Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. 4.25 stars rounded down.

I really enjoyed this book! Despite what many others are saying, I actually found this to be a quick read. I really enjoyed the story line and the suspense. I feel like the middle got a bit repetitive, but I enjoyed the ending and how it wrapped up.

first off a big thank you to the publisher for the invite to read The Hitchhikers as well as introducing to me the author Chevy Stevens because I might not have picked it up otherwise but I'm so glad I did , Even though it was a bit slow , I'm actually glad it was because it helped with the set of the story and even with the atmosphere of the book because it give it the vibes some what of the old Suspense stories you would get from the 70s though the 80s . And because of that I will definitely be looking into more books of this author .

It's 1976, and Alice and Tom have bought a Winnebago and decided to take it along Canadian highways. Along the way, they meet a young couple hitchhiking. They decide to help them out and share their RV space. What they don't know is that the couple Ocean and Blue are actually wanted for murder.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens will forever be one of my favorites. I have read everything she's written since, and nothing has lived up to what that book was.

This had action but, for some reason, it felt slow moving. Some good twists, and I did like the way it ended. It just felt like much of the same throughout.

Disappointing. It took me forever to finish this book because it dragged and I didn’t feel a connection to the characters. This author’s other books are so hard to put down but this one fell flat for me. The ending was predictable too.

I watch a lot of true crime and this book gives off those vibes. It has a lot of violence in it. But it isn't too gruesome.I liked the book. I think that it was a little too much detail but it's not a bad thing it just made the book a little long.

3.5 star rounded up.

This was a good story. Chevy Stevens always does a great job wrapping up a novel that leaves you thinking about it for a few days after finishing.
This one felt a lot longer than necessary and repetitive at times. It took me a lot longer to finish this book simply because I felt like the story was dragging a bit, especially in the middle. Aside from those things, I really enjoyed this tense story.

Chevy Stevens does it again!
It's 1975 and Tom and Alice are on a roadtrip from Seattle to Montreal in their new RV to attend the Olympics. Along the way, they pick up a young couple looking for a ride to the next town in British Columbia. Only Ocean and blue are not at all as they appear or who they claim to be.

Told from both Alice's and Jenny's pov, gives a great build up and understanding of the characters in this book. As much as the bad Simon and Jenny cause, I still felt a little sad for them for the cards life threw at them.

It had all the suspense and tension I would expect from Chevy Stevens. It is non-stop fast paced right to the very end.
Being a fellow Canadian, I especially enjoyed the visual descriptions of driving the Trans Canada highway from B.C. into Alberta, a part of Canada I have yet to visit.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!
4.5⭐️

The Hitchhiker's was an interesting read it dragged at times but all in all it was worth reading. The story was good and I came to care about some of the characters while forming dislike for others. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher and author for this read.

I am struggling with this one. Objectively, when I think back on the book as a whole, it was a pretty good book. We got to know the characters well. We got a decently laid out plot and execution.

However, this was one of the slowest books I have read in a long time. I found myself very disinterested in it almost all the way through. The last twenty-five percent or so kept my attention, but it was also a little too out there for me.

I have a read one or two other books from this author, I think. I am not sure that I would seek out other books from him, but I wouldn't avoid them either.

Overall, this book was okay. There was nothing overly great that would make me want to recommend it. (I wouldn't not recommend it either.)

This is book #7 that I’ve read by Chevy Stevens and I am a HUGE fan!!!! The Hitchhikers start out in 1976. I loved Ocean and Blue, a very young couple who happened to run into Tom and Alice who were staying at a RV park. Then Tom and Alice see that 2 young kids are “wanted” for murder. Things start to happen and it’s quite the whirlwind that kept me reading late into the night! I loved all the 70’s vibes since I was a teenager myself then. 8 track tapes, wax lips, Simon & Garfunkel, Wrigley Gum, Pop Rocks, Smarties, Freshen-Up (my absolute favorite) … wow what a thriller this was with a great twist at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my early review. To be published October 2025.

Alice’s choices were often frustrating, and the story was repetitive at times, but overall a good read! Suspenseful, tense, occasionally violent and at times sad. I didn’t want to put it down!

I mostly enjoyed this book, but also found it to be somewhat repetitive. It centers on Tom and Alice, who take a road trip in Western Canada after suffering a personal loss. They meet 2 young hitchhikers and agree to take them to the next town, but then realize that the new arrivals, Simon and Jenny, are not all they seem. The rest of the book focuses on Tom and Alice trying to find a way out of an increasingly bleak situation. The book takes place in the mid 1970s and is told in alternating POVs between Jenny and Alice, both who are complex and believable characters.

The tension in the book is high, and stays high the whole time, but there was a time where I felt it just got repetitive. The characters had similar conversations and thoughts over multiple chapters and I felt that it could have been edited further for maximum action. I especially enjoyed the glimpse into Jenny's life, which makes her a surprisingly empathetic character even through all that is happening. I had a guess on how the ending was going to turn out, and I was pretty much spot-on; though things were tied up perhaps a little too cleanly, I enjoyed it.

Overall, this is not my favorite from this author but I did think it was a good read. Thanks to Negalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I loved the perfectly captured 70's vibe from my childhood, including The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank, which was just EVERYWHERE, the clothing, and the subtle modesty. The loved the way Chevy Stevens showed us things rather than told us. She is a master storyteller.

The way the violence and drama amped up slowly made me realize I was holding my breath, waiting to see what Simon would do next. This book is brilliant. That twist? Yassssss.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

THE HITCHHIKERS by Chevy Stevens
⭐️ rating: 7.5/10

read if you like:
🔪 killers on the run
🚙 road trips
👁️‍🗨️ hostage situations

summary:
If you want a book that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, this is it. It follows Alice and Tom, a couple from Canada who buy an RV and hit the open road. At their very first stop, they meet Ocean and Blue—two seemingly harmless young runaways. But it quickly becomes clear that Ocean and Blue aren’t who they say they are. They’re actually Simon and Jenny, a pair of fugitives wanted for multiple murders.

Suddenly, Alice and Tom find themselves taken hostage, trapped in their RV with no way to escape. As they drive deeper into the Canadian wilderness, secrets unravel, emotions run high, and bodies start piling up. With no clear destination and danger around every turn, the question becomes: who will survive—and at what cost?

This book moves at a breakneck pace and keeps your adrenaline pumping. The characters are what make it so compelling—each with their own arc, flaws, and turning points. Simon is chillingly cruel, while Alice emerges as the true heroine, holding everything together in impossible circumstances. She navigates grief, fear, and the moral weight of survival with a quiet strength that anchors the story.

The entire novel is a tense cat-and-mouse game, filled with moments that will make you gasp, cringe, and want to scream. If books that feature frustrating decisions aren’t your thing, be warned—there are definitely some here. But they’re intentional and serve the emotional intensity of the story.

The writing is sharp, dramatic, and surprisingly heartfelt. The ending delivers a mix of angst, heartbreak, and relief. While it may not be a shock twist, it wraps things up in a satisfying, emotionally resonant way.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Don’t miss this one when it releases on October 7!

Loved this book! It took place in the 70’s which is a fav of mine. I felt like I was in the race of my life. Thrilling !

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. The Hitchhikers was hard for me to put down. It was twisty, terrifying and heartbreaking and was easily 5 stars!

The Hitchhikers is a thrilling twisty turntable novel that keeps you guessing. It takes one terrible decision to the next to new heights leaving you wondering if anyone will make it out alive. Although done scenarios seem unlikely it’s a very satisfying read and the twist at the end was just wow . I did not see that coming. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend.

This is my first Chevy Stevens and it won’t be my last! While the characters were a bit flawed for me and made some dumb decisions, I found the overall plot to move along nicely and kept me interested! The suspense had me on my toes for a lot of this book and I couldn’t put it down wanting to know what happened next! Definitely an enjoyable and thrilling book! I will be purchasing a copy when it comes out for my shelf

This book was good but I found many scenes difficult to read. Perhaps I need to choose lighter reads for summer :). This definitely doesn’t change the fact that the story and writing were very good.

A chilling thriller from literary giant Chevy Stevens, The Hitchhikers, makes you wonder how much you should help others?
It is 1969 and Tom and Alice have set out on an RV trip though the Canadian wilderness. They need to reconnect after a tragedy that has left Alice depressed and withdrawn. The hope is to heal their fractured marriage while camping and seeing beautiful scenery. Along the way they meet two hitchhikers, Ocean and Blue, a young couple who seem innocent and lost. Tom invites them to travel with him and Alice to the next big town. The young couple aren’t what they seem. While in a store getting supplies, Alice sees a newspaper with the couple on the front page. They are actually, Jenny and Simon and are on the run for murdering Jenny’s parents.
This leads to an adrenaline filled roundtrip of survival and violence. Ms. Stevens does a great job with the back story and characters that allows you to feel their pain and angst and understand where they came from and how they got here. There were a few times I didn’t understand why Tom and Alice didn’t do more to try and get a away. The ending has a shocking moment I didn’t see coming.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat with the tension and danger. Note: There are a few graphic violence scenes that are hard to read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced digital copy