This mystery was really good and I was kept on my toes the whole time, never guessing who the culprit was. I had many guesses along the way and I kept vacillating, but I never got it right. I did come close towards the end though.

Dr. Leonard Wyman heads a program at John Adams University for psychopaths, and people diagnosed with psychopathy have antisocial behavior, lack or empathy and remorse, and they tend to be very manipulative and liars. So when various students in the program became suspects, it was super difficult (if not impossible) to sort out who might be lying, who was telling the truth, and who was embellishing the truth, so it was what kept me guessing the whole time.

I liked all of the main characters in the story, partly because I realized they had a mental illness so that "excused" some of the things they did. I found it interesting how well they not only understood each other, but how they also were able to be manipulated themselves.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.

#NeverSawMeComing #NetGalley

This one was awesome! I loved the unreliable narrator but I mean they are all psychopaths so even if they were not unreliable, could we really trust them? This seems to be a trend in thriller is these days. Additionally, I loved the academic setting, Fall always reminds me of back school so I was drawn to this academia thriller in the fall. Highly recommend this thriller. I was turning the pages to get to the shocking end.

One gripe was with the arc itself. The font was too small for me to read and it did not have permissions to make the font larger. I had to go buy a copy when it released,

YA book that was enticing then not as much but still finish-worthy. Interesting premise. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Never Saw Me Coming was unputdownable! This is how a psychological thriller should be written.

We follow three psychopaths as they navigate through college and participate in a study centered around their psychopathy. Chloe one of the subjects was a completely irredeemable human being and didn't care. I didn't like her but I wanted to see how far she would go with her craziness. All I will say is Will Bachman was an unfortunate soul who dared to cross Chloe.

The story was fast paced and kept me guessing but the ending was anticlimactic for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

Chloe Sevre is a freshman in college, and she wants what most people are looking for: adventures, good grades, and maybe even a hookup or two. Oh, and she plans to kill a guy named Will Bachman.

Chloe is a psychopath; diagnosed and given a full ride to this college if she participates in a clinical study. Chloe doesn’t mind the study as it gets her that much closer to Will, and she’s also really good at manipulation, as well as the ability to share what she wants, when she wants. Along with Chloe, we have two other POV’s – people also in the study. Nobody in the study knows about the others, but it doesn’t take long for these people to start figuring each other out…especially when they seem to be getting murdered one-by-one. I was really fascinated by this premise, and while you get various POV’s, Chloe definitely feels like the main character. She’s a psychopath, so why do you kind of root for her? You don’t want her killed by some random person, but you also kind of want her to get revenge on Will once the past details come to light.

I love how the author puts you in the position of rooting for Chloe and her psychopathic friends. You don’t agree with the things they do, but you also understand certain aspects of themselves and their behaviors. After all, they aren’t aliens. They might not have empathy or see the world like most, but they are human beings, and Kurian very clearly shows you that throughout the book.

I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy a psychological thriller, and the way the book ends, I kind of hope there’s a sequel.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't hit the mark for me. I love the premise—a study of psychopaths at a university where suddenly students begin to be murdered. While it started out strong, at about the 30% mark, I felt it start to drag. It felt like there were too many elements thrown into the plot, overcomplicating the main plot of the story. I also wasn't a fan of the multiple perspectives presented. Chloe was the most interesting character, in my opinion, and it would've left more mystery if we'd only heard her perspective.

While this was a miss for me, the premise was interesting enough that I'll be keeping an eye on Vera Kurian brings us next!

Damn. a book written from the perspective of a diagnosed psychopath? SIGN ME TF UP.

This book was beyond intriguing to read, mainly because it’s so interesting being from the perspective of someone who thinks so differently than I do, and processes information in an entirely different way, has attention to detail in literally every aspect. It was a wild ride, to say the least.

First of all- Chloe is a total badass and I 10000% understand holding onto this vendetta against Will. I was absolutely cheering her on all throughout. But then, ugh, Charles? I had such conflicting feelings about the two of them. I shipped them so hard for most of the book, and then had to keep reminding myself that Charles was also holding onto Kristen which was extremely unfair to her. Kristen was a character that I had immense respect for, homegirl definitely deserved better.

Andre’s perspective was an interesting one to read, trying to be a psychopath and adapting tendencies to be diagnosed as such is… whoa. Hardcore. Then to be teamed up with some true psychopaths and still go, for the most part, undetected? How wild. He must have been absolutely terrified.

The book made me think, seriously think, how many psychopaths have I encountered in my life? Interacted with, hung out with, without knowing? Without them knowing, maybe. What about how many undiagnosed psychopaths there are in the world? What a scary thought, and yet, they can be harmless. It was truly interesting to read about the case study and experiments they had to do for the program, and what Dr Wyman’s ultimate goal was for them. I love thrillers that make you think deeper, like this one did. It’s not just heart pounding, figuring out whodunnit, it’s on a whole deeper level.

My only qualm with this one was that a few things felt unresolved at the end. Did Chloe just get away with Will’s murder? That easily? Why didn’t Megan start her attacks sooner, why wait until her junior year? If she was truly as angry as she said she was. I didn’t understand why she waited. But maybe that’s the point, does anybody really understand a true psychopath’s reasoning BESIDES a true psychopath?

This book was HIGH on my TBR list. I was SO looking forward to it. Unfortunately it fell flat for me. I recently read For Your Own Good and The Girls Are All So Nice Here which both focus on College scandals and thrills. I wanted to love this one, but didn't. The characters were not relatable. The language and the way certain words were used were not indicitive to how College aged kids would even speak. The story was just blah and College based thrillers seem to have been a common theme the last while and maybe a bit overdone. I enjoyed parts of the book but didn't love like I had hoped. Thank you for the opportunity. Would definately give Vera Kurian titles another try.

Chloe Sevre, isn't your typical College Freshman. She dresses like them, acts like them, but you see; Chloe is a psychopath and her main goal is to kill Will Bachman. Chloe received a full scholarship into this college, and has to attend a clinic program with 6 other psychopaths. She never meets them, she has no idea who else is a psychopath, she just knows they're there. Either way it's a free ride to college, and now she can fully focus on Killing Will.
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Until slowly one by one, people in the study start to die gruesome deaths. So now Chloe needs to find out who the Murderer is before they find her and kill her off before she can get to Will. Honestly, this book was just a wild ride. I was entertained throughout the entire read. I met so many psychopaths, had no idea who was telling the truth but the twists and turns were a blast. This is definitely a book that you need to suspend your belief because some of the things that occur could never actually happen. I've also heard that a lot of places mentioned in this book aren't actually in DC, however I know nothing about DC so that didn't seem to bother me🤣. So suspend your belief and enjoy the wild ride that is Never Saw Me Coming.

Welp, I never saw the ending coming of Never Saw Me Coming, the debut novel by Vera Kurian. This thriller had me guessing the whole way through. The number of suspects was large, and even the main characters couldn't be fully trusted.

The premise is unique. Chloe is part of a secret psychopathy program at her college. Along with a small group of others (unknown to Chloe), she's being studied by a psychologist in an attempt to change her behaviors and make her a more productive member of society. Unlike other more well-known psychopaths, such as serial killers, Chloe isn't violent. Well, aside from her plan to exact revenge on fellow student Will... by killing him.

But while Chloe is plotting and scheming, someone else is carrying out violent murders on her college campus, and the targets seem to be members of the psychopathy program. Now Chloe thinks she might be next, and it's up to her (along with new friends Charles and Andre) to find the killer before the killer finds her.

I would love to re-read this once it's published because my advance review Kindle copy wasn't formatted very well, so I had a hard time following certain parts. There was nothing to specify when something was being texted as opposed to part of one of the character's monologues, for example.

Never Saw Me Coming is published by Park Row and will be available to purchase on September 7, 2021. I received a free review copy through NetGalley.

What an interesting premise!

A clinical study run by a psychologist...seven students who are diagnosed as psychopaths. What could go wrong. And each student gets a free scholarship for participating. Their every move is monitored right down to their moods and emotions, as well as there location. .

This has an ending that I never saw coming which is something that I always enjoy. Well written and a fun read.

Shelf Awareness GLOW: Vera Kurian draws on her expertise as a social psychologist to create the many nuanced characters in her thrilling debut novel, Never Saw Me Coming, which has garnered comparisons to Gone Girl and the TV show Killing Eve. These characters seem like typical college kids--but they're also diagnosed psychopaths, enrolled in a university study on the disease. When some in the cohort start to turn up gruesomely murdered, those remaining must work together--albeit reluctantly--to figure out who is targeting them, and why. "The premise and writing felt fresh," notes Park Row Books editor Laura Brown, who calls the novel a "compulsive and wickedly smart campus thriller." Never Saw Me Coming is addictive from the first page, with remarkably unreliable characters, psychological insights and multiple "whodunit" threads to keep readers--and campus psychopaths--guessing to the very end. --Kerry McHugh

I am a psych lecturer and teaching research methods this semester and I actually used some of the general plot points about studying psychopathy in this way to discuss ethics and study design so this was a fun read for me in many ways. Some of my students are intrigued and now want to read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and also Silent Book Club for the chance to read and comment on this book, it was a perfect thriller with fun twists. I didn't know I would cheer on a psychopath but also isn't that the point of the study, at least at the start of the book, .... a psychopath doesn't have to be criminal and can be something else so why not a detective/hero, not villain, in a thriller? I really appreciated an attention grabbing, fast paced, and fun thriller, I enjoyed that the plot was true to the general premise of bringing together atypical protagonists/heroes/antiheroes and gave the reader a chance to have a wild adventure with psychopath sleuths. I am definitely recommending this to my friends who love thrillers, have managed to make it a recommendation in my undergrad lecture already, and will be sharing a four star review on instagram later this week.

4.5 rounded to 5.
"Murder is Like Potato Chips; you can't stop with just one." -Stephen King

Well... this book was an interesting one !! Like many people, I am fascinated with true crime, the psychopaths behind the crimes, and how their brains work. I find it so interesting that the anatomy and chemistry of someones brain can shape them into a certain type or person, whether they like it or not.

Dr. Leonard Wyman understands the need to help diagnosed psychopaths control their urges and behaviors. So he opened a special program to do so. Chloe Sevre happens to be one of those people, along with 6 other students- participating in a study to help understand the psychopathic brain, and to help them understand how to act and behave with society. But Chloe joined this study for only one reason--Revenge. while in the midst of her plan, murders start taking place. Not just any victims- students involved in the study. Joining together with Charles and Andres, two fellow psychopathic students, they try and figure out who the killer is and stop them before the become the next target. Do they trust each other? Definitely not, but they don't really have a choice but to work together.

This book was GREAT!! Told from different POV, you get to take a look inside the minds of the psychopathic students, friends, doctors, etc. It was so fun to see and understand how each person analyzes situations differently. I loved the references to real life serial killers... made it feel more real. The twists in the book are amazing and ending fits the title perfectly. I never saw it coming!! Great story, great execution, great characters!!

Chloe is one of seven psychopaths participating in a college study. While she originally goes to the study for another reason, she ends up caught in trying to solve the murders of two of the other participants. Chloe, Charles, and Andre are on a mission to find the murderer before they become the next victims. Despite being a psychopath, I enjoyed reading the story from Chloe's perspective. I also enjoyed the "Will they or won't they?" dynamic she had with Charles. This is definitely a fun (yes!) and intriguing read, especially for YA readers.

Chloe Sevre is a new honors freshman just arriving at John Adams University (fictional) in Washington DC. She orchestrated getting into the school for the express purpose of being near Will Bachman, a young man from her junior high school days who she plans to kill. You see, Chloe is one of seven students participating in a psychology department program, the Multimethod Psychopathy Panel Study. The participants are all considered psychopaths and the program is led by Dr. Leonard Wyman who believes they can be readjusted to fit in and behave normally within society. (Yeah, right.) As Chloe begins laying the groundwork for her own scheme, two participants in the program are found murdered and her plans get sidetracked.

Chloe’s point of view isn’t the only voice we get in the story. Andre Jensen is another new freshman and a participant in the program. He’s got a big secret, too…that he cheated his way in by pretending to be a psychopath and adeptly answering the questions to confirm it. He’s black, from a good family who figured he didn’t have a chance at college because of mistakes made in his youth. Andre was motivated to cheat because the program guaranteed 100% financial support. Lastly, there’s Charles Portman, a member of the same fraternity as Will and from an affluent political family in the District. Both he and Andre cross paths and purposes with Chloe but align as they try to figure out who’s trying to kill them.

I figured the story would be a little bit crazy and a lot clever and got both. Chloe’s psychopathy is so outrageous it’s highly entertaining and all you can do is try to keep up with her plotting and scheming. When she connects with Charles and Andre, I got lost in all the duplicity as they struggle with their distrust of each other while they have to partner for protection. I didn’t like Chloe but I also didn’t dislike her…she’s quite the enigma. I really liked Andre whose only agenda is to get a free education but also had to work with these two people he knew were dangerous. I’m still unsure of how I feel about Charles as even to the end, I wasn’t sure if he was being real or continuing the veneer he learned to wear through therapy.

I really enjoyed the story, a lot, even when it started to drag out near the end. I was starting to get bogged down by the theories and machinations and just wanted to speed things up. I listened to the book and thought Brittany Pressley was outstanding in her depiction of Chloe! I conjured up the image of Piper Perabo as a result and if you remember her duplicity in the TV show Covert Affairs, you’ll get Chloe. Pressley did a great job with the other characters and the storytelling, too, but her voice for Chloe elevated the story. The ending wasn’t a huge surprise but it was consistent with the clues. What was a surprise is what happened with these three. You’ll need to read or listen to it yourself for that, which I highly recommend. This is quite the debut with its unique premise and I’ll sign up for whatever’s next from Kurian.

I really enjoyed this one! Such a unique and cool premise and really well-executed. The characters were so interesting and I was hooked on the voice and narration, especially as it's mostly from Chloe's perspective. There were some pretty good twists and I definitely think it's been one of the better mysteries/thrillers I've read in a while. Will definitely be recommending it to mystery readers.

Heart-stopping and surprising, this book had me from the beginning. Well-paced, I couldn't put it down. I didn't know I could root for a psychopath! You have to read this book.

Each one of them is used to being on top. They are diagnosed psychopaths—narcissists who are unburdened by useless emotions like empathy or fear and full of contempt for everyone around them.

But now, the tables have turned. It's their turn. To be outsmarted. Manipulated. Hunted.

In exchange for free tuition, a group of college students participates in a study on diagnosed psychopaths, monitoring their moods and tracking their movements. This particular group of students holds itself high above the rest but is soon taken down a peg when it becomes clear that members of the group are being hunted and killed. Now it's up to them to learn to trust each other just enough to find out who is after them. There's just one problem: can you ever really trust a psychopath?

Never Saw Me Coming was such an interesting read. It's not often I find myself rooting for a psychopath with homicidal tendencies, but it was impossible not to. This one had me hooked from beginning to end, and was equal parts amusing and frightening. It was a story of unlikely friends and odd alliances, and while the characters may not have feared for their lives, I certainly wasn't immune to the thrill of it all.

Never Saw Me Coming is the perfect novel to kickstart your autumn and ease you into the spookiest season.

Thanks so much to Harlequin Trade Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/ 5 stars

Never Saw Me Coming is a psychological thriller.

The main narrator is college student Chloe (1st person POV). The book is set in DC at a college.

There are also a few other 3rd person POVs (including Andre and Charles).

Chloe is a psychopath. And I loved this so much. I was completely riveted from the first page. She is part of a study of psychopaths being conducted at her school.

The beginning of this book was spectacular. The premise was fantastic. Chloe is a phenomenal narrator. The study was amazing. However the middle felt a bit slow to me. And I don't know that I loved all the extra 3rd person POVs.

The story and characters were definitely super interesting. And I was completely captivated by both Chloe, the haunting cover and the beginning of the book. The book just felt a bit too long to me. But the ending was pretty good.