chevy stevens - always watching (extract)

7/28/2019 Chevy Stevens - Always Watching (Extract)

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Cover design: Ervin Serrano/Alissa DinalloCover photographs: (woman) Fabio Sabatini/Getty Images; (branches) Plainpicture/AnnaMatzen; (house, trees and river) Shutterstock

F I C T I O N

New York Times bestselling author of Still Missing

She helps people put theirdemons to rest. But she has a few of her own . . .

In the lockdown ward o a psychiatric hospital, Dr Nadine Lavoie is in her element. She has the tools to help people, and she has the desire; healing broken amilies is what she lives or. But Nadine doesnt want to look tooclosely at her own past, because there are whole chunks o her li e thatare black holes. It takes all her willpower to tamp down her recurrentclaustrophobia, and her daughter, Lisa, is a runaway who has been onthe streets or seven years.

When a d istraught woman, Heather Simeon, is brought into thePsychiatric Intensive Care Unit a ter a suicide attempt, Nadine gentlycoaxes her story out o herand learns o some troubling paral lels toher own li e. Digging deeper, Nadine is orced to con ront her traumaticchildhood and the damage that began when she and her brother were brought by their mother to a remote commune on Vancouver Island.What happened to Nadine? Why was their amily destroyed? And whydoes the name o the groups leader, Aaron Quinn, provoke complex

eelings o terror in Nadine even today?

Then the unthinkable happens, and Nadine realises that danger iscloser to home than she ever imagined. She has no choice but to acewhat terrifes her the most . . . and fght back.

Sometimes you can leave the past,but you can never escape.

Told with the trademark power ul storytelling that has had criticspraising her work as gripping (Kirkus), jaw-dropping (Publishers

Weekly) and crackling with suspense (People), Always Watching shows

why Chevy Stevens is one o the most mesmerising newtalents o our day.


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First published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin in 2013

First published in the United States in 2013 by St Martins Press,a division o Macmillan.

Copyright Chevy Stevens Holdings Ltd. 2013

All rights reserved. No part o this book may be reproduced or transmitted inany orm or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,recording or by any in ormation storage and retrieval system, without priorpermission in writing rom the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum o one chapter or 10 per cent o this book, whichever

is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution or its educationalpurposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) hasgiven a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.

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Web: www.allenandunwin.com

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CHAPTER ONE

The frst time I saw Heather Simeon, she was curled into a ball inthe seclusion room at the hospital, a thin blue blanket tight aroundher, the ban dages sharp white lines circling her wrists. Her blondhair obscured most o her ace. Even then, she still gave o a senseo refnement, something in the high cheekbones barely visiblethrough the veil o her hair, the beauti ully arched brows, the patri-cian nose, the delicate outline o pale lips. Only her hands were amess: the cuticles raw and bleeding, the nails jagged. They didnt look bitten, they looked broken. Like her.

Id already read her fle and talked with the emergency psychia-trist whod admitted her the night be ore, then gone over everything

with the nurses, most o whom had worked in the Psychiatric Inten-sive Care Unit or years, and who were also my best sources o in or-mation. I might spend f teen minutes to an hour with each patient during my morning rounds, but the rest o the time I was at my o -

fce in the Mental Health building, treating patients who are out inthe community. Thats why I like to bring a nurse with me when Ifrst meet a patient, so were on the same page with the care plan.

Michelle, a cheer ul woman with curly blond hair and a wide smile, was with me now.


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Heathers husband had come home the night be ore to fnd hersprawled on the kitchen oor, the kni e near her hand. When she

was admitted to the hospital, shed become agitated, crying andfghting the nurses. The emergency- room doctor ran a drug screenthat came back clear, so shed been given Ativan and placed in theseclusion room. She was under close observation on the monitor, anda nurse checked on her every f teen minutes.

Shed been sleeping all night.I knocked so tly on the door rame. Heather stirred and opened

her eyes, blinked a ew times. I stepped closer to the bed. She gazedup at me, licked her lips, which were dry and chapped, then swal-lowed. Her mouth parted as i she were going to say something, but only her breath escaped in a long sigh. Her eyes were dark blue.

Good morning, Heather, I said in my gentlest voice. Im Dr.Lavoie, the attending psychiatrist. When I had my private practiceup island, my patients called me Nadine. But since moving to Victo-ria to work at the hospital, Id started using my title, had come tolike the emotional distance one o the reasons or my move in thefrst place. Would you like some water?

She was staring somewhere over my shoulder, her expressionblank, devoid o sorrow or anger. She might not have succeeded inchecking out physically, but she had defnitely disappeared emo-tionally.

Id like to talk with you or a little bit i thats okay.Her eyes skimmed past me, landing on Michelle. She pulled the

blue blanket tight around her.Why . . . is she here? Her voice was a whisper.Michelle? Shes one o our nurses.On the psychiatry oor, the doctors are generally in business

casual, the nurses dressed more or com ort. Michelle tended toavor un clothes, today a unky striped shirt with dark denim dress

jeans. Unless you noticed the ID badge around her neck, you might not realize she was a nurse.

Heathers body language was de ensive, almost cringing underthe blanket, her gaze icking back and orth between us like a cor-nered animals. Michelle stepped back, but Heather still looked


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ALWAYS WATCHING 3

overwhelmed. Some patients elt ganged up on when we brought anurse in with us.

I said, Would you be more com ortable just talking to me?She gave a small nod as she worried a corner o her ban dage withher teeth. Again, I was struck with the image o a wild animal try-ing to escape its bindings. I glanced at Michelle, signaling that it wasokay or her to leave.

Michelle smiled at Heather.Ill check on you later, honey. See i you need anything.

I liked Michelles warmth with the patients, had noticed it be ore.Shed o ten sit and talk with them, even on her breaks. When thedoor closed behind her, I turned back to my patient.

Can you tell me how old you are, Heather?She slowly said, Thirty- fve, as she looked around, starting to

become more aware o where she was. I saw the room through hereyes and elt bad or her: the small plastic window in the heavy metaldoor, the Plexiglas cover on the window with scratch marks down it like someone had tried to claw their way out which someone had.

And your name? I said.Heather Duncan . . . She shook her head, catching hersel , but

the movement was sluggish, delayed. Simeon. My name now, itsSimeon.

I smiled. Did you get married recently?Yes. Not yeahor uh-huh, but yes.She was educated, brought up

to speak clearly. Her gaze ocused on the heavy metal door. Dan-iel . . . is he here?

Hes here, but Id like to talk with you frst. How long have youand Daniel been married?

Six months.What do you do or a living, Heather?I dont do anything now, but I used to work in the store. We take

care o the earth.I noticed her shi t to present tense.Are you a landscaper?Its our job to tend and keep the land.I elt an uncom ortable utter in my stomach about the phrase. It


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sounded amiliar, and shed also said it like she was reciting an ex-pression shed heard many times. She was repeating it, not speaking

or hersel .I heard you had a bad night, I said. Would you like to tell me what happened?

I dont want to be here.Youre in the hospital because youve been certifed under the

Mental Health Act. You tried to hurt yoursel , and we dont want that to happen again, so were going to help you get better.

She pulled hersel up into a sitting position, and I noticed how thinher arms were as she braced on the mattress, the veins popping. Herarms shook as i the e ort o holding up her body was exhausting.

I just wanted it all to stop. Her eyes flled with tears that weaveddown her ace, dripped o her nose. One landed on her arm. Shestared at it as though she had no idea how it got there.

What did you want to stop?The bad thoughts. My baby Her voice caught and she

inched, gritting her teeth as though something had stabbed herdeep inside.

You had a miscarriage, Heather? According to her fle, shedlost the baby a week ago, but I wanted to see i she would tell me moreabout it hersel .

Another tear slid down and dropped onto her arm.I was three months along. I started bleeding. . . . She took a

breath and let it out slowly through clenched teeth.I paused, a beat o silence in honor o what shed just told me, then

said, very gently, Im sorry, Heather. That must have been very pain ul or you. Its normal to have eelings o depression a ter los-ing a child, but we can help you manage your eelings so they arent so overwhelming. Your fle said your doctor prescribed E exor last

year. Are you still taking it?

No.When did you stop?When I met Daniel. I caught the slightly de ensive tone and

knew she elt guilty that shed stopped taking the pills, ashamed that she needed them. People with depression o ten stop their medica-


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tion when they all in love, the endorphins creating their own natu-ral antidepressant. Then real li e kicks in.

The frst thing Id like to do is put you back on the antidepres-sant. My voice was casual: This isnt a big deal. Youre okay.Wellstart you o on a low dose and see how you do. Your fle mentionedthat you also went through a hard time a ew years ago. Her previ-ous two suicide attempts had been with pills. Shed been ound at the last second in each case, but now that Heather had progressed tomore violent means, she might not be so lucky next time.

You were re erred to a psychologist. Are you still seeing him?She shook her head. I didnt like him. Daniel, is he okay?The nurses said he stayed here all night and only went home this

morning to get some o your things. Hes back in the waiting areanow.

Heather rowned, her ace worried. He must be so tired.Im sure Daniel just wants you to get well. Were here to help

with that.Fresh tears made her eyes seem even bluer, like sapphires set in

diamonds. She was so pale you could see every vein in her neck, but she was still hauntingly pretty. People o ten assume that beauti ulpeople have no reason to be unhappy. Its usually the completeopposite.

I want Daniel, she said. Her eyelids had begun to droop, thee ort o talking draining what little energy she had le t.

Im going to speak to him frst, then well see i we can arrangea little visit. I wanted to get a sense o what kind o emotional shapehe was in, so he didnt make the situation worse.

They cant fnd me in here. She said the words to the room asthough shed orgotten I was there and was just reassuring hersel .

Who are you a raid is going to fnd you?I want them to leave us alone, but they just keep calling and call-

ing. She picked at her cuticles as she spoke, tearing at a small pieceo esh.

Is someone bothering you? Her fle hadnt said anything about paranoia or hallucinations, but psychosis is sometimes possible withsevere depression, which Heather was clearly su ering rom. But i


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she was also having problems with some people in her li e, we neededto know about it.

She started to worry the ban dage with her teeth again.I said, This is a sa e environmentits a place or you to get better. We can bar anyone you dont want to visit, and theres a secu-rity guard on the oor at all times. No one can get to you. I there

was a real threat, I wanted to make sure Heather elt secure enoughto tell me what was going on. I it was just paranoia, she still neededto eel protected, so we could begin to treat her.

Im not going back. The last part was said as though she was warning hersel . They cant make me.Who cant make you?She orced her eyes open, met mine with a ash o con used

alarm. I could see her wondering what shed just told me. Fear, andsomething else, something I couldnt name yet, rolled o her body in thick waves, pressing into me. I ought the sudden urge to stepback.

I need to see Daniel. Her head lolled orward, and her chindropped onto her chest. Im so tired.

Why dont you get some rest while I talk to your husband.She curled up under the blue blanket in the etal position, her ace

to the wall, shaking even though the room was warm.Her voice now barely a whisper, she said, He sees everything.I paused at the door. Who sees everything, Heather?She just pulled the blanket over her ace.

When I walked into the visiting area, a tall man with dark hairleaped to his eet. Even unshaven, with shadows under his eyes anda rumpled dress shirt hanging outside aded jeans, Daniel was anattractive man. He was probably in his mid- orties, judging by the

laugh lines around his eyes and mouth, but I had a eeling he wasone o those men who grow even more handsome with age. Theirchild would have been lovely. I elt a wave o sorrow or them.

He strode toward me, a brown leather bomber jacket hanging overhis arm and a knapsack hooked over his shoulder.


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How is she? Is she asking or me? His voice cracked on the last word.

Lets go where we can talk privately, Mr. Simeon. I led him downthe hallway toward one o the interview rooms, skirting the janitormopping the oor. I rowned when I noticed that the utility roombehind him was unlocked and gaping, and made a mental note tomention it to the nurses.

Call me Daniel, please. Can you tell me i shes all right?Id say yes, considering. Shes having a hard time, but were do-

ing everything in our power to help her. This is the best place orher right now.There was so much blood. . . .I elt bad or him, knowing what he was probably thinking: What if

Id come home ten minutes later? Why didnt I see the signs?Families seemto all into two categories: those that blame themselves and those that blame the patient. But they always need to blame someone.

It must have been very upsetting to fnd her like that, I said. Isthere anyone you can talk to? Id be happy to suggest someone.

A quick shake o his head. Im okay. I just want Heather to be sa e.I thought about what Heather had just told me. Was someone

harassing her? Or was his ear just related to what she had done?Thats what we want too. I unlocked the heavy metal door to

the interview room and waved Daniel into a chair.He sat across rom me. People might think that the ward would be

decorated in soothing colors, a warm, nurturing environment, but the chairs, mismatched shades o pink, blue, and puce, have beenthere since the seventies. The desk was laminate, the edges crackedand peeling. A wood shel stood against one wall with a ew lonely books stacked haphazardly. Even the waiting area where hed beensitting or so many hours was just a ew chairs by the elevators. Itsan old hospital. But the unding isnt there, and this isnt meant to

be a holiday.Did she tell you why she . . . Daniel choked up, took a quick

breath. Why she tried to kill hersel ?I cant share anything Heather tells me without her permission.

But Id like to ask you some questions.


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Sure, anything.Did you know how depressed shes been?

He rubbed his chin, his ace bleak. Since we lost the baby, she wont eat or get out o bed. Most days she wont even shower. Ithought it was postpartum, or what ever its called, and she just neededsome time. . . . I keep thinking about how quiet she was when I le t last night. I was late or work Ive been picking up odd jobs in theevening to make some extra cash so I was in a rush. He shook hishead. I Id stayed with her . . .

He was the type who blame themselves. I leaned orward.This isnt your ault, Daniel. I youd been there, shed have waiteduntil you werent and tried again. People as troubled as Heatheralways fnd a way.

He looked at me long enough, I hoped, or my words to sink inthen his ace clouded over.

Her parents are going to take this really hard.They dont know?Theyre on an RV trip in Northern BC. I tried to call, but they

must be out o range. She hasnt talked to them or a while.What about her riends?She never wanted to do anything with them, so they stopped

phoning.I wasnt surprised that Heather had pushed people away, except

or Daniel. A classic symptom o depression was detaching romriends and amily.What do you do or a living, Daniel?Im a carpenter. That explained his build, and his deep tan.

He smiled as he looked down at his rough hands. Heather and Icame rom di erent worlds, but the minute we met, we had thisinstant connection, like on the deepest level. Neither o us hadever elt that way be ore. He looked at me as i expecting skepti-

cism.I gave him an encouraging nod.He continued. Shed just gone through a breakup her ex was a

real jerk. But we started hiking and doing yoga together. It seemedto cheer her up.


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It had been a good idea on his part. Exercise is one o the best natural aids or depression.

So you noticed some signs o depression be ore you got married?I guess. . . . Shes the kind o person whos always trying to take

care o everyone else, so its hard to tell sometimes. Shed get really quiet or start crying, but she wouldnt want to worry me, so I wouldnt know what she was upset about. But when she got pregnant, she wasreally happy about the baby, picking out names, buying toys. . . .

His voice wavered. I dont know what to do about the babys roomor all the clothes she bought. My mind ashed to Paul painting Lisas nursery strawberry red

with apple green stripes because our child would be di erent, wouldskip to her own beat. Which she had, always a trait Id admired,until she danced away rom me.

Lets take it one day at a time, I said, as much to mysel as tohim. You can work all that out later.

When can Heather come home?Shes been involuntarily admitted into the hospital so we can

keep an eye on her. We cant release her until shes no longer a dan-ger to hersel .

What i she tries . . . you know. He swallowed hard. What i she tries to do it again?

We wont let her here. And we wont send her home until shesstable and has a good support system in place.

Can I see her? I brought some o her things.Normally, were strict about visiting hours theyre only rom

our to nine in PIC, where everyone has to be buzzed in and out. We dont allow visitors be ore noon, so patients can attend pro-grams, and we can make our rounds. But he looked desperate, and Ithought seeing him might help Heather settle in.

Shes resting right now, but you can say a quick hello.

We didnt talk as we rode up the elevator to Psychiatric IntensiveCare on the next oor. Daniel seemed lost in thought, and I was


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busy counting my heartbeats while ocusing on my breathing. Ivesu ered rom claustrophobia or years, a act that would probably

shock my patients. Various coping techniques help, rom mentalimagery to breathing exercises, but when I frst heard the elevatorseal shut, I had to restrain mysel rom hitting the panic button.

We were buzzed into the unit. In PIC, the nurses station is be-hind glass, and a security guard is always at hand. One side o theunit is or high-risk patients like Heather, and the other is the stepdown unit, where they go when they dont need the same level o

monitoring. I they continue to improve, they are moved down to thenext oor, where they have more reedom. The nurse searched the bag Daniel had brought or Heather to

make sure there wasnt anything she could hurt hersel with therame was removed rom their wedding photograph, same with the

tie rom her robe. When the nurse was fnished, I showed Daniel toan alcove in the lounge area, where they could have some privacy but still be in view, then went to get Heather.

As I entered the seclusion room, I gave her a quick visual. She wasstill curled in a ball, her pale arms wrapped around her torso withboth small hands on her shoulders, as i she were trying to hold her-sel together.

Heather, do you eel up to a visit with Daniel now?Heather twitched at the sound, then slowly rolled over. Her voice

was pleading, and her eyes ooded with tears, as she said, I need tosee him.

Okay, but youll have to come out with me because we dont allow visitors in the seclusion rooms. Are you eeling strong enough tostand?

She was already pulling hersel up into a sitting position.

When we entered the lounge area, Daniel jumped to his eet androze as he took in the sight o his wi e slowly shu ing beside me,

the ban dages on her wrists, the hospital blue pajamas, the blanket shed wrapped around her shoulders like an old womans shawl.

Daniel! she cried out.


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Oh, sweetie, he said as he gathered her into her arms. You cant scare me like that again.

Once a patient has been in or a ew days we leave them alone with their visitors, but I wanted to see how Daniel and Heatherinteracted in case Daniel was part o the problem. I sat in one o the chairs a little to the side.

Daniel gently helped Heather lower hersel be ore taking a seat.Heather rested her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped hisarm around her back, supporting her.

Im sorry, Daniel. Heathers voice was raw with emotion. Ihate what Im doing to you. You shouldnt have to take care o me allthe time.

A red ag. Suicidal patients try to convince themselves that people would be better o without them.

Daniel said, Dont talk like that. I love you. Im not going any- where. Im going to take care o you orever. As though to prove hispoint, he pulled the blanket up around her shoulders, tucking it around her neck where the hospital pajamas had dri ted down, re-

vealing the hollow o her thin collarbone.She clearly wasnt rightened o Daniel, so I decided to leave and

fnish my rounds. Then Heather, speaking slightly under her breath,said something that caught my attention.

I told the doctor about how they keep calling.What did you say? Daniel didnt sound upset, just a little worried.Not much, I dont think. . . . Im con used, and my head eels

unny. Are you mad at me?Im not mad, sweetie. But maybe you shouldnt think about any

o that right now, just think about getting better. We can talk about everything else another day. His ace was earnest, making sure sheunderstood.

Do you think Emily knows . . . what I did?

No, they probably wouldnt have told her at the center.Heather nodded, then glanced up at the camera in the corner.

Shed also glanced at it when she frst sat down, and I wondered i shed been at a treatment center where patients were monitored.

Is there someone youd like me to contact or you? I said.


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Heather looked at Daniel. He shook his head, just a slight move-ment, but she nodded back, acquiescing to what ever hed just si-

lenced.I said, It would help my treatment plan or Heather i you toldme what program you were attending.

Heather rested her hand on Daniels leg, her eyes pleading withhim. Daniels were ocused on her bandages, then he turned to me.

We used to live at a spiritual center. Its out in Jordan River. We le t when Heather got pregnant because she didnt want to have

the baby there. Some o the members have been calling to makesure were okay. Theyre nice people.Id heard that there was a center out in Jordan River, a spiritual

retreat o sorts that was well respected, but I didnt know much elseabout them.

Heather had started to cry again, her shoulders shaking.They made me eel like it was my ault I lost the baby.They dont really believe its your aultno one thinks that,

Daniel said. Theyre just trying to help, sweetie. You were doing so well.

Heather was crying harder now, her ace twisted.I didnt like how theyre always telling us what to do. TheyHeather, stop you dont know what youre saying. Daniels

eyes shot to my ace, his voice concerned and his expression help-less. They have rules, Dr. Lavoie, but theyre so we can stay o-cused on the workshops.

Heather and Daniel clearly werent on the same page about thecenter, but she didnt want to contradict Daniel in ront o me. Shekept glancing at him. Is it okay that Im saying this? Do you still love me?

She gazed at him now, her hands gripping her blanket tight around her.

They wouldnt let me say good- bye to Emily.

This was the second time Heather had mentioned Emily.Emily didnt want to leave with us, remember? She loves it at the

center. I know you miss her, but you need to worry about yoursel and the bab

Heather recoiled like hed hit her.


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Daniel said, Oh, sweetie, Im sorry. It was just habit.Heathers eyes had gone dark and empty again, her hands dropped

by her sides, palms up de eated.Its my ault I lost the baby. Youre mad at me.Its not your ault, Heatherand Im not mad at you. In a voice

so loving and sad it made my heart hurt, he added, Youre the most important thing in the world to me.

They said we should stay. They said it was better or our babyand maybe they were right. I made you leave, and now the babys

dead.Heather, stop. Daniel was rubbing her back. Dont say thingslike that. He put his ace close to hers. Hey, look at me. But Heather was just staring at the wall now, her expression blank.

I didnt want to push things too much, especially with Heatherstarting to dissociate rom the conversation, but I was concernedabout why she was blaming hersel so much or the loss o her baby.

Why did you want to leave the center, Heather?She began to rock, her arms wrapped around her body.They said that all adults are the childs parents. So everyone helps

raise them, and they dont even stay with you. The horror in her ace made it clear that this hadnt sat well with

her.At the center, they believe its better or the babys spiritual

growth to be loved by many hearts, Daniel said. They have highly trained caregivers.

This center sounded highly controlling. I turned to Heather.But you didnt want to share your child?She nodded and glanced at Daniel, who stared down at Heathers

bandages again. She looked like she wanted to explain hersel more,but then she reached out and held Daniels hand. He gave it a smallsqueeze.

I think I was wrong, though, she said. We shouldve stayed. Then I wouldnt have miscarried.

I said, How can you know that you wouldnt have miscarriedeven i youhad stayed? Did they actually tell you that you wereresponsible?


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They didnt say it was our ault, Daniel said. They were just worried that Heather had gotten hersel too stressed out by moving.

In other words, they had implied that it was her ault.What is this center called? I said.Daniel sat straighter, his shoulders proud.The River o Li e Spiritual Center.Something tickled at the back o my mind, ollowed by an un-

com ortable eeling o dread settling in my stomach.Who runs it?

Aaron Quinn. Hes the director o all the programs at the center. Aaron Quinn. He said Aaron Quinn.It couldnt be the same man.Heathers voice was a whisper. Most o the members call it the

commune. The commune. I hadnt heard that name in years. I hadnt wanted

to hear it ever again. I stared at Heather, trying to think, my heart thudding in my ears.

Dr. Lavoie? Heathers blue eyes were ull o sorrow and pain.Do you think its my ault the baby died?

It took a second or me to re ocus my thoughts. You have a patient,and she needs your help.

No, I dont think its your ault. You made a decision you thought was best or your child you were just being good parents. I talkedon or a minute or two, heard the com orting words coming out o my mouth. But all the while my head was flled with a dull roar, thesound o ate and li e colliding. Because what I couldnt tell them

was that I knew Aaron Quinn.I knew exactly who he was.


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Praise for ALWAYS WATCHING

In Always Watching , Chevy Stevens begins with a shivery premisea amily ensnared by a religious cult led by a madman. Stevens lights that use andlets it burn all the way to an explosive ending. A chilling, compelling read.

William Landay, bestselling author o Defending Jacob

Chevy Stevens intelligently and relentlessly pulls the reader deeper intothe nightmarish world o a cult whilst compelling you to read just one morepage . . . New York Times bestselling author, Rosamund Lupton A harrowing tale o manipulation that got under my skin by the end o thefrst chapter. New York Times bestselling author, Linwood Barclay

Always Watching grabbed me rom page one. Its story o power, murder andamily secrets is seductive and sinister. Dr Nadine Lavoie is a tenacious,compassionate heroine. Meg Gardiner, author o Ransom River A antastic, heart-pounding thriller that pulls you in rom the frst page. Iloved it! New York Times bestselling author, Lisa Jackson Haunting and harrowing, Always Watching is a stunner, o ering not only consuming suspense but also a moving tale o mothers and daughters, thelingering echoes o the past that never stop reverberating. Megan Abbott,bestselling author o Dare Me Taut and riveting, Always Watching ollows the ault line between a personspast and presentand the terror and turmoil that can pull a li e apart whenthey collide with the orce o an earthquake. Chevy Stevens suspense ul,twisted story kept me up late into the night, rantically turning pages with

white-knuckled fngers. Hilary Davidson, author o Damage Done

Chevy Stevens is in top orm. Always Watching is a tense and twisty explora-tion o dark memories, hidden pasts, and a place that seems like heavenbut might be hell. This is a deep and exciting novel, as unsettling as it isgripping. Lisa Unger, New YorkTimes bestselling author o Heartbroken Always Watching is a riveting examination o the power o childhood secretsover our past and our present selves. I couldnt put it down. Ala air Burke,author o If You Were Here

Praise for NEVER KNOWING

Stevens unnerving stand-alone thriller about a womans search or her birthparents matches the intensity o her impressive debut, Still Missing .

Publishers Weekly

As fnely calculated in its escalating suspense as Stevens gruelling debut. Kirkus


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Stevens second novel is a knockout, starting strong and fnishing evenstronger. RT Book Reviews

A riveting read . . . Chatelainemagazine

Block o the weekend, grab a com y seat and prepare or the rocket rideo your li e! Never Knowing will consume you with the desire to read every page, gasp at every twist and know every last secret between one woman andher serial killer ather. Lisa Gardener, #1 New York Times bestselling author Never Knowing is a chilling thriller with enough twists and turns so every time I thought I knew where it was going I was taken somewhere else. I havea eeling that Chevy Stevens is an author who is going to keep getting betterand better with each book! I hope Im still around or the next sixat whichpoint shell probably give me a heart attack. But what a great way to go out!Lois Duncan, author o I Know What You Did Last Summer A terri ying, chilling scenario that un olds into a nightmare and had mekeeping the light on at night. Rosamund Lupton, bestselling author o Sister

Praise for STILL MISSING

Still Missing isnt just a gripping mystery about a womans abduction, its astory about her hard- ought returnto sel , to independence, to li e. Frank,ferce, and sometimes even unny, this is a dark tale pinpricked with lightand told by an un orgettable heroine. New York Times bestselling authorGillian Flynn

A heart-pounding debut. Stevens pulls out all the stops in this cat-and-mouse battle between a brilliant psychopath and his tenacious victim. By equal turns clever and compelling, Still Missing is the not-to-be missedthriller o the year. Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author o The Neighbor An astonishingly well-cra ted debut novel, Still Missing will have youspell-bound rom the frst page until long a ter you close the book. NewYork Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter

Grim and unsettling. Still Missing is a ast-paced read that is utterly absorb-ing. New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs Chevy StevensStill Missing is a compelling, unputdownable thrill ride o a debut. Youll never go to an open house again without wondering i theguy in khakis is a maniac. The twists are so treacherous and unexpected

youll need a neck brace by the time you fnish. Linda Castillo, New YorkTimes bestselling author o Sworn to Silence


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Engrossing, terri ying and ultimately ull o girl-kick-ass,Still Missing willsuck you in rom page one. Realtors should not read this book i they ever

want to host an open house again. Chelsea Cain, bestselling author

Chevy Stevens writes in a resh, truly authentic human voice, gripping you

and tearing your heart rom the very rst page to the last. Still Missing isone o the very ew books Ive read in a long while that I absolutely couldnot put down until I had nished it. She is going to be huge. Peter James,international bestselling author While reading Chevy Stevens thriller Still Missing , I had to remind mysel to breathe. Simply terri ying. New York Times bestselling author EricaSpindler Still Missing runs deeper than the chills it delivers, the surprises it holds andthe resilience o its main character. Ms. Stevens makes Annie a strong, smart

woman who wont stop ghting to regain her sanity and equilibrium. Shecant come back until she knows why she was taken away. Janet Maslin, NewYork Times Crackling with suspense this debut thriller stars Annie OSullivan, a youngrealtor who recounts her year-long ordeal as a captive o a rapist she calls

simply The Freak. Her imprisonment, escape, and raught re-entry intoordinary li e will have you glued to the page. Peoplemagazine This debut novel has the power to shock and awe with its explosively

rightening premise about a woman who is kidnapped by a stranger and heldagainst her will or more than year. It starts with a very scary abduction.

Annie OSullivan is a real-estate agent, and her captor comes or her at anopen house. What happens to Annie during her captivity is heartbreaking,stomach-turning, outrageously immoral and rightening. Equally unimag-

inable is the catalyst or her kidnapping. This is one scary novel with a new twist on the classic kidnap and conspiracy story. Still Missing by VancouverIsland native and resident Chevy Stevens is sure to rock lovers o the thrillergenre. USA Today A dazzling debut rom Vancouver Islands Chevy Stevens. Still Missing brilliantly captures the terror o a kidnapped woman trapped in a cabin inthe woodsand the puzzling a termath o her escape. Chatelainemagazine Chevy Stevens novel is the most unnerving novel Ive read since ThomasHarris Silence of the Lambs . . . The conclusion is totally shocking andnumbing. By ar the best debut Ive read this year and Id be very surprisedto read anything that tops it. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine At each turn o the page, youll nd yoursel clutching the book with whiteknuckles and struggling to comprehend the sickening and terror- lled


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moments as this realistic and horri ying tale un olds. A book that I truly couldnt put down, Still Missing is a rightening story that will leave a lastinge ect.Suspense Magazine Care ully and claustrophobically, Stevens cra ts a double narrative o a

womans abduction and escape, and her attempts to recover and reclaimhersel a ter the brutal ordeal . . .With a gutsy but very human heroine, thisbook will abduct your reading time late into the night. RT Book Reviews

Stevens impressive debut, a thriller set on Vancouver Island, pulsates withsuspense that gets a power boost rom the jaw-dropping but credible closingtwist. In psychiatric sessions, Annie OSullivan, a 32-year-old realtor with anice boy riend and a demanding mother, describes her year-long ordeal asthe captive o a rapist. The intense plot alternates between Annies creepy con nement, her escape, and her attempts to readjust to real li e, romgoing to the bathroom when she wants to managing her own meals. Still,

Annie knows that a large part o her soul is still missing. Her trans orma-tion rom victim adds to the believability o the enthralling plot. Publishers WeeklyStarred Review Stevens blistering debut ollows a kidnap victim rom her abduction toher escapeand the even more horri ying nightmare that ollows. One

moment, Vancouver Island realtor Annie OSullivan is taking one last client,a quiet, well-spoken man with a nice smile, through the property where shesholding an open house; the next moment, shes being marched out to a vanat gunpoint, unaware that its the last time or months that shell see the sky or breathe the open air. The man whos taken her calls himsel David; shecalls him The Freak. And her ordeal over the next year, described in unspar-ing detail in a series o lacerating sessions with her psychiatrist, indicatesthat her name is a lot more accurate than his . . . A gruelling, grippingdemonstration o melodramas darker side. Kirkus Starred Review

On a sunny August a ternoon, realtor Annie OSullivan is just about to endan open house showing when a riendly, nicely dressed man appears. What seems to be a lucky break is really just the beginning o Annies year-longordeal. During sessions with her psychologist, Annie takes the reader back to her abduction and narrates how she struggled to survive during anda ter the horror. Since the reader is reliving the events through Anniesown retelling, the material can be tough to take. That emotional challengeis alleviated by Annies fashes o humor and de ance. In her mind, oncea victim does not mean one orever. VERDICT: While there is physicaldanger in what Annie experiences, the suspense is in her psychologicalstruggle. Author praise o this highly touted debut includes comparisonsto Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner, and those authors ans will like thisthriller. While this may be a stretch, the what would I do aspect o thereading experience may make this a match or some Jodi Picoult readers aswell Highly recommended Library Journal Starred Review

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