Advantages

Reviews
"Beyond the Book" articles
Free books to read and review (US only)
Find books by time period, setting & theme
Read-alike suggestions by book and author
Book club discussions
and much more!
Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
More about membership!

Media Reviews

"Starred Review. While there is physical danger in what Annie experiences, the suspense is in her psychological struggle....While this may be a stretch, the 'what would I do' aspect of the reading experience may make this a match for some Jodi Picoult readers as well. Highly recommended." - Library Journal

"Starred Review. Stevens’s impressive debut, a thriller set on Vancouver Island, pulsates with suspense that gets a power boost from the jaw-dropping but credible closing twist." - Publishers Weekly

"Starred Review. A grueling, gripping demonstration of melodrama’s darker side." - Kirkus Reviews

"Starred Review...a knockout, a psychological thriller that pulls no punches and has a title that couldn’t be more apt." - Booklist

This information about Still Missing was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

Write your own review

Cloggie Downunder

A gripping read
Chevy Stevens’ debut novel, “Still Missing” is definitely a page turner. The story, about a 32-year-old female realtor who is abducted and held captive in a mountain cabin for a year, is told in the first person narrative as sessions with the victim’s psychiatrist. Chevy has created an original plot, with plenty of twists and full of tension, which keeps the reader enthralled and eager to see what happens next. The dialogue is realistic and the characters are so well crafted that sometimes the reader will feel like grabbing them by the shoulders and shaking them. There are occasional moments of black humour, especially the disposal of the body scene. Chevy shows a great deal of insight into state of mind of victims. She gives us a gutsy heroine whose endurance and attitude cannot fail to garner admiration. Add to this a climax that leaves the reader gasping. Set aside some time to read this book and don’t be surprised if you read it in one sitting: once you start reading, it is almost impossible to put down. Chevy Stevens? More, please!

Kelli Robinson

Read Elizabeth Smart's Memoir Instead
This was my least favorite book this year - thank goodness it was a short one. There were only about 75 or so pages in which I found myself a bit captivated by the story, but I did not care for the first half of the book, nor did I like the last quarter of the book.

Here are my reasons why: 1) every important character in this book was self-absorbed, self-loathing, and a "victim"; 2) the number of bodily fluids described in joyous detail during the first half of the book caused me to physically grimace as I read and their mention was unnecessary; 3) the characters were cliches; 4) the author did too much telling (instead of just showing) as if she didn't trust the reader to "get it" or understand without her injection of information; 5) the plot was preposterous and completely unbelievable; and 6) the protagonist was so overly dramatic and unlikeable and, given what she was going through, I don't think I was supposed to laugh out loud at her dilemmas.

Not many who read this book disliked the New York Times Bestseller as much as I did, but there were a few. One of those recommended Room by Emma Donoghue which I bought since finishing this book. The book that stood out for me as a worthy alternative was My Story by Elizabeth Smart. The abductor in Elizabeth's memoir is just as sick and creepy and the circumstances of her abduction are preposterous and unbelievable (but actually true); however, it is her grace following the abduction that truly separates Elizabeth Smart from the protagonist in this novel.

Membership Advantages

Reviews
"Beyond the Book" articles
Free books to read and review (US only)
Find books by time period, setting & theme
Read-alike suggestions by book and author
Book club discussions
and much more!
Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
More about membership!

Author Information

Biography
Books by this Author

Chevy Stevens Author Biography

Photo: www.suzanneteresa.com

Stevens grew up on a ranch on Vancouver Island and still calls the island home. For most of her adult life she worked in sales, first as a rep for a giftware company and then as a Realtor. While holding an open house one afternoon, she had a terrifying idea that became the inspiration for Still Missing. Chevy eventually sold her house and left real estate so she could finish the book. Still Missing went on to become a New York Times bestseller and win the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. Chevy's books have been optioned for movies and are published in more than thirty countries.

Chevy enjoys writing thrillers that allow her to blend her interest in family dynamics with her love of the west coast lifestyle. When she's not working on her next book, she...

... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Chevy Stevens's Website