Review: Never Let You Go

Summary: Eleven years ago, Lindsey Nash escaped into the night with her young daughter and left an abusive relationship. Her ex-husband, Andrew, was sent to jail and Lindsey started over with a new life.

Now, Lindsey is older and wiser, with her own business and a teenage daughter who needs her more than ever. When Andrew is finally released from prison, Lindsey believes she has cut all ties and left the past behind her. But she gets the sense that someone is watching her, tracking her every move. Her new boyfriend is threatened. Her home is invaded, and her daughter is shadowed. Lindsey is convinced it’s her ex-husband, even though he claims he’s a different person. But has he really changed? Is the one who wants her dead closer to home than she thought?

With Never Let You Go, Chevy Stevens delivers a chilling, twisting thriller that crackles with suspense as it explores the darkest heart of love and obsession. -- St. Martin's Press

I am sad to say that I wasn't an early adopter of Chevy Stevens' novels; however, once I read my first one, I was a fan. In fact, I have promised myself that I'll read anything and everything she writes -- she's that good. Her latest novel NEVER LET YOU GO didn't disappoint. It's a tightly woven, fast-paced novel that I found quite disturbing (in a good way!)

NEVER LET YOU GO tells the story of Lindsey Nash, a single mother who left her abusive husband Andrew in the middle of the night around eleven years ago. She and her daughter Sophie started a new life in a new town, while her husband went to jail for a killing a woman while driving under the influence. Sophie barely remembers her father, but now that she's a teenager, she's definitely curious about him.

Lindsey thinks she has done a pretty good job with starting over after leaving her husband. She owns her own cleaning business, which is pretty successful; and she's done a good job in bringing up her daughter. However, Andrew has been released from prison... and she kind of thinks someone might be watching her. Lindsey is pretty uncomfortable and takes a few precautions, but things really escalate when she finds out the Sophia has had contact with her father. She's even met with him a few times!

Lindsey is certain that her ex-husband is behind all of the strange things that are happening to her; however, Sophie isn't quite sure what to believe. She trusts her mom and her fears, but she also knows that her father's stories are pretty convincing and he swears he's a changed man.

In addition to her concerns about Andrew, Lindsey is also worried about her daughter. Not only is she sneaking around to meet with Andrew, she's also in a new relationship with a teen boy. Moms worry enough as it is when their daughter are dating; however, Lindsey is worried that he seems to share some traits with her ex-husband.

Tensions rise in NEVER LET YOU GO as stranger and stranger things begin to happen to Lindsey. Lindsey is certain her ex is behind these incidents; however, readers (and eventually Lindsey) will begin to question who is responsible for these acts.

I enjoyed NEVER LET YOU GO quite a bit, and I would definitely classify it as a page-turner. I loved how Ms. Stevens told this story -- going back and forth between the present and the past as well as using both Lindsey and Sophie as narrator. In addition, the tension of this novel just kept building page after page... and it ended with a pretty shocking conclusion.

I say pretty shocking because I am proud to say that I figured out where this novel was going about two thirds of the way through. I wasn't a hundred percent sure and didn't figure out all of the details, but I had a sneaking suspicion about who was behind the very strange actions. What I will say is that I absolutely loved how everything was eventually revealed. It really was a well-constructed and well-told story.

One of the things I appreciated about NEVER LET YOU GO were the characters. I thought both Lindsey and Sophie were terrific... and very realistic characters. Ms. Stevens did a great job in capturing the essence of each character and her voice in the alternating chapters, and I definitely felt an affinity towards both of them. I totally "got" Lindsey's fear and suspicion about Andrew, and I also understood Sophie's desire to get to know her dad.

Another aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed was how it toyed with me... and that does include the surprise ending. I loved following both Lindsey and Sophie's thought processes, but it was the way that the author captured the feelings of terror in Lindsey that was so well done. I honestly felt Lindsey's pain and was so uncomfortable for her. This might sound kind of strange, but this book actually scared me a bit!

Overall, I found NEVER LET YOU GO to by typical Chevy Stevens. It was a well-written thriller that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommended!

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this novel.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.