You Never Said Goodbye by Luca Veste

You Never Said Goodbye Reviews

• 
  Ceecee

  3.5 rounded up
  
  In Wallace Idaho tough uncompromising Parker Rogers has been under the radar for twenty five years and now they’ve come for him and he gives them information about ‘her’. Meanwhile in London Sam Cooper gets a phone call to say his father David is close to death. On his deathbed David gives Sam some shocking news that his mother Laurie who he believes to have died many years ago is in fact alive. Is David a liar? If Laurie is indeed alive, where is she? Sam now believes his last twenty five years have been a lie, he has lived down a black hole and he’s determined to find out why. He’s on a mission but so are others with catastrophic consequences. The story is told in the present and from 1982 onwards which works well.
  
  If you like gritty dark thrillers that are dripping with tension and suspense then this is for you. There plenty of action, the plot is definitely fast paced though you do have to suspend some disbelief as murder and mayhem is the order of the day with an ever rising body count. If anything that gets a bit repetitive in tone, fight, shoot, run, repeat and where did Sam get his street fighting skills from, who knows? That’s not to say that it’s not exciting because it is as there are so many twists and turns, you have no idea who to trust as there seems to be so much double crossing. Sam is likeable and very tenacious. Other characters are not quite so well fleshed out probably because it’s more action than character driven. There’s one character at the centre of the destructive web who is a cruel obsessive controller though at times this feels a bit stereotypical.
  
  However, overall though you need to don your disbelief suspenders on occasions it is an enjoyable exciting read with never a dull moment.
  
  With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
• 
  L.A.

  4.5* The first time I have read this author's work and I regret not starting this earlier. It is a dynamic roller coaster which loops you to present and 1982. When Sam gets a call that his estranged father of 18 years is dying, he rushes back to find a shocking reveal that his mother he thought died in a car accident when he was nine years old...is actually alive!! His dad never recovered creating a unhealthy childhood for Sam that reliving his past will pull at your heartstrings.
  
  For twenty five years, he has believed his mother is dead and his mindset is shocked into reality to find out how she managed to stay away. This creates a dangerous web of lies and deception. There is plenty of fast-paced action that will leave you tense until the last page. It becomes a dark path with someone watching him and trying to stop him from finding out the truth.
  
  Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
• 
  Liz Barnsley

  An absolutely gripping thriller from Luca Veste, so gripping in fact that I read it in one sitting.
  
  I love this kind of twisty narrative as long as it is beautifully written and unpredictable enough for my brain and this was both. It is a mix of psychological and action that works brilliantly, you just don't want to put it down.
  
  Family secrets and a cat and mouse game of chance, You Never Said Goodbye is a terrific read.
• 
  Marieke (mariekes_mesmerizing_books)

  This thriller is so much better than I initially thought! What do you do when you suddenly find out that your mum might be still alive after she supposedly drowned twenty-five years ago? In the car accident, you and your dad survived? The car accident you still dream of?
  
  It took me a while to get into this story because of the multiple points of view and the dual timelines. Yet, I was captivated and got hooked on Sam’s and Lauri’s stories. The page numbers flew by so quickly.
  
  I already knew Lauri would be alive from the blurb, but when I read the chapter about the car accident, the hairs on my arms stood up, and goosebumps crawled over my body. How can you leave a car in the water with your family in it?
  
  I liked Sam from the start and got shivers every time he thought of that night in the water and Michael. There were some things I guessed along the way and some things I guessed wrong. I can’t say much more because I don’t want to give the plot away. If you like thrillers, MCs who had a sad childhood, dual timelines, and multiple POVs, I’d recommend you to check out this book!
  
  I received an ARC from Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  C.L. Taylor

  'Local Woman Missing' meets 'The Fugitive', You Never Said Goodbye breathes new life into the psychological thriller genre with a captivating and gripping storyline that is part missing person mystery, part all out action thriller. Sam Cooper is an ordinary man who is swept up into an extraordinary battle for survival, and the truth, and you can't help but root for him every step of the way. Set in the UK and the US Veste deftly flits between heartrending scenes of loss and all out gun battles that keep the reader on their toes and holding their breath. It's almost filmic in the way it plays out (it's crying out for an A list movie adaptation) but it's beautifully written too. You Never Said Goodbye is a heart-in-mouth story that will pull at your heart strings and keep you on the edge of your seat. It's everything I look for in an action thriller and Veste's best book yet. I predict big things for You Never Said Goodbye. I couldn't put it down.
• 
  Caroline Mitchell

  I love Luca Veste's books. He never lets me down. There's something about his writing that makes me feel immersed in the story and I come out of the book, slightly dazed taking a few deep breaths before returning to the real world. You Never Said Goodbye is one of Luca's finest, a real heart-stopper at times, interspersed with emotional scenes and people you can't help but root for. I had a book hangover after finishing this, and I recommend this to anyone interested in a truly immersive read.
• 
  Mary

  If there is one thing
  You Never Said Goodbye by
  Luca Veste has a lot of it is action, and it read a lot like an action movie to me. I was a little confused for a while as to exactly who all the different characters were and what was going on in the actual storyline, but in the end, it all made sense for the most part and I think I finally got everyone straight. As you can probably guess, there was a lot going on here and while I had a hard time keeping up, I was really into the story and finding out what was going to happen next. I had no idea what the truth about Laurie would end up being, and it really was quite the ride to get there.
  
  Another thing that might make this book more confusing is listening to the audiobook as I did. There is only one narrator for the various viewpoints which made it a bit harder to keep track of everyone (especially all the guys). That being said, George Weightman definitely made me feel the action, and he did make for a great narrator. This would make an excellent book for any reader that is a fan of action thrillers/mysteries and anyone who doesn't mind a decent number of characters to keep track of.
  
  I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
• 
  Dave

  You Never Said Goodbye is the latest Luca Veste thriller that takes the reader on a long journey through the aftermath of a young woman’s attempt to escape from a domineering husband, one who appeared to have a small army of roughnecks to back him up. The story opens twenty-five years later as Laurie’s son Sam who is in London estranged from his father, the only parent he ever knew. His mother and younger brother died in a car crash in the river. But now two and a half decades later, the can of worms has been reopened and there are dangerous men who think Laurie is still alive and will do anything to find her. Sam is on his own against these people and he doesn’t know who to trust or what he’s supposed to believe.
  
  This novel is filled with fast paced action, but the conceit is always that, like Sam, the reader doesn’t know exactly what’s going on or where things are going. Although this novel certainly holds one’s attention, the plot line generally feels forced And the character’s motivations are often left unexplored. Sam, in particular, is not necessarily searching for his mother and not necessarily hellbent on revenge. He really seems to have no idea what he’s doing or why. And, the idea that Anthony (the bad guy – the controlling husband) never found any of these people in this Internet age for 25 years seems a bit farfetched. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read.
• 
  Nursebookie

  YOU NEVER SAID GOODBYE
  By: Luca Veste
  
  YOU NEVER SAID GOODBYE by Luca Veste, a new author for me, quickly became my favorite author. I enjoyed the writing style, and I thought the story was great. I really enjoyed my reading experience.
  
  I love it when a book reels you in from the very beginning and continues to engage you throughout the read. This certainly did just that. Sam and his family were involved in a fatal car crash that took the lives of him mother and sibling, while his father carried the grief horribly and moved away. Twenty years later, his father tells him as his last words – your mother is alive.
  
  What happens next is a propulsive thriller I had to know what is going on. Fast paced and thriller readers will really enjoy this one and should not miss.
  
  I am now going back to Luca Veste’s backlist to enjoy all the other books.
  
• 
  Jannelies

  Although the story is set in different years and countries, spanning almost 30 years, it reads as one long rollercoaster. Sam Cooper lost his mother and his younger brother when he was nine, and understandably he has vivid memories of that occasion who plague him in his nightmares. On the other hand, his life before this terrible event, and the move to England with his father afterwards are still hazy. It’s as if he’s really coming awake the moment he is called to the hospital where his father is dying after an attack. From that moment on, Sam is forced to find out what happened in the past and why his father never confided in him.
  We go back and forth in time but since this story is about the same group of people it is not confusing – except for the fact that not everybody tells the whole truth. There is a lot of violence in this story but also a lot of love, between Sam’s parents and eventually between Sam and his new girlfriend. The story clearly shows what horrible things people can do ‘in the name of love’ but it also shows how much strength people have when faced with terrible events.
  Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this review copy.
  
• 
  UKDana

  Sam Cooper leads a normal life. He lives in London and works in an office. One evening he receives a phonecall from his father, the father he's been estranged from for eighteen years. As Sam rushes to his fathers side he is flooded by memories. Sam is reminded that twenty-five years earlier the family car crashed into a river and his mother and younger brother didn't survive. From that moment on Sam's father retreated into himself.
  
  When Sam gets to his father's side he discovers that his father has been brutally assaulted. With his dying breath he informs Sam that his mother is still alive. Full of doubt, Sam begins to investigate and uncovers the truth behind the accident and it's aftermath.
  
  This is a roller coaster of a thriller that simply doesn't let up for a minute. The true definition of a page turner. The action begins in the UK but swiftly moves to America to allow for car chases and shootings.
  
  Sam Cooper is a likeable character, he works in an office, he's not ex-military, secret service or a martial arts expert. It's because Sam is a normal person that makes him so likeable and you realise that he gets through a considerable number of situations by tenacity and sheer luck.
  
  As the story progresses we are transported back almost 35 years to discover the origins of the villain and 25 years to understand why Sam believes his mother and brother died in a car crash. With lots of mis-direction the action doesn't let up until the final page.
• 
  Julie Lacey

  This is a great crime thriller.
  Sam has struggled without his mother after she was killed in a car accident when he was 9 years old.
  His father wasn’t the same after her death and the two of them drifted apart as Sam got older.
  Sam is called to say his father has been attacked and is close to death so he rushes to see him.
  Before he dies he tells Sam that his Mum is still alive, but nothing more.
  Sam heads to the family home to find answers but is soon disturbed by two American men who demand to know where his Mum is.
  Sam manages to escape but is left more confused than ever.
  He heads to America to find answers and realises he’s in danger as the people looking for his Mum have followed him there.
  This is a gripping crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
  Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
• 
  Amanda

  I have been a fan of Luca’s work for a while now. I haven’t read everything that he has written, which is something that I hope to rectify fairly shortly. I read the synopsis for ‘You Never Said Goodbye’, which is a standalone novel, and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Luca – a tense, fast paced, dramatic thriller. Well It was certainly all that and so much more. I really enjoyed reading ‘You Never Said Goodbye’ but more about that in a bit.
  As soon as I started to read, I knew that I was in for a treat and then some. I made the fatal mistake of starting to read the book shortly before I went to bed. Let’s just say that bedtime was delayed and I had a ‘lack of sleep’ hangover the following day but it was so worth it. This was one of those stories that stayed with me whether I had the book in my hand or not. If I had to put the book to one side for any reason then I would immediately look forward to being able to pick the book up again. If I wasn’t reading the book then I was thinking about it. Well you get the picture. I found that reading ‘You Never Said Goodbye’ became seriously addictive. I became so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the story. All too quickly I reached the end. I found ‘You Never Said Goodbye’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
  ‘You Never Said Goodbye’ is extremely well written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Luca Veste. He certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention with an eye catching synopsis and draw the reader into what proves to be one hell of a story. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a fairly fast pace throughout. I found the characters to be multi layered and very intriguing. Reading ‘You Never Said Goodbye’ felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. Just when you thought that you could take a moment to gather your thoughts and take a breather then off the action would go again. I love the way in which Luca makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story themselves and at the heart of the action.
  In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘You Never Said Goodbye’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Luca’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.
  
• 
  Steph

  3.5⭐️
  
  This was gritty, dark and action packed from start to finish! You do need to suspend belief, but I enjoyed the twisty and exciting plot. The continuous fight scenes did feel a tad repetitive and I wouldn’t have minded a touch more character development. I enjoyed the cat and mouse game and family secrets though and flew through the pages. I predicted several of the twists but still was interested to see how all would be revealed. This is a fun popcorn thriller that many will enjoy!
  
• 
  Martha Brindley

  I really enjoyed this gritty, dark thriller from Luca Veste. I always enjoy his books, although in this one, I had to suspend belief at times! As usual, it is well written with good characterisation and a fascinating plot. My head was turning trying to keep up with the fast pace and all the twists but I was completely immersed in the whole story. It is told in two timelines and from two points of view which worked really well. Filled with drama, it's a good solid read. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
• 
  Jen

  Well this is a book that really ramps up the tension, demands you pay attention and keeps you right on the edge of your seat. There is a real sense of threat and foreboding from the very beginning, lots of twisted threads from past and present, that kept me completely on the hop as a reader and kept my mind ticking over and whirring right to the very last page. I really kind of loved it.
  
  This latest stand alone thriller from Luca Veste has been a long time coming, but by heck, it was worth the wait. This is the story of Sam Cooper, estranged from this father, his. sole surviving family member, but denied the opportunity to lay the past to rest for reasons that we, as readers, are only slightly more aware of than Sam himself. Because Sam's father has a secret, one that will rock Sam's world, and undermines everything that they both thought they knew. And, apparently, it is a secret that is worth killing for. There is decent amount of violence from the off, none of it gratuitous in portrayal, but all of the implicit threat and fear leaping from the page and amplifying the tension and pace of the story.
  
  I really liked the character of Sam. There is a real feeling of authenticity to him as a character, the grief he carries within him for a major loss he suffered as a child, and the conflict he feels towards his father as a result of a cold and distant relationship that the pair endured. So many traits in him are relatable, including the regret he feels in not seeing his father sooner, but there is also an underlying determination and strength of character that even he underestimates in himself. He is placed in an unenviable situation, thrown into the middle of a nightmare that he cannot begin to comprehend. any sensible person would run away, but faced with the chance to discover the truth of what happened all those years ago, he does exactly the opposite. It puts him in real danger, leading us all into scenes of action, threat and deception that really ticked all the boxes for me.
  
  Alongside Sam's story, and the action that is split between present day UK and USA, we are treated to some scenes from the past. Scenes that introduce some major players in this particular tale of woe, and that go someway to explaining the predicament that Sam finds himself in. The story is complex, a tangled history of control, domestic abuse, and power that seems to drive the whole book in a very particular direction. But this is no Google Maps, it's more a early nineties TomTom, so expect a few detours and a whole heap of misdirection on the way. If you think you know what is happening, where the real threat is a coming from, and with a real surety of the why, you're probably wrong. There are a couple of twists in the tale I definitely didn't see coming.
  
  If you like a real character and driven, cat and mouse story, with an undercurrent of mystery and a really healthy dose of pulse thumping threat and action, then I'd definitely recommend this book. Packed with moments of true emotional depth, it kept me completely engaged and entertained right to the very last page.
• 
  Carol Rogers

  This book didn't really grip me like I hoped it would. The storyline was a bit obvious and I feel has been told many times before. I didn't really connect with any of the characters either. I would give this author another try as I did feel it had potential.
• 
  Connie

  Laurie and Anthony were young when they dated and thought they were in love. Anthony is determined to be a very rich man and live in a splendid house. Laurie thinks she loves him until his constant possessiveness and brutal attacks makes her feel trapped.
  
  Laurie managed to escape Anthony and ran away with the man she loved and had a family. But, when her father died, it was said she went home and was attacked by Anthony.
  
  This scenario is bantered about by her surviving son. I tried so hard to follow this book but became quite irritated with the plot that made no sense at all. Unfortunately, it came across as a second rate crime show. Therefore, it was at over the 50 percent point that I gave up.
  There is a limit to my patience. No thanks.
• 
  Donna Wilson

  Zero. Convoluted, tedious, beyond all credibility. Laughable. I’m sorry I read it. This is why I can’t trust 4 and 5 star ratings.
• 
  Peter Fleming

  On finding out from his dying father that there was a chance that his mother may still be alive, Sam’s life if thrown into turmoil. When confronted by the two men who badly beat his father he must run for his life and then is determined to find out whether his father was right.
  
  His only hope is his mother’s friend Tom but that means going back 25 years and to the place where she died, along with his younger brother, and relive the trauma that has blighted his life. He flies out to Connecticut to find Tom and the answers he is looking for, but it becomes clear that he is not the only one interested in the outcome. Mysterious figures seem to follow his every step but who is friend and who is foe?
  
  Initially the plot appears to be thin, centring on whether Sam’s mother Laurie is alive and his search to uncover the truth. Complexity is added by the uncertainty built around the past and the introduction of several mysterious characters. It is these factors that sustain the reader’s interest rather than the usual cliff hangers and action set pieces found in many thrillers.
  
  There are two strands to the narrative. In one the reader follows Sam’s current pursuit of the truth; the other is set in the mid-1990s and follows the life of his mother, then these are brought together near the end. Sam’s part is written in first person, and we see the progress of the search through his perspective as it unfolds, and this allows the reader to be kept in the dark over the roles Jackson and Quinn play out. The overall writing style is unfussy, and this allows for a good pace throughout and the intensity never lets up.
  
  The themes and motivations throughout are strong. Laurie’s desire to escape the clutches of controlling men, Tom’s desire for what he can’t have, David’s despair at his loss and Sam’s regret at his inability to save his younger brother. All these result in psychological damage in one way or another. Former lover Anthony’s obsession with Laurie causes all the pain and misery because he is both ruthless and resourceful, though we eventually discover that there is more to his desire to find Laurie than just to possess her. It’s a story of the power that corrupts and seeking to control the lives of others.
  
  The main character Sam is agreeable and suitably out of his depth both in terms of experience and being in a foreign country. The villains, ruthless Carson and Hunter are from thugs central casting but their boss Anthony is entertainingly demented throughout. In Tom the Afghanistan War veteran we have a credible all action hero who seems to be everywhere and carrying emotional baggage of his own. The most interesting character though is Laurie who must be selfish in her bid to be free from controlling men. She is unable to live her life on her terms but still at times has you thinking ‘how could you?’ even though she is very much sinned against rather than being sinner.
  
  As one would expect there is death and brutality throughout, though none of it is particularly graphic. There is, however, a surprising lack of law enforcement. Being one step ahead of the police is a staple of the genre but perhaps stretching it a little too much here for me.
  
  The subject matter could have made for a very dark novel but instead Mr Veste has turned it into an enjoyable thought-provoking thriller.
  
  Finally I would like to thanks the author, publisher and Net Galley for making this pdf proof available in exchange for a fair review.
• 
  Miki Jacobs

  Brace yourself! I couldn't put this down.
  The story starts some years before with a family's car going into a river and we see the Mother's point of view that they are all drowning.
  Roll forward to the present and somewhere in the back of beyond in the USA a man is killed for information. This in turn leads the reader to the UK where Sam, our main character is on a date with Rachel. He receives a call that his father, who he has not seen in many years, is in hospital and close to death.
  He drops everything and races across the country to be by his estranged father's side. This begins a rollercoaster of danger, guns, missing people and psychopathic egotists.
  Once this starts you, as the reader, feel like you can't draw breathe. There is no let up in the action and you can always feel that danger is close by.
  To tell you more of the story would be spoiling it, but I really enjoyed it.
• 
  Elle

  Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the Arc! This book was eventful from the beginning and the description interested me. I didn’t really vibe with it as much as I thought I would, but the writing was fine and the plot lived up to the summary overall.
  
  I wasn’t really expecting any of what happened. There were a lot of plot twists and a lot of action. There was a lot going on at all times, everyone was constantly in motion. It wasn’t a bad book by any means, just not my usual type of read. If you’re into fast paced action, car chases, etc then this is the book for you!
  
  TWs for; abuse, violence, guns, death, drowning, mentions of alcohol, fire
• 
  Susan

  Thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.
  
  Sam Cooper has lived his life believing his mother and brother died when their car plunged into a river when he was 9. On his deathbed his father tells him that his mother is still alive. In Search of answers Tom heads to America where he risks his life to find out the truth.
  
  I've read a couple of books by Luca Veste before and enjoyed them. This is another great read and one I would recommend to others.
• 
  Mellissa Bushby

  Wow, what an intense book! Goodness, but the people depicted here are truly, truly awful and while I had to suspend belief a little as to just how awful (and obsessive) I rather enjoyed the whole caper after a while.
  
  There were some rather likeable characters, and this glimpse into the underworld reminded me that not all is what it seems. I'm tempted to go look up more books by this author.
  
  Thanks to the publisher for my ARC.
• 
  Lorna

  I was looking forward to this book but sadly I never connected with the characters or plot. This book was not for me.
  
  I give a 2 star rating only because the book was not for me..
  
  I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
• 
  Carol Mageean

  So descriptive to the point of boring. The plot was revealed at the beginning and I found it very difficult to feel interested.