Dead Scared by S.J. Bolton (thoughts)

Wow!  Just wow.  Even now I find myself struggling to put into words just how much I enjoyed this book.  From the very first page and until the end I found myself utterly captivated by this book.  Dead Scared brings back DC Lacey Flint as she goes undercover at the notorious Cambridge college to investigate a recent string of suicides on campus.  Lacey is posing as a student in hopes of learning more about why these young students are choosing to end their lives in such unconventional and violent ways.  But Lacey soon realizes that she is in way over her head as her investigation spirals out of control.

I found this book to be so intense and creepy that I just couldn't put it down!  As soon as Lacey goes undercover the tone and atmosphere of the book goes dark and ominous which led to a deliciously good amount of tension.  I was turning the pages on my reader as fast as I could!  The author chose to switch viewpoints from character to character which worked well for me.  It kept me on my toes and definitely kept me reading for longer periods of time than I normally would.  I just can't emphasize how strong of a hold this book had on me.  This book was dark, it was thrilling, it was fast paced....it was everything that a good thriller should be.  It would have been perfect and an easy 5 star read for me if not for the ending.  The ending was a bit of a let down as it left too many things open.  When I finished I went back and reread and still felt the same way which was a bit disappointing.  I checked and there will be a 3rd book though which gives me some hope that we will get a bit more closure in the next book.  Overall although I found the ending mildly disappointing, the book itself was sooo good that it overrode any qualms that I had for it.  I need more Lacey Flint in my life!

Reading this book (and loving it so much) has catapulted this author and all of her books on to my must read list!  Seriously, I have plans to read anything and everything that she has written including all future books!  If thrillers with dark and creepy atmospheres are your thing, then you must give this author a try.  I strongly recommend that you begin with Now You See Me which is just as amazing of a book!  I honestly wouldn't be surprised if both of these books make it on my top ten reads of 2012 list.  And I'm gushing at this point so I'll end it with a very, very highly recommended!  Read it!

Bottom Line:  An AMAZING thriller!  That's all you need to know :)

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.  My many thanks because this book was such a good read!