This was the psychological thriller I needed in my life. Dr. Leonard Wyman leads a special program at John Adams University in DC studying Psychopathology. All is well until some of the students participating in the program are found killed. Chloe and two other participants take it upon themselves to figure out who is killing off the participants in this program…
This was such an interesting premise. I had not read or heard of a book with such a plot before, and for someone who has always been interested in psychology, minored in psychology and took abnormal psychology in university, this book was right up my alley. I enjoyed the idea that the program was created to show that psychopathology does not automatically equate to a criminal/murderer. It makes for a very interesting theory and thesis.
It was a very gripping story with other side plots/stories which in the scheme of things felt a little random but I also could see why the subplot existed. I think it was used to explain what might have triggered Chloe in becoming a psychopath. However, it did feel like the book was a little long and a bit random because of this subplot and that connection was never made. I would have liked it better if the connection had been explicit in the book.
I enjoyed the various point of views and it helped to really understand the thoughts of a psychopath - the psychological term, not the term that criminal tv shows and movies have created. I enjoyed the interactions and the character building throughout the book as well.
Even though at one point I had pointed fingers at literally everyone, and no one at that point would have surprised me as being the killer, it definitely kept me questioning and I love a good whodunit story. I stayed up quite late to read this book and get to the end as I was so curious about it!

Thank you to the author, publishing company and NetGalley for this electronic review copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the arc

This is probably one of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a LONG time, especially because there was a lot of humor peppered without. I actually like Chloe even though she was crazy!

LOVED THIS ONE

This has to be one of the most interesting books I have read in recent memory.
Not only did it have twists and turns, and a feeling of foreboding, but it has one of the most anti-heroine protagonists I’ve ever “met.”
It’s quite the strange feeling to know that a character really isn’t nice and is in fact a diagnosed psychopath bent on revenge…and still root for her.
That’s the genius of Chloe. We know from the beginning that she is no good as she tells us right off what her plans are. But then the plot continues, and things get more involved, you can’t help but root for her.
So weird.
Anyway, that’s another remarkable aspect of this book. I mean, where else does a murder plot take second and third fiddle to the plight of a group of psychopaths?
I’m probably not doing a good job of talking this book up, but it’s difficult because I loved experiencing it on my own, without thinking about what other people thought. And I want others to have this experience.
That being said, there’s a lot that goes on that I can’t even begin to relate accurately because the plot is twisted. It’s part cat and mouse, part revenge, part college-life…and all of the parts work together to make one page-turner of a plot.
I thought that the interactions between Andre, Charles, and Chloe were intriguing because they all approached the issues from different perspectives and with varying amounts of fervor.
I also found Andre to be an interesting character. I don’t want to give anything away, but in some ways, I think he was possibly the most psychopathic of all. But I can’t say why. And I wish the author had done a little bit more with his character.
I did think there were a few missed moments, such as the Halloween party. The catalyst for the major twist came late in the story and felt very rushed. I would have loved a bit more detail and more hints about it earlier on. And I’m not quite sure about the end. It felt abrupt.
Regardless, the book still held me enthralled, and I would certainly recommend it. Just be prepared to root for someone who you probably should be rooting against.

This was a quick, breezy read full of suspense. It was a little difficult to care about most of the characters though because... well, they don't care. They behave a bit inconsistently, but that seems to be part of the psychopath premise. The best part was that I didn't see the ending coming-- always important for a mystery!

I wish someone would commission me to write a full review about this! Never Saw Me Coming is a riveting debut psychological thriller with a new twist on dark academia. The thing that sets this novel apart is that in addition to being a talented writer with a distinctive voice, its author Vera Kurian is a scientist with a Phd in social psychology. She begins with an outstanding premise and executes on it with finesse that keeps the pages turning effortlessly and depth. Chloe is a freshman honor student who likes yogalates, frat parties and plotting to kill a childhood friend who did her wrong. She’s one of seven college students in a campus based study of psychopaths, people who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. When one of them turns up dead, they all become potential targets in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

An exciting read that had me on the edge of my seat. Incredibly well-written with chapters from the point of view of different characters. You get a good insight into a character's mind and what they think of others, as well as being able to see as the reader where their assumptions about others are incorrect. An excellent book to be reading at the same time as a friend so you can discuss your theories and a really good book for anyone wanting something that will get them back into reading.

Dark academia is one of the best genres ever, and "Never Saw Me Coming" fits nicely into that world. The plot is a bit wild -- a campus program that focuses only on psychopaths -- but overall, it was a fun and twisty book that kept my attention. Parts of it were a little unbelievable and most of the characters were unlikable (I mean, we're talking about psychopaths here) but overall it was a fun read.

Never Saw Me Coming is SO aptly named! I love a murder mystery with a villain I never considered. Vera Kurian is definitely a writer now on my radar; her own experience lent such realistic details to the story, giving it a depth unlike many others of its ilk. A college program for psychopaths and a serial killer, which could be scarier? The answer created a fantastic thriller.

With such a cool premise, this story could really have gone places. Sadly, it did not and I was left disappointed.

I came into this novel expecting it to be dark and evil. Instead, this novel read more like a YA story to me. The immature tone took me aback because I was expecting our MC to be less of a girly-girl and more dangerous. However, I got used to it and it did bring some hilarity to the story.

The author chose to tell this story from multiple perspectives. In my opinion, that was a mistake. I didn’t really care for the voices of the other characters because they just weren’t as interesting as Chloe. Since the entire story was about finding out who the mystery killer was, giving other characters their own chapters meant that the readers’ suspect list was shortened and it became easier to guess the identity of the killer.

The only character I really wanted to know more about was Chloe. Sure, Charlie and Andre had some interesting elements to them – but they paled in comparison to what Chloe could bring to the table. Sadly, I didn’t feel satisfied with Chloe’s psychopathic ways. I wanted her to be even smarter, even more ruthless than how she was depicted here.

There are 2 different plot lines going on in this story. I was more invested in the revenge plot that Chloe had than the murder plot that took over the story. Neither one had much tension, and I was disappointed with both of them.

Ultimately, this book failed on multiple levels. It was easy to read but didn’t keep me interested and the resolution of conflict was disappointing. Sadly, I’m giving this 1/5 stars.

I found this book to be well written and the idea of having a group of young, psychopaths attend college with a free ride in exchange for being studied by the psychology department drew me in. At the same time I had trouble keeping my focus on it. I found the characters to be unlikeable and flat but since they were supposed to be psychopaths it would be odd if they were too likable. The plot was twisty which made up for the flat characters.

Thank you to the Netgalley gods for this e-ARC. I was not paid for this review nor otherwise compensated, and it contains my thoughts and mine alone.

<i>Never Saw Me Coming</i> is a thrilling story following three college students during the fall of their freshman and junior years. Only, all three of our protagonists have been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder... they're psychopaths participating in a study on the minds and emotions of psychopaths in exchange for a free education. And while the team running the study has done their best to ensure that the participants never run into one another for their own discretion, someone has begun <i>hunting</i> the participants, and it's up to Chloe, Andre and Charles to figure out who it is and put a stop to the murder spree. But with their own motives and serious lack of trust in one another, it seems they won't unmask this hunter before it's too late.

I'm notorious for guessing the end of novels, movies, TV shows, etc. We all know one of those people. I know, <i>I know</i> it's infuriating, but we just can't help it! It's like a fun game. But what's more fun is when an author (or director or screen writer) writes so masterfully that they lead you down all sorts of rabbit holes to dilute your certainty. Vera Kurian does an incredible job of ensuring you truly do not know what is going to happen until it's already happening. Kurian also does a fantastic job of painting an understandable, digestible narrative to a group of neurodivergent folk outside of my realm of understanding. While I've never (outwardly) known someone diagnosed with ASPD, and I can't say for certain that Kurian does justice to folks who live with ASPD, the author's take is nonetheless intriguing, well thought out and appears comprehensive. While I did have some small dislikes in regard to verbiage or phrasing, that's more so personal stance than a critique of a writer who clearly did their research and brought their best to the plate.

I would recommend this novel. Period. Doesn't matter who you are or what you read, although if you're not a general fan of YA/NA novels I might ask that you keep an open mind! Otherwise, this novel does a pretty fantastic job of including genres, audiences and keeping readers hooked.

This book reminded me of Veronica Mars if Veronica were a psychopath who is trying to solve a murder while plotting a murder herself. I enjoyed this book because of the dark humor and the premise of a bunch of college-aged psychopaths working together, but the thriller aspect fell a little flat for me. I never felt like I was on the edge of my seat, it was more like, oh, someone's getting stabbed, hmm. I think you will like this if you like teen horror movies/books such as Teaching Mrs. Tingle, The Craft, or Scream.

This was just a lot of fun. I could easily see this as a mini series. A bunch of college age sociopaths trying to solve a crime? Yes, please! I thought they all had very distinct personalities and traits which I felt could have been a downfall of the book but wasn't. I'd totally read a sequel, it just really worked and I loved the non-sociopath guy and the idea that the one guy told his girlfriend he was one and she didn't care. I want a book about her!

Never Saw Me Coming, whoa! Loved this one! It was compulsively readable, I didn't want to stop because I needed to know what was going on and who was responsible. The premise was really exciting, a bunch of psychopathic students in a study and they start being killed one by one. However, this was just a bit of what was happening in this book, there were so many side stories but all were equally as engaging and I read on to find on waiting to see how they played out and if they were interconnected. Overall, a really great read, thank you for giving me the opportunity!

A delightful & wicked read that-- dare I say it?-- has taken The Secret History's place as my new favorite campus novel.

Definite YA vibes for this one but I’m sure the setting and main characters’ ages played a big part in that.

This story had a fantastic premise and pretty interesting characters, but it attempts too much and, in doing so, loses focus. There are some twists and the big reveal but they weren’t exceptionally satisfying, just ok. This had more potential but that’s not a bad thing for an author’s debut (at least as how I see it).

All in all, this was highly readable and I did enjoy it. I will look out for the next by this author and would recommend this one to a younger audience who isn’t an avid thriller/mystery genre junky.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and HARLEQUIN -Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for a copy in exchange for a review.

Chloe is attending Adams University for free. She and six others have been enrolled in a secret program to help them become productive members of society. They have been diagnosed as psychopaths. Chloe has gone to this college where Will is going. Will did something unspeakable to Chloe and she is determined to get even. When she arrives at the University, she signs in to her program and gets a special watch that can get them information that may give them that she is experiencing an emotion. When a student is found dead in the psychology building, a dangerous game may be starting. Who killed the student. Was it one of the psychopaths in the study or someone else? The next day another student is murdered. Will Chloe and her “friends” be able to find out before they are killed?

The suspense runs throughout this novel. I couldn’t stop reading the book. There were twists and turns in the story some misdirected me. This novel is not what I would consider just as a mystery but also a thriller. It is well written. I recommend this novel to anyone with an interest of psychopaths and/or a thrilling mystery.

Never Saw Me Coming takes place at John Adams University, a college with a special program devoted to studying psychopaths. When someone begins murdering the subjects involved in the study, Chloe Sevre, one of the psychopaths, becomes determined to track down the killer.

This book was a really fun, original thriller. It started a little bit slow for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. The psychopath angle led to some really interesting characters and lots of suspects.

One school.
Seven psychopaths.
One murder.
Have fun!! LOL
This is a wonderfully original novel.
I’ll be looking for Vera Kurian’s next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great 'popcorn read!'

SUPER QUICK and sucked me into the plot almost right away. Books set in a school or university just jive with my vibe (yes, I did type that on purpose. Just go with it).