Book review: The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens is the latest novel by the Canadian author, who was one of the first authors I started to follow on social media as I loved her debut release Still Missing. And I think I’ve read all but one of her books. As for this book – OMFG what a ride!!! Literally…

It opens in 1976 and I read so many dual timeline books I was waiting to switch to the present (and the aftermath of whatever happens in 1976) but we stay there in fact… with Alice and Tom, a couple recovering after a tough year, taking a roadtrip in their brand new RV. They come across hitchhikers Jenny and Simon not long after setting off and end up offering them a lift when it’s obvious the young pair are far from prepared for camping.

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?

Alice is okay with showing the pair some kindness but it grates on her that they’re intruding on the holiday she and Tom had planned. The fact that teenaged Jenny is pregnant is also confronting for Alice who hasn’t been able to have children and is recovering from a recent stillbirth.

It’s hard to say too much without giving away the plot though I notice the backcover blurb (above) actually spills some of the beans. Interestingly I hadn’t read the blurb so initially wasn’t sure who were the goodies or the baddies. So… yes unfortunately Tom and Alice’s generosity is abused when things take a turn after they discover Jenny and Simon are on the run from police and suspected of murder.

At a deeper level there’s an opportunity to ponder relationships when they’re tested – that of Alice and Tom (who’ve been married for 16 years) as well as Jenny and Simon and we learn a bit about Jenny’s past and her very poor relationship with her own mother. This unfolds from Alice’s point of view along with Jenny’s so we know that Jenny disagrees with Alice’s perception of Simon’s violent nature and the fact that he’s enjoyed the bloodied path the pair have been on.

But it’s the constant heart-pumping action that makes this an amazing read. I’m not usually a lover of ‘action’ but here it’s layered with complexity and Stevens does an excellent job of keeping readers engaged, uncertain what will be lurking around the next corner and how will the players respond.

I careered through a a rollercoaster of emotions here. Anger, even fury as well as frustration, fear and disappointment. The fact that I wrote barely any notes when reading it and zipped through it in an unplanned sitting reflects how much I was riveted to the unfolding plot and fate of our characters. This is another excellent read by Stevens!

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens will be published in Australia by Pan Macmillan in late November.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.