Thank you to NetGalley, Vera Kurian and Harlequin for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has such a unique premise and I adored it! The idea of having a bunch of psychopaths go to the same school for a doctor to do tests on and suddenly murders start happening to said psychopaths - who isn't interested?? I loved the characters and how different they were even though they are psychopaths and how interesting they were. They all were better at faking feelings and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It has the most surprising ending and I can't wait to see what Kurian's next novel is about!

Even though this is a serious subject, the author's sense of humor is wonderful! Aside from that, it's a great campus thriller with memorable characters. Charles was particularly interesting and gave me hope that those with personality disorders can be treated. This was an intelligent book that was a wild ride for me. I'm not particularly good at solving good mysteries, but then I really don't try to as I like to go along for the ride, so it was a surprise to me who the actual murderer was.
The sand filtration site was fascinating and I'd recommend looking up images to get a good sense of what it looks like.
I'm looking forward to future books by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

#NeverSawMeComing sucked me in right away and I devoured it. I really enjoyed the unique plot and short chapters. I wanted a little more from the ending but this is definitely my favorite #campusthriller book I’ve read so far!

There have been so many campus themed books this year that I’ve all campused out. I really love the premise of this but the execution didn’t really work for me.

What a truly refreshing thriller! Not your normal overdone plot. For me, this book was a little long but I loved being in chloe’s head! The story started off strong, but Ended up lagging a bit in the middle. Overall a well done thriller w a great main character. This one is a fun read for sure!

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian has an interesting premise. A university in DC has a program for diagnosed psychopaths to attend the school, tuition free, and in exchange take part in their research program. This requires wearing a tracking bracelet at all times and participating in numerous surveys at any given time. The participants are not allowed to know who else is in the program and this info is kept very confidential.
Chloe, a freshman, has been accepted into the program but has ulterior motives. She is there to get revenge on someone who wronged her when she was younger. She sets about trying to track this person's every move and come up with a plan to destroy him.
The story is also told from the perspective of Andre and Charles, two other participants in the program. Andre grew up in a working class family and desperately needed the scholarship. Charles is the rich kid whose dad is a politician. Everything comes easy to him. He has it made--perfect girlfriend, perfect life, etc. At least that is what he portrays.
When Andre finds another participant murdered in the Psych building and another murder soon follows, everyone is on edge. Is someone out to get the psychopaths? Or is there another motive? Andre, Chloe, and Charles are brought together due to these murders and figure out they are all in the program. They decide to figure out who the killer is.
The story started out one way (Chloe's desire to enact revenge) but soon went off on another storyline. The first part seemed to get lost. I did enjoy the story and it was an original plot. The characters were likeable even though they were psychopaths.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own. (3.5 stars)

I read the blurb of this book and it sounded right up my street as I love anything to do with true crime etc. On paper the premise works, actually in the book it doesn't work all that well. I felt the whole book was a drag, I actually struggled to finish it, I almost didn't at one point as it was almost painful. It was also really farfetched at the end when we discovered what was going on, which at that point I actually didn't care who or what was happening. I found the whole Will story just abruptly stopped after half a book of build-up. I also felt like it didn't know whether it wanted to be a thriller or a comedy. The saving grace for me was the character development, I started off thinking that all of the characters were really unlikeable but by the end they had actually started to grow on me, even though they were still rather questionable. I feel this could have been so much better than it actually was.

*Thanks to NetGalley, HARLEQUIN and Vera Kurian for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

Psychopaths are among us and we may never even know!
Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for my eARC for review!
The premise of Never Saw Me Coming explores this idea at a Washington DC university with a program to study such clinically-diagnosed students.
Chloe Sevre and six others are in the program, largely unaware of each other and their tendencies until one such student is murdered. Then another. Chloe has a goal set to kill Will Bachman - can she avoid her own murder before getting to Will?
Yup, this is quite a unique academia thriller! I probably should have enjoyed it more than I did, but that's on me as it took longer to read than usual. I was also more interested in Chloe's story than others so things felt a bit weighted down. But again, that's me!
I do still suggest reading it for an intriguing storyline and twists, and solid writing! Recommended!
Released on Sept. 7.

“There was no background music or camera zooming in. This was real life. In real life, we don’t get to edit out the painful parts.”
 
When I read the book description and saw that this book was about psychopaths being involved in a clinical trial at college with some murder thrown in…I was like yup, right up my alley!!
 
The book is told in 3rd person mainly from perspectives of Chloe, Charles and Andre. I absolutely loved all 3 of them. This story was extremely interesting and unique because the main character Chloe, along with others, are diagnosed psychopaths. A psychopath narrator? Loved it! The entire book you don’t know who or what to trust so it constantly keeps you guessing and on your toes. The title of this book is very fitting because I sure as hell didn’t see it coming. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I also love that the author is a psychologist.
 
⚠️TW: rape, serial killer, murder, death, mental illness⚠️
 
Thank you to Netgalley, Park Row Books and Vera Kurian for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sooooo so good!!! Unable to put down! I loved the fact that it’s narrated from the actual psychopath POV. There were so many cool aspects to this book that made it very unique. It takes the murder mystery trope and puts a whole new spin on it. From the beginning we know that Chloe is out to kill Will.. but the question throughout that kept nagging at me was whether or not she actually would!
I kept thinking that through Charles she would gain a little conscience… it was interesting to see how their diagnoses effected each of them differently as well!
Then there was that ending…!!! I’m not going to say much bc I don’t want to give it away but I was honestly not expecting anything that happens in the end!!!
Very good. Would definitely recommend!
Happy reading!!

The title is getting a lot of buzz in my library system. The premise is creative, but I had a difficult time getting through this one- I have an extremely difficult time reading books with unlikable main characters. However, I think that the patron base is there for this one, and I do think it will see high circulation through word-of-mouth. It wasn't for me, but I definitely know many people who I can recommend it to.

‘Never Saw Me Coming’ was a gripping, wild ride! Full of murdery goodness, thrills, suspense, and characters who are legit psychopaths, this book was unadulterated fun and perfect for fall.

Never Saw Me Coming
by Vera Kurian
Pub date: Sept.7, 2021
Park Row

Wow! I was drawn to this book because of my interest in psychology. It is rare to read about the main character who happens to be a psychopath, but it is extremely difficult to find a book with many psychopaths represented, all in one story, all together hanging around, making jokes and just simply being themselves.

The overall story is unique and entertaining. I think those interested in psychology and glimpsing inside the mind of people who think completely differently will find this fascinating.
The ending was unsatisfying for me. I would have trouble recommending the book.
Thanks to Park Row and Netgalley for the ARC.
3.5 stars

This is a story about trust.

This started out so strong! I loved the characters & the characterization of their presentation. Unfortunately, the end took it down a notch- but overall still a fairly good psychological thriller!

3.5 rounded to 4.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Harlequin for this eArc!

This is hands down a page turning thriller. Set as a new college year begins, Chloe Sevre is embarking on her first year at John Adam University. She’s there to study, but also be studied. She’s part of a program ran by renown psychiatrist Leonard Wyman, who’s trying to change how study how people perceive and eventually how Psychopaths think, so that they don’t act on their irrational thoughts (anger) and cause harm. He truly believes that intervention is key. And Chloe is not alone on this program, there are other participants.

But Chloe isn’t there purely for the program no, she has an alteria motive on her mind, in the shape of Will Bachman. They have history and Chloe isn’t finished with him yet. And she giving herself a timeline of 60 days to achieve what she believes to be the outcome she desires.

Now, I said theres other participants – Charles and Andre, Chloe doesn’t just bump into them in class though. They aren’t meant to meet, they are meant to conduct their part in the studies alone. But when a murder occurs in their department and Andre finds the body, it soon become clear that some one else is studying them too. Chloe get tagged in on instagram on photos of places she has just been, Charles gets an intruder, so Charles, Chloe and Andre team up – but are not trusting of each other so each one try to battle over the others at the same time. And Andre is there, not because he’s a psychopath, but because he’s pretending to be one! All this makes for a twisted thriller of extreme plotting.

Never Saw Me Coming will keep you guessing and not till the very last page is turned and you remember to breathe, will you realise you’ve been holding your breath.

What if a college psychology program wanted to study psychopaths so much, they gave them scholarships? Never Saw Me Coming imagines this scenario and honestly, it doesn’t seem so far fetched. For anyone who ever took freshman psychology and had to submit to random “studies” during the semester just for class credit wouldn’t. Sure, they were mostly hokey experiments designed by psych graduate students, but it definitely makes you think.

The good news is that it doesn’t appear that all psychopaths actually murder people, they just lack any type of remorse or regret for their actions. And if you’ve even been so mad at someone that you could just “kill them.” Well…

Never Saw Me Coming has it all. Loveable (if psychotic characters), an interesting plot, characters (aka frat boys) that you kind of don’t want to see survive and at the heart of it all, mystery. It actually reminded me slightly of American Psycho, the college years, as told by Patrick Bateman’s female double. It’s a must read!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one released on September 7, 2021

4.5 Stars!

This book is a great slow burn thriller with such a unique twist: the people you’re rooting for are all psychopaths - literally. They’ve got the diagnosis the prove it, and they each have the “quirks” I guess you could call them and plans that match, like Chloe’s obsession with revenge on Will Bachman. I think this setup just automatically make the book exciting from the get-go. I mean, not only are psychopaths traditionally the “bad guys,” but in this book, there is a bad guy, and now we’ve got a book of psychopaths to wade through to find the killer.

And this one really is exciting as it roars to its conclusion. When you get to the end, it really smacks you right in the face with the solution and you’re just turning pages frantically waiting to see how it all turns out! And wow, it’s a great twist and I loved it. It’s rally clever and I commend the author.

You can also tell that the author has a background in psychology because she is able to really draw out great characters and dig into their personalities and paint them as more than their diagnoses. They are whole characters, not just caricatures.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I look forward to more from this author!

Hmm, do I want to read a book about seven students with psychopathic traits attending the same college because they're in a clinical study, and one winds up dead? And then another? You bet.

Despite having been sold on the premise, I had a hard time getting into Never Saw Me Coming -- it took until maybe the 20% mark for me to find my groove, and it was at the 80% mark when I wanted to sneak-read at my desk. Overall this one did deliver the juicy, suspenseful vibes I was looking for (it just took me a minute to get there).

Never Saw Me Coming is author Vera Kurian's debut. Kurian has a doctorate in social psychology and is the sort of nerd who's posting 10 behind-the-scenes blog posts about the book (read: very much my sort of person). I look forward to whatever she writes next!

Vera Kurian's Never Saw Me Coming hooked me from the introduction! A group of students receives a full-ride to John Adams University in exchange for being subjects of a psychological experimental group for diagnosed psychopaths. You would think this alone would be cause for alarm, but then someone starts hunting them down, killing them in bizarre and twisted ways. Is it one of their own, or is someone else trying to end this experimental group for good? I enjoyed the twists and turns throughout the novel, and I also really liked how each character struggled with protecting themselves while also forging alliances yet still not trusting one another. It was fascinating to read as they second-guessed each other, and even sometimes themselves, while trying to figure out who was behind the gruesome murders. Each character was distinctly different yet very similar in some ways. Kurian also paid careful attention to point out repeatedly the distinction that a diagnosis of psychopathy doesn't necessarily mean someone is dangerous -- that a small population become a danger to society while others lead healthy and functional lives, especially with the help of therapeutic intervention. Overall this was such a unique story and I was truly captivated throughout.

Let's start by saying RIP to Dave Thomas Circle 😭😭 as a newish resident of Maryland I absolutely ADORE reading books set in the DMV area. This novel did NOT disappoint.


Chloe and 6 other students are a part of a student study focusing on psychopathy. All is well in Chloe Sevre's world as she works toward her own means to an end. Until...not one but two students are found murdered on campus. An unlikely (or are they?) trio work together to solve these crimes like only psychopaths would...to save their own behinds.

This title Never Saw Me Coming by @verakurianauthor was literally just that! The writing was impeccable, the POV changes kept me guessing and the characters were about as likeable as you can imagine a psychopath would be.

I give this a 5/5 for sure. Go buy it!