Audiobook Thursday - STILL MISSING

First line: "You know, Doc, you're not the first shrink I've seen since I got back."

Annie O'Sullivan tells the story of her abduction and captivity through sessions with her psychologist. A realtor, Annie was hosting an open house when a man posing as an interested buyer, kidnapped Annie at gunpoint. He held her captive in a secluded cabin for a year before she escaped. Through her sessions with the psychologist she attempts to come to terms with what happened to her and how she can assimilate back into her normal life.

Chevy Stevens' debut novel made a lot of noise when it was released last year. It took me awhile but I finally was able to experience it for myself. She definitely set her bar high with Book 1. Stevens' choice to tell the story in first person and all through monologue of Annie talking to her psychologist brought out the mixture of anger, frustration and fear. It also works to take the reader out of his/her comfortable position as observer. STILL MISSING is a very powerful and uncomfortable read.

Another effect of Stevens' choice of narration is the 360 degree view that the reader sees of Annie. Then the flatter view of those around her heightens the good and bad of their characters. I think that really ramps up the emotion of the story.

The plot is well developed and tightly written. For the feint of heart, this might be a little challenging. Stevens doesn't coddle her reader; she's exploring an ugly subject and the events reflect that, but they never reach a gratuitous level.

There were a rare few oddities for me throughout STILL MISSING but nothing that deterred me from enjoying the experience of reading it. For those who are like me and a wee bit behind, let me recommend for you STILL MISSING. Chevy Stevens second novel is coming out in a few weeks and I'll definitely be following up with that one.

I listened to STILL MISSING on audio, narrated by Angela Dawe. This was my first experience with Dawe as a narrator and I think she did a splendid job. The style of the novel didn't challenge her with a lot of character voices but it was a highly emotional text. Dawes balanced the emotions of the novel expertly and enhanced the effect. STILL MISSING is a great book for audio.

STILL MISSING was produced for audio by Brilliance (ISBN: 978-1455838530) and is available in print from St. Martin's Press (hardcover ISBN: 978-031259567) and St. Martin's Griffin (trade paper ISBN:  978-0312573577).

You've the Right to Six Words - the Penultimate Week

Sorry for my short hiatus. Trying to get back on track here and get caught up with some reviews and research and other fun stuff. Bouchercon is right around the corner and then Muskego, so there is much to do, much to do. Let's start with the next to the last week of our six-word memoirs.

Our first author this week has a rather unique background. Graham Brown earned his degree in Aeronautical Science then he attended law school. He's been a pilot, a lawyer and part of a start up health care firm. And when he grew up, he became a writer! Graham has spent time all over the country. As a child, he moved around with his family, living in Illinois, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. He attended college in Arizona, spent some time in California and these days calls Arizona home once again.

Last year marked Graham's debut release with BLACK RAIN and the sequel BLACK SUN will be out on Tuesday. You can also find Graham blogging at the 7 Criminal Minds blog every other Wednesday. How did Graham boil down this eclectic resume?

Living a delusion, do not wake.

I think it may be a little more than a delusion, but however he's accomplishing his success, it's not broken, so no fixing necessary.

Next up is an author who has published novels, poetry and short stories; won the Bram Stoker and International Thriller Writers Awards; and has been nominated for the Edgar, World Fantasy Award and Le Grand Prix de L'Imaginaire. Tom Piccirilli has written both in the horror genre and the crime genre. Tom says his greatest pleasure in writing is "the satisfaction of having created something that is wholly my own and yet somehow manages to be a part of the overwhelming grandness of literature."

This past December, Tom released his most recent crime novel SHADOW SEASON about an ex-cop turned teacher at a girls' school. Due out next year is THE LAST KIND WORDS. You can also find Tom blogging regularly at The Cold Spot. Tom's hard at work in Colorado but took some time out to craft his memoir:

My noir heart beats in darkness.

Wow! Pretty powerful memoir.

Next we have a 2010 debut author who is making quite a stir with her New York Times bestselling novel, STILL MISSING about an abducted woman trying to piece her life back together. STILL MISSING was highlighted this past summer in both PEOPLE Magazine and Oprah's O Magazine. A native of Vancouver Island, Chevy Stevens spent most of her adult life working in sales. As a Realtor, Chevy would have down time between viewers at open houses and she would imagine terrifying scenarios of what could happen while she was there alone in the homes. One of these scenarios became the basis for STILL MISSING. Chevy has since left the reality business and is working on her second novel, NEVER KNOWING. When she isn't occupied with that daunting task (imagine following up such a success), she enjoys hiking with her husband and her dog. I have no doubt that a long career awaits Chevy, but at this point she's summing up life with:

They never could keep me quiet.

Chevy, make all the noise you want. Your fans are waiting and listening!

And anchoring this week's post is another woman who's graced the New York Times Bestseller List. Lisa Gardner is the author of 25 novels. Being an avid reader her entire life, she began her writing career in college when her first novel, a romance she worked on for three years, was published under the pen name Alicia Scott. Following publication, Lisa continued writing but also worked as a management consultant. Her disdain for her her consultant's job motivated her to continue writing, and she published a total of thirteen romance novels. It was after the thirteenth novel that Lisa felt a change was in order, so she tried her hand at suspense. The end result was THE PERFECT HUSBAND. THE PERFECT HUSBAND not only gave her the chance to kill off characters bearing the names of her slave-driving bosses, but it enabled her to give up the consultant's job and write full time. This summer Lisa published her twenty-fifth novel, LIVE TO TELL, the fourth book in her Detective D.D. Warren series.

These days Lisa can be found working in her New Hampshire loft office with a cat warming her lap and shelties protecting her feet. Her novels are often inspired by true crime, including school shootings in the U.S. and Ted Bundy. She researches her novels through interviews with professionals in law enforcement and regularly receives "assistance" from her daughter, Grace.

And to think, this career all started while Lisa was a waitress setting her hair on fair with a flaming appetizer. Hoping to save her hair she:

Read, Wrote. Murder and mayhem ensued.

We're all thankful that Lisa still has her hair and that murder and mayhem ensued. We have all benefited. My sincerest thanks to all of our memoirists this week. Four fantastic memoirs from four outstanding crime fiction writers. We'll have to work very hard next week to make a spectacle after this week's amazing contributions. Let's see what we can do. See you back here next week for the final installment of You've the Right to Six Words!

Happy Reading!


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