thain's review against another edition
3.0
This was not my favorite as it relied on people withholding crucial information from each other for no good reason, not to mention some stagey villains. But there was a crossover with characters from another book and I finally got the romantic resolution I'd hoped for them, so it was worth it.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
5.0
Finished reading: August 1st 2019
"There are times when just waking up can feel like the hardest thing anyone could ever ask you to do. The first morning after your child has died, perhaps. Or after the man you adore has walked out. You would give anything, certainly the rest of your life, to stay down in the darkness of not knowing."
Spoiler
I had my first encounter with Lacey Flint two years ago and while I didn't manage to warm up to her character then, I've been meaning to read the sequel ever since as I thought the series had a lot of promise. I'm glad I finally picked up Dead Scared, because I ended up loving it! It's been too long since I read the first book to make a proper comparison, but based on my general feelings I can say this book is without doubt stronger than the first book. What a plot! What a disturbing and twisted situation Lacey finds herself in! The writing is engaging and makes you turn the pages at hyperspeed, but it is the plot that is the true star of Dead Scared. The whole situation with the bad dreams, the creepy things happening to the characters and the suicides without doubt chilled me to the bone. The plot was very cleverly contructed, complex and filled with twists to keep you guessing about the full scope of the situation. There are a lot of twisted and disturbing scenes included in Dead Scared, and trigger warnings are in place for abuse, rape, violence, mental health and suicide among other elements. This story is definitely not fit for those with a weak stomach! But if you think you can manage, Dead Scared will attack you both with psychological terror and disturbing action scenes that will leave you feeling uneasy and looking over your shoulder. I really loved the undercover angle and the psychological aspect of this story as well! In short, Dead Scared is without doubt a very twisted and disturbing read, and literally stuff made out of nightmares. I'm curious to see if book three will be able to live up to this book!
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
fictionfan's review against another edition
5.0
Spine-tingling…
With this second instalment of her Lacey Flint series, SJ Bolton has set herself a new standard – one that ensures her place amongst the very best of contemporary crime writers.
Although I enjoyed the first in the series, Now you see me, I had some reservations around both style and characterisation. But not with this one. Scary enough to be truly spine-tingling, well-plotted enough to keep the suspense going throughout and with some really funny moments to lighten the tone, Bolton has given us a real treat of a novel. I felt the lead character, detective Lacey Flint, has been changed quite a bit since her last outing and for the better. She has become a more open, much more likeable character, less of a loner and now with a sense of humour and considerably less angst – all to the good. Her interaction with Evi Oliver, student counsellor, is very convincing as is her relationship, both personal and professional, with DI Mark Joesbury.
The plot about a spate of students committing suicide couldn’t be much darker, and there are bits that are very unsettling and downright creepy. Bolton handles the tension masterfully right up to the end and certainly left this reader hoping that the series will continue for some time to come. Highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
With this second instalment of her Lacey Flint series, SJ Bolton has set herself a new standard – one that ensures her place amongst the very best of contemporary crime writers.
Although I enjoyed the first in the series, Now you see me, I had some reservations around both style and characterisation. But not with this one. Scary enough to be truly spine-tingling, well-plotted enough to keep the suspense going throughout and with some really funny moments to lighten the tone, Bolton has given us a real treat of a novel. I felt the lead character, detective Lacey Flint, has been changed quite a bit since her last outing and for the better. She has become a more open, much more likeable character, less of a loner and now with a sense of humour and considerably less angst – all to the good. Her interaction with Evi Oliver, student counsellor, is very convincing as is her relationship, both personal and professional, with DI Mark Joesbury.
The plot about a spate of students committing suicide couldn’t be much darker, and there are bits that are very unsettling and downright creepy. Bolton handles the tension masterfully right up to the end and certainly left this reader hoping that the series will continue for some time to come. Highly recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Almost as good as the first (Now You See Me) and just as dark. Equally good is the fact that there's very little "if you didn't read the last book you won't understand this but..." - perfect sequel work!
This time we're in Cambridge, and Lacey's undercover as a potentially fragile student prone to depression. Why? Because there have been other suicide attempts there and the head of clinical services is concerned. Turns out that there have been five or more suicides per academic year for the past few years, statistically anomalous, and the methods have been strangely violent for women (who tend to use non-violent methods of killing themselves).
So far, so good. I like the dark atmosphere, love the setting. The twists - who's behind it, who's really trustworthy - are interesting and again, I didn't catch them all.
The one star loss is for two reasons. The first: Lacey and Mark's relationship doesn't feel as real as it did in the previous book. There's banter that doesn't work, let alone sound like two people who might have a professional relationship in addition to the personal one. The second: one of Lacey's "charms" is that she frequently goes awol in order to follow her hunches, and if the Met didn't want her to do that, why send her to Cambridge? Why not give her all the information she needs before goes and then let her do her thing? I know, I know, it's because without that there's little tension between Lacey and Mark professionally. But really? Sigh.
Six months (ish) before the third. Looking forward.
This time we're in Cambridge, and Lacey's undercover as a potentially fragile student prone to depression. Why? Because there have been other suicide attempts there and the head of clinical services is concerned. Turns out that there have been five or more suicides per academic year for the past few years, statistically anomalous, and the methods have been strangely violent for women (who tend to use non-violent methods of killing themselves).
So far, so good. I like the dark atmosphere, love the setting. The twists - who's behind it, who's really trustworthy - are interesting and again, I didn't catch them all.
The one star loss is for two reasons. The first: Lacey and Mark's relationship doesn't feel as real as it did in the previous book. There's banter that doesn't work, let alone sound like two people who might have a professional relationship in addition to the personal one. The second: one of Lacey's "charms" is that she frequently goes awol in order to follow her hunches, and if the Met didn't want her to do that, why send her to Cambridge? Why not give her all the information she needs before goes and then let her do her thing? I know, I know, it's because without that there's little tension between Lacey and Mark professionally. But really? Sigh.
Six months (ish) before the third. Looking forward.
antithesis90's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable mystery read and less "creepy" than her previous Lacey Flint novel as well as her stand alone thrillers; I didn't need to sleep with the lights on during this read!
I found the story simpler to follow than the first Flint novel so it was an easier read. I did enjoy the different style taken, with shorter chapters from different perspectives.
My main critique is the end was wrapped up too nicely, too quickly; what was the motivation of the "evildoers"? After having a very thorough understanding of the "criminal" in the first novel, I felt this analysis was noticeably absent. Additionally the ending was rather abrupt (and the conclusion of Evi's story a bit too saccharine).
That said, I'll happily continue to the next one.
I found the story simpler to follow than the first Flint novel so it was an easier read. I did enjoy the different style taken, with shorter chapters from different perspectives.
My main critique is the end was wrapped up too nicely, too quickly; what was the motivation of the "evildoers"? After having a very thorough understanding of the "criminal" in the first novel, I felt this analysis was noticeably absent. Additionally the ending was rather abrupt (and the conclusion of Evi's story a bit too saccharine).
That said, I'll happily continue to the next one.
laul's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
courtthebookgirl's review against another edition
3.0
A good, quick read for anyone interested in suspense. I wasn't really happy with the abrupt ending which didn't provide the wrap-up I was looking for, but otherwise I enjoyed it. I'd read other books by Bolton.
bgg616's review against another edition
3.0
I'd give this 3 and a half stars. While I like Bolton's mysteries, the premise of this was so far fetched all the way through the book, that when you find out what is really going on it is still not feasible. And in the end, I wasn't sure who all of the "bad guys" were. There are a few romantic happenings and maybe one will continue in the next book.
colleenlh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
awelsh's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75