Done with panache and wit. I devoured this riveting book through a day of travel — in a taxi, at the T.S.A. checkpoint, on the plane, in the next taxi — and into the night. My desire to rush to the end clashed with my desire to savor every word. Who would be the last psychopath standing?” — New York Times Book Review
A Most Anticipated Novel of Fall 2021 by Newsweek, Goodreads, PopSugar, Crime Reads, SheReads, Crime by the Book, The Nerd Daily, and more!
"This bar-raising debut exposes the gray areas in an often misunderstood disorder and defies readers to root against psychopathic antiheroes. Kurian’s highly anticipated thriller will undoubtedly lead fans of Gone Girl, Jeff Lindsay’s Dexter series, and Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley novels to hope for Chloe’s return.” – Booklist, Starred Review
“Fun, entertaining, and hard to put down, a twisty whodunit with a satisfying conclusion.” – New York Journal of Books
“[A] razor-sharp, clever-as-can-be whodunit in which absolutely no one can be trusted.” – Newsweek
"Utterly gripping." – The Sunday Telegraph
“Clever… prepare to buckle your seatbelt.” – Mystery Scene Magazine
"An audacious, break-the-mould thriller from a new voice." – Red Magazine
“Extraordinarily entertaining… yoga pants noir.” – CrimeReads
“Excellent pacing, sprightly narrative voices, and judicious dabs of wry humor make this a highly entertaining tale. Kurian’s refreshingly different slant on psychopathy marks her as a writer to watch.” – Publishers Weekly
“Readers won’t want to put down this fast and engaging debut novel, and they’ll root for the characters who’ve been cast as villains.” – Library Journal
"Fresh, fast-paced and fiendishly clever! If you love watching true crime and wonder about the psychopaths among us, this is the book for you! Never Saw Me Coming will have you never sleeping again." – Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Stick a bunch of devious psychopaths together and what could possibly go wrong? Find out in Never Saw Me Coming, a completely original, clever whodunit from a talented new arrival to the world of psychological suspense. Vera Kurian is one to watch!" – Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs.
"Vera Kurian has put together a powerful puzzle of a murder mystery, as impossible to solve as it is to put down. What starts as a delicious thriller becomes a fascinating investigation of amorality, vengeance, and redemption. A powder keg of a debut." – Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire and Mother Daughter Widow Wife
“Gripping! With a college campus setting, charming psychopaths, and a bitingly clever voice, Never Saw Me Coming is a dazzling debut from a bold new talent.” –Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Shape of Night
"Witty, acerbic and utterly compulsive, Never Saw Me Coming is a razor-sharp thriller with an irresistibly wicked central character. I couldn't tell if I was scared of, amused by, or attracted to Chloe Sevre. One thing’s for sure: I will never forget her." – Kia Abdullah, author of Take It Back
"Welcome to your new problematic fave. I fell in love with self-confessed psychopath Chloe on page one, and even as she plotted murder, found myself cheering her on. Perfect for fans of Caroline Kepnes and CJ Skuse." – Erin Kelly, bestselling author of Broadchurch, a novelization of the award-winning TV show
09/27/2021
Eighteen-year-old Chloe Sevre, the narrator of Kurian’s splendid debut, is a freshman at John Adams University in Washington, D.C. She’s delighted to be in “a busy city with a relatively high murder rate,” because she has a plan that she has been nurturing for six years: to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who cruelly hurt her and lives in D.C. Chloe is one of seven students diagnosed as psychopaths receiving free tuition in exchange for participating in the university’s Multimethod Psychopathy Panel Study. It’s overseen by an earnest psychology professor who believes that, with the right direction, psychopaths can lead productive lives. Then one of the subjects of the study is fatally stabbed, and shortly thereafter another participant dies horribly. Chloe and two other surviving students, including the son of the Virginia state chairman for the Republican National Committee, realize they could be the next victims and do their best to band together to find the killer. Excellent pacing, sprightly narrative voices, and judicious dabs of wry humor make this a highly entertaining tale. Kurian’s refreshingly different slant on psychopathy marks her as a writer to watch. Agent: Rebecca Scherer, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Sept.)
09/01/2021
DEBUT Chloe Sevre, a university student with clinical psychopathy, is one of seven students who have been recruited to participate in a psychological study, which takes up much of her time. When she's not checking in for mandated counseling, participating in psychological experiments, or completing random mood surveys, she's plotting. For six long years, she's waited to deliver vengeance. Now she's not only in the same city as the boy who raped her but at the very same school. Then two of the study participants are murdered. Suddenly, it's not just about the boy she wants to kill, but the hunter picking off members of her program one at a time. VERDICT Readers won't want to put down this fast and engaging debut novel, and they'll root for the characters who've been cast as villains; Chloe is a particular paradox, simultaneously deplorable and charming. Kurian seamlessly interweaves multiple perspectives, though there are enough different points of view to overwhelm some readers. Those with a strong sense of justice might also be turned off by the fact that Chloe's crimes go unpunished.—Vicki Briner, Broomfield, CO