The Hitchhikers is a tense, slow burn psychological thriller that hooks you with its eerie ’70s road trip vibe and complex characters. Chevy Stevens masterfully builds suspense through the perspectives of Alice and Jenny, two very different women thrown together under terrifying circumstances. The story explores grief, trust, and survival as the couple’s attempt to heal is shattered by the dangerous hitchhikers they pick up.

The pacing takes time to simmer, but when the tension finally explodes, it delivers gut punch moments and twists that keep you turning pages. The vivid period details mix tapes, Pop Rocks, and isolated highways—make the setting feel immersive and authentic. While some character decisions can be frustrating, the emotional depth and suspense make this a compelling read.

A Gritty, Tense Thriller That Hooks You from the First Mile!

Chevy Stevens does it again with The Hitchhikers—a chilling, slow-burn thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. The story unfolds with eerie precision, beginning with a seemingly simple act of kindness: picking up a hitchhiker. From there, it spirals into a gripping web of danger, psychological tension, and emotional reckoning.

What I love about Stevens’ writing is how she blends suspense with deeply layered characters, and this book is no exception. The characters are flawed, raw, and utterly believable, and their journey—both literal and emotional—had me completely invested. The pacing is perfectly executed: tight in all the right places, with just enough breathing room to make the tension feel real.

There are moments that genuinely chilled me, not just from fear, but from the moral weight of the choices made along the way. It’s not just about what happens—it’s about why, and Stevens never lets you off the hook emotionally. The twists are sharp but never gimmicky, and the final act? Absolutely unforgettable.

If you love dark, emotionally complex thrillers that feel like a punch to the gut and a thrill ride all in one, The Hitchhikers deserves a top spot on your shelf.

No spoilers with my review! Well done! Five glorious stars!

DNF. Thank you for the opportunity but this wasn’t my type of book.. I hope others will enjoy reading this and I thank you again for the chance to read- I hope to work with this publisher again in the future

Chevy Stevens delivers another page-turner with her latest book! The plot hooks you from the start, and the suspense builds at a steady pace. While it might feel a little slow in some spots, it’s totally worth it once things start picking up. The characters are well-developed and keep you invested in what happens next.

Thank you to @st.Martinspress and Netgalley for my #gifted copy.

Excellently twisted and tense, The Hitchhikers kept me racing to see what was going to happen next. It was always something wild and heartbreaking. I was rolling between heartbreak, rage, and hope reading this. We follow Alice and Tom on their RV road trip, trying to reconnect after life had given them some difficult situations. They decide to offer a ride two young hitchhikers, things get bad. The tension of this and the situations, I kept trying to put myself in Alices place. Would I have done the same things? How would I act? How do you get yourself out of this, what risks are worth taking. It's terrifying to think you're out of your home country, not knowing where a lot is, and then you have two people that are awful, holding you in your RV. The situations go from bad to worse, to unimageable. I couldn't get enough.

Wow what can I say. This book was twisty, exciting and a quick read. It’s fast paced and a book I couldn’t put down.

I did really enjoy this read. Just as a warning there is much violence in this one so just check trigger waning and buckle up. I kept my attention throughout, and the ending was an emotional one. Thank you to NetGalley, author Chevy Stevens and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
4 Star

The Hitchhikers is probably my favorite Chevy Stevens novel so far.

The book starts out strong and doesn't let up. It is super character-driven, with all the characters being well-developed. I will say some of the decisions that were made by the characters stressed me out, because come on, be smarter. The ending was also satisfying.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and think that it will make a great spooky season read!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

An enjoyable and fast paced thriller. While the characters were just as you’d expect, the plot and tension kept me entertained. At times I felt claustrophobic myself! I enjoyed the ending which is often where thrillers fall flat for me. I would recommend this one!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC—this book absolutely wrecked me in the best way.

The Hitchhikers is not your average road trip thriller. It’s a psychological descent into the darkest corners of grief, desperation, and human cruelty—with Chevy Stevens behind the wheel, and no brakes in sight. I thought I was prepared going in. I was wrong.

This isn’t a story that slowly simmers—it boils, it burns, and it makes you question everything you thought you knew about good and evil. There were times I had to physically set the book down to catch my breath. The tension is that intense.

Alice and Tom’s heartbreak feels like a living thing, something heavy and raw you carry with you the entire ride. But it’s Simon and Jenny that turn this into something lethal. Stevens crafts characters who are so well layered, you’re constantly shifting between fear, pity, and pure dread. And the way she flips your expectations? Diabolical. You think you know who to root for—until you don’t.

By the final chapters, I was wide-eyed, jaw dropped, and whispering “holy smokes” like a prayer. The twists hit hard, but it’s the emotional unraveling that stuck with me. This is not just a thriller—it’s a gut punch.

If you like your suspense dark, brutal, and soul-twisting, do not sleep on this book.

Oh Chevy Stevens, I have been waiting for you to release a new book. You had me hooked with STILL MISSING and I want more! The Hitchhiker probably would have been amazing if written by any other author, but I have unrealistically high standards for Ms. Steven’s. The book was okay. I hate to say that…but just okay. I’m glad I read it and I enjoyed it, but it is not one that I’m going to remember forever.
Alice and Tom are camping when they come across to younger adults named: Ocean and Blue. Obviously made up. Alice and Tom think nothing of it until Alice comes across a news article about 2 individuals on the run wanted for murder named Simon and Jenny. Could these be the same hitchhikers they just picked up?

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC so I could enjoy before the public.

Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my copy—opinions are all mine, of course! 🙌
This twisty thriller is a wild ride through the 70s. It follows a married couple road-tripping in their RV to escape a painful past… but things take a dark turn when they cross paths with another seemingly sweet couple carrying their own baggage.
It’s gritty, and violent, but it’s totally gripping. If you like your thrillers with twists and mayhem, this one delivers. I’ve read some of Chevy Stevens’ earlier work, and this reminded me why I was hooked—might need to go back and catch up on the ones I missed!

While not as good as some of her others this was still a good read. Maybe a tad dingy of a MC tho. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review

I have read every single Chevy Stevens book. I have loved them all. I didn’t love this one and I’m sad about it. It’s been a long time since she’s had a book out and I knew Hitchhikers would deliver. This wasn’t for me. I appreciate the ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

I am so sorry to say it just wasn’t what I’ve come to expect. I highly encourage other readers to read it for themselves.

I absolutely loved Never Let You Go, gave it five stars and still recommend it all the time. Chevy Stevens is a talented writer, but The Hitchhikers just didn’t work for me. The pacing dragged, the characters felt flat, and I never felt truly invested in the story. It had a promising setup, but the suspense and twists fell flat.

Not my cup of tea, but I’m still a fan of her earlier work.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read this author’s previous books and really enjoy them. She writes great thrillers that often scare the daylights out of me. I could tell this one would do the same thing. Unfortunately I think the timing is just off with me and I couldn’t/wouldn’t read this one. I am sure it’s a great book, I was just not in the mood for a kidnapping/murder suspect book.

I will try to read this again after it’s published. Technically I wouldn’t rate the book since I didn’t finish it, but NetGalley makes me put a star rating even though it was a DNF. Rating it a 3 as I’m sure it’s a good book but I didn’t finish.

The Hitchhikers is a fast paced, heart pounding, thriller. I really enjoyed the 70’s setting in Canada and I thought the author did a great job telling the characters backstory. I also liked the moments of suspense and the twists absolutely blindsided me. However, the many instances of graphic violence and abuse threw me off. I felt that a lot of this could be removed and would have made a more compelling story.

Thanks for the ARC copy.

I really liked the tension in this book. The characters and settings were easy to follow. I wanted some more thrill for sure. I did predict the ending.
Just not a favorite by this author. Dark, tense and fast paced overall.

3.5This has a solid plot concept and it was easy to keep turning the pages. That said, it took me quite awhile to get through it, and I kept wanting it to move on...

I loved the landscape vacation journey of Canada where Alice and her husband have taken their new RV to transit through the beautiful scenery. During their time, they notice a young couple hitchhiking and decide that they should help them out with a ride. What starts off as an innocent good deed quickly leads to problems.

There were multiple times in the book that I was thoroughly annoyed at the decisions of the characters when it was so obvious to me as the reader that if they only did it "this way," things would resolve.

The ending wrapped up with a surprising satisfaction.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-arc.

I'm in the minority here -- this just didn't work for me. It could have been edited down 100 pages and remained the same book. I got no sense of it being 1976 -- having lived through that time, this wasn't it. I didn't get suspense, wasn't thrilled and really didn't read any twists. The characters were one-dimensional and the Canadian setting didn't add much to the plot. The positive? I liked the cover.

If you want wanton violence, this book is for you. It has that in spades.

Will I read more from the author? Probably not.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and my review is being left freely.