The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

 

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? chevystevens.com

If you grew up in the early 80s like I did, television was full of “very special” episodes or films to caution the youth on the world’s dangers such as hitchhiking and bumming a ride in a stranger’s car.  But what about the reverse?  What if the hitchhikers themselves are the ones with sinister motives?

Chevy Stevens takes readers for one hell of a thrill ride with her latest novel, The Hitchhikers.  It’s not a surprise to the reader that Simon and Jenny are not the innocent couple they pretend to be when they are picked up by Tom and Alice.  However Stevens creates such a fully developed setting and characters within the first few pages that you’re screaming with everything inside you for Tom and Alice simply pass Simon and Jenny by and continue on with their trip.  Of course that would leave us with one very short story.  LOL   Once Alice and Tom discover who Simon and Jenny really are, Stevens pumps the gas and doesn’t let go.  When I watch any horror movie I’m always thinking about what I would do and how I would escape.  This book was no exception, I was in the driver’s seat with Alice, scared out of my mind but determined to survive.  There’s a couple more sharp curves on the road of Simon and Jenny’s story too.  Some I predicted, some really surprised me. 

This was the first novel I read by Chevy Stevens and it certainly won’t be my last.  She has a knack for great characters and storytelling.

I was fortunate enough to get an ARC of The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

You can find your copies at your local bookstore, library or online shop.  Just don’t pick up any strangers along the way OK?

 For more information, visit the author's website linked above.