Never Knowing (Stevens) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
If you love racing through a psychological thriller, or if you’re interested in writing within this genre, read both of these novels back to back and witness the development of a talented new storyteller.
National Post


The action is non-stop and the story flows without a bump.
Seattle Post Intelligencer


Stevens's unnerving stand-alone thriller about a woman's search for her birth parents matches the intensity of her impressive debut, Still Missing. Growing up on Vancouver Island, Sara Gallagher felt emotionally detached from her adoptive family. Now 33, Sara finally locates her birth mother, university professor Julia Laroche, but is devastated when Julia wants nothing to do with her. Sara learns that she was conceived when her birth mother was attacked by the Campsite Killer, a serial killer responsible for a 40-year reign of terror, who has never been caught. When the circumstances of Sara's birth become public, her biological father contacts her, demanding to meet her and her six-year-old daughter. If she refuses, he will continue to kill. Stevens chillingly portrays a woman searching for her identity who's not just horrified by the results but fearful she or her child has inherited violent tendencies. While the plot flirts with cliches, the skillful storytelling never flags.
Publishers Weekly


Stevens's debut, Still Missing, was a word-of-mouth (and critical) success. Her second thriller once again uses a flashback structure to set a suspenseful mood. Her protagonist, Sara Gallagher, tells her story in sessions with a therapist. Given up for adoption as a newborn, Sara has always felt the abandonment keenly, not least because her adoptive father seems to value her less than his two biological daughters. Now Sara has the chance to learn who her birth mother is. Though she is happily engaged and the mother of a six-year-old daughter, Sara needs to know—to an annoying degree. But her birth mother wants nothing to do with her and in fact seems somehow frightened of Sara. Undeterred, Sara continues to investigate and opens up a hornet's nest when she learns her birth father is a serial killer still on the loose. Verdict: Still Missing was such a strong debut, but everything that worked in that first novel has the opposite effect this time around, making the plot feel forced and the heroine unlikable. That said, this is a book fans will be anticipating, so some copies are a must. —Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI
Library Journal


Sara Gallagher has never exactly been comfortable in her adopted family.... So it's no wonder that she'd want to celebrate her nuptials...by tracking down the mother who gave her up as a baby. All too soon, Sara learns that the art-history professor who calls herself Julia Laroche is actually her mother. So why does Julia demand that Sara stay far away from her? For that matter, why did she change her name from Karen Christianson?... As finely calculated in its escalating suspense as Stevens' grueling debut (Still Missing,2010). Only the last twist disappoints.
Kirkus Reviews