Never Saw Me Coming

**Listened to the audio book, and followed along with the electronic copy too**

The premise of this book is great. Sounded right up my street, and was super intrigued.
Unfortunately the book didn't live up to the excitement i felt before going in.

One of my main problems was the pacing, it just felt really slow and repetitive at times. I was hooked from the beginning, and the book started really strong, yet the longer it went on, the less interested I became. The excitement trickled away for me. I think the book would have read better if 100 pages were cut. The book was very visual and when reading I kept thinking it would make a great tv series!
In terms of the audiobook, I really liked the narrator. At first I thought she was a little annoying with her american accent - but actually she really helped make our central character Chloe all the more sinister and intriguing.

Overall, I did like this book - even if it did drag in places. I expect this book to be picked up by Netflix, and would put money on this becoming a tv series within the next couple of years.
I look forward to seeing what Vera Kurian does next as I did enjoy her writing.

This book was really fun and deliciously dark and twisted. The premise was interesting, a group of pyschopaths are enrolled in a university as part of an extended trial. I thought this was a really interesting idea, and I loved exploring the idea that pyschopathy is not necessarily what we think it is. Or not only what we think it is. I work in a university setting and I really related to aspects of it.

The characters are so broken that I was surprised that I was so drawn to them. I really was invested in a bunch of pyschopaths! Did I guess everything? Almost. Did I mind? No. It was just a really fun, complex read. And I was impressed with the ending.

I listened to this book as an audiobook and I felt the tone of the reader's voice was excellent. It really helped bring the story to life.

This book is centred around a group of students that are part of a study that focuses on supporting psychopaths. When a number of murders start happening around campus, a number of the participants race against the clock to find the murderer before the murderer finds them.

I really enjoyed this book and the narration was very engaging. I do think there were times where I wanted the story to speed up a bit but overall I was excited to see how it ended. I've seen a number of reviews that said this would be a good netflix series and I have to agree. It has a little bit of a 'You' vibe too it. I'd definitely recommend it fore readers who enjoy true crime or a good crime fiction.

Such a fun read, if you find murder and psychopaths in a campus setting fun that is. I really enjoyed the characters in this book however some didn't seem to add to the plot. I liked the perspective of a female psychopath as that is something I've never read from before. I look forwards to reading more from this author in the future!

I also enjoyed the audiobook narration.

I could see this being made into a TV series and then in an ideal world a team up with Chloe and Dexter! Psychopaths United, this is a good book that would have benefited from being a little shorter in my opinion as it seemed to flounder at times, I really enjoyed the narration and felt immersed in the tale throughout

This is a great great great read, and listen so what's best audio it or read it maybe both. I have to say I love it both ways. But first a bit about the Thriller.

Well first this is a well I've already said great and it is, So the 1st question is what could be more perfect than a free scholarship the only conditions are you much be a "Physicopath" and that's it. That's a good start for a Physiological Thriller, so if your on the program you have to do some tests carry a smartwatch with you at all times. The only problem seems to be that a couple of the students have gone and got themselves killed and our heroine Chloe has a little other project on the go as well but you need to read it to find out more as I don't want to ruin the story for you but it's a interesting plan. If only she and they (the others on the program weren't possible targets themselves. However as "Physicopaths that isn't a worry or fear as they don't or shouldn't know what fear is. It's more an inconvenience than anything else.

Dr Wyman is the Physiologist who leads the project he believes even the vilest offender can be changed hence the project plus the death of a patient or client at the hands of the State added to his program So with this in mind and the killings this is a tough time for the peace loving Professor. He is one of the characters you hear about not so much meet but there are some great ones that you do an assembly of different students the usual parties and protests. Charles is a rich kid on the free program so is one of them and he's up for students president 🤔 he is also he key to enhancing this great thriller, a whodunit and a will they as 2 storylines cross each other with style and adventure, colliding now and again and well you really should read it and find out I think you may love it if this sort of thriller is your cup of tea/coffee/or something stronger.

So the audio was clear exciting and great voices for our variety of characters I got to read it and listen I loved it both ways. The audio adds to the imagery I enjoyed the voices it added that extra to the suspension. I would give her a 6 out of 5 but can't get the extra star to appear. For me the audio was a great addition and well worth the extra although I was given a free copy for an honest review but I wouldn't feel aggrieved if I'd bought it but glad to have purchased a gem of a Thriller. I hope you love it as much as I have.

This was really good, i liked listening to it - it was super easy to listen to! I liked the narrator and the story was really fun and interesting

Apart from the odd overly girly nasal tones, the narrator did an excellent job in the retelling.
I absolutely loved this book and listened on far too long into the night. A good discussion on psychopathy, but not in the usual way. This tale revolves around a study of college aged psychopaths (although one is not what he claims to be). Early on in the story these students start getting picked off one by one. Three of the students gang up to try and find out what is going on and save themselves getting murdered next, but it's not only Andre who is not what he seems.

Never Saw Me Coming is a fantastic read (or in my case, listen) that absolutely kept me guessing. I loved everything about it; the college campus setting, the wickedly dark sense of humour involved, the unique and twisty murder mystery. How is it possible that I fell in love with a group of self-confessed psychopaths? I am actually going to miss these characters, I want more. As a psychology student myself I really enjoyed the accuracy around psychopathy; anybody who likes True Crime will probably love this book. I have to say that Brittany Pressley is such a talented narrator, it was easy to forget that only one person was reading and bringing each character to life so vividly.


Content warning - this book contains non-graphic mentions of rape in the past tense.

Review: Audiobook Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

I was given an Audio ARC of this book from Netgalley and Penguin in exchange for a fair review.
I will start by saying the narrator of this audiobook did a fantastic job, in my opinion. Each character had slightly different tone and voice that made the story easier to follow and enjoy. I will also say the premises and plot of the book is incredibly intriguing and while I, personally, find a few things let it down in places I would recommend this to those interested in a good thriller with interesting characters.

The cast of the novel was varied and interesting to a point. Each had their own motivations and desires and while not all of them were likable they stayed true to their character throughout. Some of the subject matter was a little dark and heavy but what would you expect from a story predominately about psychopaths?

I was left wondering till well towards the end who was the killer and what was happening. I found myself enjoying making up all the theories and ideas of who it could be but generally was kept guessing right until the reveal which was refreshing.

The main issue I found was the protagonist Chloe was hard to like, naturally this would likely be the case because of her psychopathy but it did make it so at some points I found myself not invested in her situation or if she was in danger. That said the fact Kurian could write a character like this for the main protagonist actually has made me give the book a higher rating. The only other thing that threw me off was the ending, it was equally brilliant – leaving me wanting more and frustrating since I was left hanging.

All in all though I enjoyed the book, the narrator made the story engaging and interesting. I would have enjoyed a bit of a longer ending with a few of loose ends tied up but that is just me. I would certainly recommend the book to others and re-listen or re-read it though.

Although this sounded more like young adult fiction than for older readers, this was an interesting, well-written story that kept me listening, to hear more about the group of students, diagnosed as psychopaths, as they tried to solve a series of murders around the campus. I enjoyed the fact the story was told from various viewpoints - although Chloe was by far my favourite - and the fact that it was hard to actually figure out who the culprit was, as there were so many possibles.
I'd definitely be keen to try more books from this author.

I listened to the audiobook version of Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian. The concept of this book intrigued me very much and I was looking forward to listening to this. Sadly this read like a young adult novel rather than an adult thriller. The pacing was also a problem, with it becoming slow and repetitive at times. The story was interesting and it did hold attention.
I did find the narrator to be grating however. Maybe that added to the character.

4.5/5
Well! It's been a little while since I've enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed this one! The premise was intriguing and dark, the characters were interesting, and I was thinking about picking it back up again even when I wasn't reading it. I was so interested in the outcome and whilst the ending was a little.....meh, I forgive it considering the rest of the book was fabulous.
I listened to this on audio and I really enjoyed the narrator.
Big thanks to the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Aaaaaargh-mazing

💛 There I am just requesting a psychological thriller on NetGalley, as I am wont to do, vastly underestimating what a fantastic listen this would be. Because it is. Fantastic.

💙 Firstly, the concept is inventive and intriguing: Oh, we’ll just pump this college campus chock full of psychopaths and see what happens. (Grabs popcorn). But it’s the execution I can’t get over. It’s a whodunnit campus killer mystery with unreliable characters aplenty, an entrancing revenge storyline and a few extra crimes peppered in just for good measure. In other words, all it lacks is a dull moment.

🖤 My understanding of psychopathy is somewhere on the a-little-knowledge-dangerous-thing side of the expertise scale. But Vera Kurian’s approach to the subject seemed incredibly well-researched and intelligently nuanced (which totally tracks because she’s a scientist as well as a writer). Each psychopath is different, each is unique and well-rounded. And they’re likable! Well… mostly. Their motives were believable, their stories fascinating.
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SOUNDBITE

🎧 This was my first Brittany Pressley listen and she was perfect for this. The performance was expertly modulated to keep the ears on their toes. You get the sense she’s planned out every character. When reading as Chloe, I imagined a sly smile on her face. And her interpretation of Chloe as slightly bored, condescending, dry and playful is deliciously mischievous.

🎧 I thought she was brilliant at differentiating characters. I do think this deserved a male narrator for Charles and Andre – because it’s worth it – but Pressley did a great job with male voices. Her approach reminded me of Julia Whelan.
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SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO…

Jon Ronson’s The Psychopath Test meets Alice Feeney’s Sometimes I Lie meets Scream (shout out 1996).
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A quick thanks: This honest review was written after listening to a NetGalley ALC from Vera Kurian, Penguin Random House UK Audio and Vintage Digital.

A renowned psychologist acquires funding for a college programme for students identified as psychopaths with the intention of schooling them to disguise and amend their behaviour - what could go wrong? All too soon we find out, as not everyone things that having a group of psychopaths around is a good idea. Before you know it, the hunters become the hunted.

We have multiple POVs: Chloe, Charles & Andre, all 3 are part of the programme but have very different reasons for joining it. What is really interesting is the way that the author balances the desire for the reader to like the protagonists with the desire to remind us that they are the most unreliable of narrators. It’s all too easy to sometimes forget just who and what we are rooting for until suddenly being brought up short by a total lack of normal response and some horrific behaviour.

This is an unusual take on a familiar trope, placing it within a university setting and targeting a YA market. In some respects it follows similar themes to things we’ve seen before, eg, if you were to combine Dexter with The Hunger Games but it works very well as it’s own sub-genre and it is really easy to get hooked by the storyline.

If this is intended to be part of a series I would definitely be tempted to look out for the next instalment.

Finally, I listened to this as an audiobook and was impressed by the narrator, Brittany Pressley, who sounded suitably young but managed to differentiate the narrative voices well.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audiobook arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling thriller set in Washington DC, amongst a group of students participating in a study into psychopathy and how to manage the condition beyond the stereotypes. However, the story fully relies on stereotypes anyway--a murderous co-ed, a senator's son who can make any misbehaviour go away, etc. I found Andre to be the most compelling character as a young Black man at the university who may or may not have "faked" his way into the programme. I think I would've preferred the novel to focus on his story more--the rest of the plotlines felt a bit cliche in the vein of other thriller/crime novels.

Seven psychopathic students. A killer picking them off one by one. Each is guilty of something, but who is the murderer?

Wow, this is easily the best thriller I’ve read this year! The premise is so unique: a psychological study of student psychopaths where one of the students is killing the others on the programme. It had so many layers of intrigue and was really excellent. It took my breath away.


I loved the multiple perspectives and getting to see inside different characters’ heads. Considering the viewpoints were written from those of psychopaths, I was amazed by how much I connected with the characters and was hooked into seeing what they would do next. A special shout out to Chloe and Andre with their thoroughly epic storylines.


I don’t think anything was missing from this page-turner. I did managed to guess the twist, but in no way did it detract from my enjoyment of the story and final reveal.


I’d totally recommend this and sincerely hope there’s a sequel. I’m dying to know what the characters get up to next! A shout out to the narrator, Brittany Pressley, for reading it with such clarity and delivering strong characterisation for each.


Huge thanks to the author, Vera Kurian, and Penguin Random House for this advance review copy. Views my own. 5*

This book has confirmed for me that I don’t like high school (particularly set in America) books set in high school. I don’t particularly like to series or movies set there too. It’s taken me a while to realise this: maidens, the girls are all so nice here etc. But this confirmed it for me. The 2 stars is not at all because the book is bad just definitely not for me. I know that now and I won’t pick up anything in this setting again. Saying this, the idea in this book of clinical study with psychopaths is a really cool idea and is definitely what drew me in

With its intriguing set up of a university programme analyzing psychopathic minds, Never Saw Me Coming is an excellent thriller, with a dark and twisting plot and one of my favourite protagonists ever in Chloe. Read via audiobook, I really got a sense of how her dry and witty personality colours the first person sections of the books, as she manipulates situations to her advantage. This kept me guessing throughout, reminiscent of How To Get Away With Murder. Trigger warnings as it can be fairly graphic for gore and open door sex scenes, but this was one of my favourite Net Galley reads so far, due in part also to the excellent narration by Brittany Presley.

Never Saw Me Coming is a curious read, and one which I was lucky enough to get an audio copy of. This lent a real sense of reality to the characterisation for me, and I felt like I got a clear understanding of our protagonist (which I assume will also be the case with the print copy). Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to get access to this in advance of publication.
The book is not a topic that I went into lightly. Our main character, Chloe, is a psychopath. Her label does, and this is part of the fun, come with certain prejudices. I found it interesting to see how these were challenged/explored as we read.
Chloe is part of a clinical study, but her incentive for participating in the program goes much deeper - she wants the opportunity to get her revenge on someone who she feels wronged her. As the details come out, I found myself agreeing with and supporting Chloe's feelings - and this was not at all what I was expecting.
What was unexpectedly entertaining was the developing story. Someone appears to be killing off the students in the study. When psychopaths is being investigated, how do you know who to trust? This element of thriller was great, but it also allowed us to develop a more insightful sensitive exploration of the characters than I was expecting.

Absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian.
A brilliant depiction of a teenage psychopath. Chloe is all kinds of wonderful as a character. Love the writing and voice. If you’re looking for a sublime crime read this September then I can definitely recommend this.

What a gripping thriller.

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

This book is a perfect demonstration of how a book can have unlikeable characters but still be highly enjoyable.

Chloe is seemingly your typical student unless of course you realise she's a psychopath. Chloe has come to college seeking vengeance on Will, her sworn enemy. Before she can focus on college life made up of parties, socials and coursework deadlines she must eliminate him for good. It just so happens she can do it all for free with the help of a psychological study to help psychopaths to fit in.

Never Saw Me Coming had such an interesting premise that I hadn't read before. It flipped the switch on what it means to be good and bad. Chloe isn't likeable in the slightest and does awful things but you can't help but root for her

I adore the selection and variation of characters, even those diagnosed with the same condition. It added credability to the idea they were psychopaths and each manipulated people in the way that best fit their personality. That is to say I didn't 'like' any of them as people except maybe Andre. I feel the author definitely achieved the right balance with this as I still continued to be gripped.

It was also pleasant as it's rare to read a book about psychopaths who aren't mass murdering, mentally unstable individuals. Charles is an excellent example of this with his ability to fit in and interpret others emotions in an urge to make them like him and appear 'normal'.

Though not marketed as such it reads like a YA or new adult. This is both in the setting and language used. The characters being roughly eighteen and up also makes it more relatable to a younger audience.

I listened to the audiobook and have to commend the excellent narrator. Brittany Pressley was the perfect choice for Chloe as she sounded exactly as I imagined Chloe to be. This gave the audiobook an imersive feel as if Chloe was telling you the tale at a later date.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and would 100% read and recommend it again and again. The only reason for the 4 stars is the second half/ending of the book. I didn't find it satisfying and felt it deserved to be more than what it was.

This was such an interesting concept and I really enjoyed it. It’s about a group of psychopaths who are enrolled in a clinical study program at college, where they each wear a smart watch that record their feelings, locations etc. In time they come across one another because certain members end up getting murdered. Main characters are Chloe, Charles and Andre who have to team up to save themselves and work out who the killer is whilst having to guess whether if they can trust one another. Brilliant read with some dark funny lines, highly recommend.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book blind, knowing very little about the plot and was immediately intrigued. It has an incredibly unique and compelling premise and the first two chapters really pull you into the action.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. The characterisation was brilliant and I loved the complexity of Chloe’s character. She was more unlikeable than most characters and yet I still cared about her.

I did figure out the final twists but I still really liked the execution of them in the final chapters. The pacing was great and I feel like the ending had a great mix of action and rounding up the story.

I’d definitely recommend to other crime fans! I’ll need to get my hands on a physical copy. Review coming soon.

Never Saw Me Coming is a YA thriller with a great premise. Perhaps I am just too old for this genre but I would have liked more insights into a mind of a psychopath and less juvenile dialogue. The story is told from multiple POVs and even though some are in first person and the others are in the third, at times I struggled to differentiate between them. The narrator wasn’t bad but didn’t really add anything to the book.

I really enjoyed this book and fell in love with our anti-heroine, Chloe, immediately! She is so bad, it's good! The story was great although I felt it went on at times and could have been shorter, but a great story that kept me guessing the whole way through! The narrator was perfect too!

What happens when you put 7 diagnosed psychopaths into a clinical study while they all attend the same college? A whole lot of fun and a fair few murders apparently. Give me a well written psychopath in a book and I'm there for it. It's a fascinating concept to see how an authors minds work with that of a psychopath. Throw 7 of them into the one book and it's like Christmas.

Going into the opening chapters I was a bit apprehensive that it may not work out, surely Kurian couldn't write 7 well fleshed out psychopaths with differing elements to their personality all within the same book. Turns out I had no need to worry. These 7 psychopaths are perfect! Or are they?

What I particularly loved was that rather than follow your stereotypical trope where the psychopath goes killing people for shits and giggles Kurian looks at some deep seated motives for the events which occur. She also goes further by showing the cases where psychopaths aren't just what you see in the movies. Charles is a perfect example of this and is probably one of the strongest characters in the book.

There are plenty of neck breaking twists to keep you guessing through out with several little smaller storylines woven into the main plot. I switched between audio when I was driving and my kindle at home and both worked perfectly. Brittany Pressley had the perfect amount of sass and often whininess when needed.

A gripping and dark read that pushes the boundaries of the psychological thriller genre.

Wow. This book!! I was truly intrigued by the synopsis of the story and thought it sounded like an entertaining read. And boy was it!

I loved the academic thriller angle of this, with the characters apart of a psychopathy study in exchange for financial aid and fee waver for college. A great idea, but putting so many psychopaths together in one place is surely a recipe for disaster? You would be correct. It starts with Chloe in her scheme for ‘getting rid’ of a presence from her past - Will, who she has been planning to murder since she was 12. But plenty of unforeseen circumstances plot to get in the ways of her plans..

It was such a clever plot and one that literally had you on the edge of your seat. The main characters of Chloe, Charles and Andre aren’t your usual lovable innocents, but all with their own motives and despite being psychopaths, you love them anyway! They are the lovable psychopaths who you really start rooting for.. not something I thought I’d say!

The scheming, the plotting, the twists and turns and the suspense make this for such a brilliant book. The audiobook I listened to was performed brilliantly and was so enjoyable to sit down and listen to.

This has definitely been one of the audiobooks I’ve enjoyed most so far this year!

I liked the premise of this book and thought it sounded interesting. Seven psychopaths are given a fully funded scholarship if they take part in a clinical study. It’s kept very hush hush and the only real identifier is the smart watches the students have to wear.

I listened to the audiobook of this story and I found the narration was pretty good and clear to listen to.

The story is mainly told from the point of view of Chloe, a psychopath with an ulterior motive. She has murderous plans of her own, but is interrupted when other students on the study are murdered.

I’m not sure if it’s because I listened to the story, rather than reading it, but I found it tricky to follow at times. It flits about from one character to another and as more were introduced I found it confusing trying to remember who they were and how they were connected.
I felt that this affected the flow of the story for me and I wasn’t as gripped as I could have been.
Some of the characters were quite two dimensional and I didn’t like many of them. I imagine this was deliberate on the author’s part.

I thought the word ‘machinations’ was really overused, unless I missed something, it was quite distracting.

The youthful descriptions of lust and shenanigans didn’t add much to the story for me and I felt it made it feel more like a young adult novel at times, rather than a gripping thriller.

At times I felt the story dragged but this could be because I found it quite choppy and confusing.

In keeping with the times, there are many references to social media, and specific iPhone models. I wonder if this could prematurely date the story.

Overall, the idea behind this story was promising, but it fell flat for me. I expected to be gripped and intrigued by the characters and the story and I just wasn’t.

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Thanks to Penguin Random House UK Audio and NetGalley for a copy for review.

This audiobook was great fun! I know that sounds weird for a book about psychopaths and a serial killer, but I loved it!
Chloe Sevre was such a great character, and just as the synopsis above says, I couldn’t help rooting for her! Even though Chloe was up to very dubious things, I really didn’t want her to get caught. I didn’t quite always agree with her, but I could understand why she wanted to kill Will Bachman!
As well as wanting to murder Will, Chloe got caught up in a hunt for a serial killer on campus. She had to decide whether to join forces with some of the other psychopaths on the same programme, looking out for each other. This was really interesting, and I really couldn’t decide if I could trust them. I mean one of them could’ve been the killer they were trying to find! 😱
There were some really tense chapters, when I really thought the worst was going to happen, only to realise that it was just all in my mind! Phew!
Brittany Pressley’s narration was absolutely superb! Her portrayal of Chloe was perfect, as were her voice talents for the other students and minor characters. I will definitely be looking out for other audiobooks with her narrating.
I highly recommend this one on audio if you enjoy psychological thrillers.

Going to college is an exciting time in anyone’s life… new friends, parties… a serial killer on campus?!

Chloe is not your average student. In fact, she’s a certified psychopath. But she’s not going to hurt anyone… at least not anyone who doesn’t deserve it…

Being a psychopath gets her a free scholarship to study at Adams University, as long as she agrees to take part in psychological studies, and that suits Chloe just fine. She is exactly where she needs to be and the countdown is on for revenge.

But when a series of murders rock the campus, and all clues point to the psychology department, can Chloe figure out who’s responsible before she’s next?

The audio production of this academic thriller was so addictive and I couldn’t stop listening, desperate to unravel more of the story.
I kind of saw the twist coming but not until quite close to the end and it was hugely enjoyable throughout.


Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my feedback.

***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.co.uk in return for an honest review ***

A University clinical study of students diagnosed as psychpaths, what could possibly go wrong?

A gripping face paced audiobook that will have you on the edge of seat & listening compulsively from beginning to end. I loved the originality of the storyline. Each character's story is inexplicably tangled leading to an explosive finale.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️️
Sin rating: Clear ✅

This book was a wild experience and I truly never saw it coming…!

Chloe is a freshman honour student. She’s clever, beautiful, she likes yoga and parties… and she’s a psychopath on a rampage to kill the man who wronged her years ago…

The book is captivating and some frankly scary moments had me properly worked up. You know that moment in a scary movie when the camera travels behind a character and gets closer and closer until something makes them jump? Yeah… I love it…

Not only entertaining, the book provided a great insight into what it feels like to be a psychopath: a word that is often overused for emphasis, but describes an actual medical condition.

Plot twists and academic claustrophobia provide a deliciously slow burn that kept me in my toes until the last chapter.

Thank you @netgalley for the copy!