Still Missing
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Audio CD
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction
Book Type: Audio CD
At first blush, Chevy Stevens' debut novel Still Missing (Winner of the 2011 Thriller Award for Best First Novel issued by the International Thriller Writers) wouldn't be something I would consider for the R.I.P. Challenge VI, as it is neither Gothic or supernatural, although there is a mystery. I am reading Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, which I love and would definitely count for the Challenge, so I thought this audiobook was more to while away the ten-plus hour road trip from Florida to Virginia last week. I wanted to try something a bit different, something suspenseful with an even better mystery to sort out.
When Still Missing was first released, it garnered rave reviews in the blogosphere and the general view was unanimous that the reader should dive into the book not really knowing too much of the plot. Wise advice, so here's a snapshot: Annie is a young realtor holding an open house on a beautiful day by the water in a quiet residential neighborhood in Vancouver. By the end of the day, tired and packing up, waiting for her boyfriend to meet her for dinner, the last walk-in arrives. Debating if she should turn him away, she instead decides to go ahead and show him the house. He seems harmless enough.
It was not what I was expecting. Since I plan to read more than four books for Peril the First, I am going to list this as my first book for the R.I.P. Challenge because there is a mystery and it is extremely scary.
What follows after Annie shows the house to the last minute walk-in is terrifying. Told through Annie's first-person perspective to her therapist after the crime has been committed, it is disturbing and horrifying, witnessing Annie's terror from the abduction and other offenses that are committed. And while the reader (listener) is reeling from the events of the story, it is only then that you learn that there is much, much more to keep you up at night. While surrounded by a small circle of friends, Annie continues to be tormented by the realization that the horror may not be over yet and that those around her could very well be more than they seem.
Chevy Stevens has certainly left her mark - while the subject matter in Still Missing was difficult and horrifying, it was a story that we couldn't stop listening to and it brought out a range of emotions for us. But I will not sugar coat this. This is an extremely tough story due to both the crime itself and the subsequent aftermath and mystery, and through an audiobook it is even more disturbing. However, since the story is told in first-person, the audio version seemed to suit the story best in that format, almost simulating the listener as Annie's therapist and engaging you into the story even more. Be warned - while an incredible and memorable story and one I recommend, the subject matter is graphic and violent. If you do listen to the audiobook, please let me know your thoughts.
When Still Missing was first released, it garnered rave reviews in the blogosphere and the general view was unanimous that the reader should dive into the book not really knowing too much of the plot. Wise advice, so here's a snapshot: Annie is a young realtor holding an open house on a beautiful day by the water in a quiet residential neighborhood in Vancouver. By the end of the day, tired and packing up, waiting for her boyfriend to meet her for dinner, the last walk-in arrives. Debating if she should turn him away, she instead decides to go ahead and show him the house. He seems harmless enough.
It was not what I was expecting. Since I plan to read more than four books for Peril the First, I am going to list this as my first book for the R.I.P. Challenge because there is a mystery and it is extremely scary.
What follows after Annie shows the house to the last minute walk-in is terrifying. Told through Annie's first-person perspective to her therapist after the crime has been committed, it is disturbing and horrifying, witnessing Annie's terror from the abduction and other offenses that are committed. And while the reader (listener) is reeling from the events of the story, it is only then that you learn that there is much, much more to keep you up at night. While surrounded by a small circle of friends, Annie continues to be tormented by the realization that the horror may not be over yet and that those around her could very well be more than they seem.
Chevy Stevens has certainly left her mark - while the subject matter in Still Missing was difficult and horrifying, it was a story that we couldn't stop listening to and it brought out a range of emotions for us. But I will not sugar coat this. This is an extremely tough story due to both the crime itself and the subsequent aftermath and mystery, and through an audiobook it is even more disturbing. However, since the story is told in first-person, the audio version seemed to suit the story best in that format, almost simulating the listener as Annie's therapist and engaging you into the story even more. Be warned - while an incredible and memorable story and one I recommend, the subject matter is graphic and violent. If you do listen to the audiobook, please let me know your thoughts.
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