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Dead Scared (Lacey Flint #2)

by S.J. Bolton (Goodreads Author)

4.07 of 5 stars 4.07 · rating details · 1,107 ratings · 261 reviews

When a rash of suicides tears through Cambridge University, DI Mark Joesbury recruits DC Lacey Flint to go undercover as a student to investigate. Although each student’s death appears to be a suicide, the psychological histories, social networks, and online activities of the students involved share remarkable similarities, and the London police are not convinced that the...more

Hardcover, 384 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Minotaur Books (first published January 1st 2012)

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Aug 06, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, mysteries

Well, it was bound to happen...a S.J. Bolton book that I wasn't wild about. Obviously, my 3 star rating is still within the Goodreads "Liked It" range, but after voraciously reading every other book she's penned and eagerly awaiting this offering, I was let down in the final analysis.

First to the good:
Bolton is a master of the new gothic novel. This isn't your mother's Mary Stewart. Bolton's heroines have issues . They aren't usually ladies . They struggle with more problems then having to navig...more Well, it was bound to happen...a S.J. Bolton book that I wasn't wild about. Obviously, my 3 star rating is still within the Goodreads "Liked It" range, but after voraciously reading every other book she's penned and eagerly awaiting this offering, I was let down in the final analysis.

First to the good:
Bolton is a master of the new gothic novel. This isn't your mother's Mary Stewart. Bolton's heroines have issues . They aren't usually ladies . They struggle with more problems then having to navigate Grecian hillsides or French woodlands in a pencil skirt and 3 inch heels. My old-fashioned side adores Stewart and all her suave heroes and intelligent heroines, but there's also enough of the modern in me to appreciate the gritty realism that Bolton brings to the gothic table. In this respect, she doesn't disappoint. The plotline is dark and (in the word of my GR friend Jackleen, disturbing). If you have teen children already in college or getting close to it, this story will effect you in a bad way.

Now to the not-so-good:
This particular story wasn't as well executed or characterized as her other novels IMO. While it is an continuation of Bolton's Now You See Me to a primary degree as well as Blood Harvest to a lesser degree, the writing doesn't feel as fine tuned or engaging as those novels. Part of it has to do with Bolton's decision to tell this story in a series of short chapters, with constantly changing POVs (first person, third person) by various characters. There are also several flashback chapters interspersed throughout. The short, choppy chapters and the POV changes were hard for me to follow and didn't help the story flow smoothly. But my biggest gripe with this book (and perhaps a personal one that might not be shared with other readers) was the evolving relationship between her two lead characters (Flint and Joesbury). While their relationship in Now You See Me had potential and was realistic, I felt it became very shallow and juvenile in nature in this book. Their dialogue seemed like something out of a YA novel (not a bad thing if it was a YA novel, but it wasn't). These are two adult, career-professional cops, and it seemed to me as if they were acting like 16 year olds. Given the creepy, disturbing nature of the story, this feature seemed so out of place that it took me out of the story too many times. Finally, the ending seemed truncated. The build-up, the tension, the climax, and then....THE END. What? Was that it? A very disappointing conclusion.

While Dead Scared wasn't the thriller I had anticipated, it was still a decent read and it won't keep me from eagerly anticipating Bolton's next novel. Here's hoping the next one's a stand alone with fresh characters and a new creepy plotline.(less)

11 likes · like · see review

May 27, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, 2012-release, net-galley, own-read

This psychological thriller was totally riveting, and I found myself unable to put it down, while being horrified at the events that were unfolding!

Detective Constable Lacey Flint and Detective Inspector Mark Joesbury have a history together, so coming together in a new case is unsettling for them both, with the tension obvious from the start. Cambridge University has been experiencing an unusually high number of suicides over the past few years, and there is concern that they are not suicides a...more This psychological thriller was totally riveting, and I found myself unable to put it down, while being horrified at the events that were unfolding!

Detective Constable Lacey Flint and Detective Inspector Mark Joesbury have a history together, so coming together in a new case is unsettling for them both, with the tension obvious from the start. Cambridge University has been experiencing an unusually high number of suicides over the past few years, and there is concern that they are not suicides after all.

Joesbury installs Lacey undercover at the university, as Laura Farrow, vulnerable student, just to observe, not investigate. The only person who knows who she really is, is Evi Oliver, psychologist at the University, and the one who had contacted the police in the first place. Evi has her own physical and emotional problems, and struggles with pain continually.

When she enters the university, Laura goes into a share room with another student, Tox, and learns she’s taking the place of Bryony, who recently attempted suicide, and who is now in hospital in a critical condition.

Soon Laura is investigating the students, finding out what she can, against Joesbury’s direct orders. As she discovers they all had bad dreams and being terrified in common, she can’t let it go, and the more she finds out, the more she realizes something incredibly evil and sinister is happening. She feels Evi needs help, that she’s also in danger, and when Laura meets Dr Nick Bell, who seems to be showing an unhealthy interest in Bryony, her suspicions are further aroused.

As Laura starts to put things together, she begins experiencing some very strange ‘episodes’ herself. The danger is escalating, and horrifying, spine chilling events keep occurring. Is Laura/Lacey going to be able to find the killers before she is another statistic...is Joesbury going to be able to get Lacey out before it’s too late?

I absolutely loved this thriller, gruesome though it was. It was a little disjointed, but I feel that is because it is an ARC copy. The storyline was brilliant, woven together very cleverly. I recommend this to all thriller lovers, especially the ones who love the psychological aspects of a story!
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Feb 11, 2012 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars

S J Bolton certainly can serve up a page-turning story, I was totally gripped by this fast-paced thriller, with it's twists and turns and very very strange happenings.

Despite not having read the first book in the series about DC Lacey Flint and her boss DI Mark Joesbury, it was not difficult to pick up some of their past history. It was clear from the beginning that they had a somewhat unusual relationship, and their tensions only added to what is at times an incredibly tense story line.

The Camb...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Sebastian rated it 4 of 5 stars

"If Joesbury knew what I'd just done, he'd tell me I'd taken the needy-fruitcake act that was Laura Farrow a bit far"

To say this is a page-turner would be a humongous understatement. This is one of those books that are pretty much impossible to put down, due to its nice blend of thrills, action, suspense and horror. However, in order to truly enjoy this book you have to disconnect your critical thinking ability for a while and assume that everything that is going on makes sense and the characte...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Leah rated it 5 of 5 stars

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, Bolt...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Priyanka rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am gonna go with 4.5 for this one. I would have given this book 5 stars but the ending forced me to cut down the rating.
This is my first book by the author and definitely not the last one. I bought this book last week and the minute I started reading I couldn't put it down. This book is a crime fiction in true sense. The plot is solid and the twist and turns forced me to sit on the edge. There were times when I wanted to scream to Laura/Lacey not to go alone or do that...lol... that's what th...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2013

Psychological insight can be deadly in the wrong hands

When I read this book was nominated for the 2013 Mary Higgins Clark Award I was intrigued though S.J. Bolton was already someone I’d been meaning to read. What a relief it was to read a mystery that was based in reality rather some bizarre psycho doing improbable things. Bolton’s novel seems, sadly, all too believable. It’s set at England’s prestigious Cambridge University where a young, beautiful police officer is asked to go undercover pret...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-loan

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...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Kristina rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: brain-candy, fiction, library-book, mystery-thriller

I seriously suspect that two different people write under the name of S.J. Bolton. One S.J. Bolton writes very well plotted mysteries with complex characters (Sacrifice, Awakening, Now You See Me). The second S.J. Bolton writes wildly implausible mysteries with ridiculous romance novel overtones (Blood Harvest and Dead Scared). I can’t figure how the two books (Blood Harvest and Dead Scared) can be so different from the other three; the author is either two people writing under one alias or the...more

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Dec 04, 2012 Joanne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery

This is a book I received through Goodreads and the first one I have read by SJ Bolton. I have heard good things about her, so I was looking forward to it.

Lacey Flint is a police officer who is working undercover, posing as a Cambridge University student. There has been a spate of suicides amongst female students at the university. The methods the women have chosen to kill themselves are highly unusual - one sets herself on fire, another decapitates herself. What the women seem to have in common...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Dawn Barton rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first outing with S J Bolton and I can honestly say I found the characters and the plot "Dead Scared", pardon the pun.

DC Lacey Flint is sent undercover at Cambridge University, posing as a student at St John's College. She is sent there by DI Mark Joesbury, after it emerges that an alarming number of students are committing suicide there in unusual and bizarre ways. Evi Oliver is a psychiatrist and who's the only other person who knows that Lacey is not a real student. Evi has also started to...more

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Oct 26, 2012 Gloria Feit rated it 5 of 5 stars

The brief prologue sets the scene for the reader: Near midnight; one of the tallest towers in Cambridge, England; D.I. Mark Joesbury, racing up the stairs to its roof; and a young woman perched near the ledge at the top. And then the reader is brought back eleven days in time to see how they got there, with a 1st person p.o.v. of D.C. Lacey Flint, which alternates with third-person perspectives. Flint has been “loaned out” from the Southwark Police to the Special Crimes Directorate of the Metrop...more The brief prologue sets the scene for the reader: Near midnight; one of the tallest towers in Cambridge, England; D.I. Mark Joesbury, racing up the stairs to its roof; and a young woman perched near the ledge at the top. And then the reader is brought back eleven days in time to see how they got there, with a 1st person p.o.v. of D.C. Lacey Flint, which alternates with third-person perspectives. Flint has been “loaned out” from the Southwark Police to the Special Crimes Directorate of the Metropolitan Police which deals with covert ops, typically being sent on “difficult and dangerous situations.” As we are introduced to them, the slightly flirtatious banter underlying their meetings hints at the least of a possible romantic entanglement between them at some point in the relatively recent past.

Lacey goes undercover as a student at Cambridge University after the latest in a number of suicides, with a suspicion that there is more than meets the eye. The death was only the latest of three suicides during the current academic year. The only one outside of her police colleagues who knows the truth is Dr. Evi Oliver, head of student counseling. The belief is that there is “something decidedly sinister” going on. Lacey’s remit is to “keep a lookout for any unhealthy subculture that might be unduly influencing young people.”

Initially Lacey feels out of her element: “I knew I’d never get used to it,” in a place where “Wordsworth and Wilberforce weren’t characters from history but alumni.” But she is there to do a job, and it becomes increasingly urgent. Within several days, one more death occurs. And further investigation indicates that there have been a total of nineteen suicides over the past five years, far more than the general statistics on suicide would bear out. And the manner of death chosen is not what might be expected, including self-immolation by one girl and another who’d decapitated herself. As the days go on, whatever is going on threatens to ensnare Lacey herself.

This is a book at once not an easy read and yet difficult to put down, much more so on both counts as the book progresses. The fifth novel from Ms. Bolton, this is the first I have read, but it will certainly not be the last. It is a nail-biter, beautifully written, and highly recommended.
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Oct 04, 2012 Amy Lignor rated it 5 of 5 stars

Every once in a great while, you have the gift of reading a book that was so good, you know that your review will not do it justice. This is that book!

DC Lacey Flint is back. Briefly thought of as a murderer by one, Mark Joesbury, DI, she’s back in the ‘fold’ being asked by Mark and his superior to help them out with a case. She will be in no trouble this time around and doesn’t even have to investigate anything. All she has to do is go undercover as a “lonely” student at Cambridge University an...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Since Tana French cannot reasonably be expected to write a terrific book every six months just to keep me entertained, I find that I must expand my police procedural crime fiction horizons. I had high hopes for S.J. Bolton & her good-looking detectives who are in love with each other yet have a mysterious past that keeps them apart. This starts off great, keeps up a sharp pace, and was the reason I was sleepy at work the day after I started it – for the first 300 pages or so, it was really h...more Since Tana French cannot reasonably be expected to write a terrific book every six months just to keep me entertained, I find that I must expand my police procedural crime fiction horizons. I had high hopes for S.J. Bolton & her good-looking detectives who are in love with each other yet have a mysterious past that keeps them apart. This starts off great, keeps up a sharp pace, and was the reason I was sleepy at work the day after I started it – for the first 300 pages or so, it was really hard to put down. Yet the closer I got to the end, the more I found myself asking the question you Must Not ask in crime fiction: Why? So this one guy with a really cool Welsh name found his sister putting their father’s skull back together after he committed suicide, but while I can buy that this might scar a person pretty grotesquely, would it lead to this? To searching out fragile people at your college & sending them online questionnaires about their phobias & drugging them & staging mockups of their school rooms to freak them out & dosing them with hallucinogens & constantly surveilling them to slowly drive them mad & just why? What is the justification of all this hard work? Because we’re mean? Because we're crazy? And while I get that this brother & sister can be expected to be nuts, who are these other people involved? Why do they care? And isn’t this after all a college? If the roommate is really the sister & in on the whole thing, where does she ever find the time to keep up with her coursework? Plot threads! Unraveling!

Then how on earth, after giving her LSD or whatever, did this dastardly crew get lady detective/bad guy bait Lacey back to the school & up on the roof without being caught, or how did she get there if they didn’t have anything to do with it? And what about, you know, catching these criminals? Well, “ . . . they’ve put out an all-ports warning on three different cars.” Thank god for that, I guess. Case closed. These people are criminal masterminds that have been perpetrating the most convoluted murder scheme I’ve ever heard of without a hitch for decades, but I guess we know what cars they own, so escape is now impossible. Cue implication that good-looking detectives are going to live happily ever after, so nothing else is explained. Three stars for what happens before it all falls to implausible pieces, but S.J. Bolton has not earned a place as my Tana replacement.
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Jul 20, 2012 Maxine McLister rated it 3 of 5 stars

There has been a marked increase in the number of suicides among pretty young co-eds at Cambridge University. Not only has the number increased but the methods used have become increasingly more bizarre and violent. In the most recent case, the girl set herself on fire.

Dr Evi Oliver, a resident psychologist, is convinced that something sinister is going on and, more to appease her than because he agrees (or so it, at first, appears) DCI Mark Joesbury sends DC Lacey Flint in undercover as a sligh...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Annette S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dead Scared is the fifth book by S.J. Bolton and the second with DC Lacey Flint as the main protagonist.
In Dead Scared, Lacey is sent undercover to Cambridge University where there have been a number of student suicides. DC Flint assumes the identity of an emotionally vulnerable young woman - the profile of those who have recently died. She is sent purely to gather information and report back, but as she begins to be affected by the deaths she can't help but become involved.
The suicide victims...more

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Jun 25, 2012 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really liked this book, but it frustrated me. Bolton does so many things well - creates characters we care about, crafts a suspenseful atmosphere and mood, keeps us turning the pages. But there are some issues here, and those are what cause me to give this four cupcakes, rather than five.

Dead Scared is the follow up to Now You See Me, but you can read this without having read its predecessor (I did, although I will say I am intrigued by what the first book might have included). Lacey Flint - e...more

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Jun 23, 2012 Jerome Parisse rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love SJ Bolton's work. I think she is a great writer, very inventive, her novels are riveting, her characters exciting, and she is also a nice person from what I can gather! Dead Scared is a thriller about a high number of suicides taking place in Cambridge University. DC Flint is asked to pretend to be a student and find out if there is anything unusual that pushed students to commit suicide. What she uncovers, with Joe Marksbury, another fantastic character from Bolton's previous work, is th...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Rebecca Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: global-detective-fiction

Well...this will do it for me. I just can't get into this series. The writing and characterizations have not improved or deepened from the first book in the series. I have several beefs with this book beyond that. The plot is absurd. If a writer is going to give us a book with a plot this outlandish, it must have a strong foundation in terms of motivation and explanations for how things have happened. Readers are left basically clueless about why these evil people are being so evil and how they...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

S.J. Bolton's "Dead Scared" takes place on the campus of England's prestigious Cambridge University. There have been a rash of unusually violent suicides among young women there, so DC Mark Joesbury recruits youthful-looking DC Lacey Flint to go deep undercover to see what she can find out.

Flint works with psychologist Evi Oliver, whose patient list included several of the young women who died.

Soon, though, both Flint and Oliver find themselves having peculiar dreams that feature their own phob...more

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May 21, 2012 D.M. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers

Police officer Lacey Flint is sent undercover to Cambridge University to pose as a psychology student to get information about a spate of bizarrely carried out suicides involving young women. What she finds out puts her own life in extreme danger...

A new-to-me thriller writer to try and didn't take too long to get through. Mixed feelings about it though. Firstly, the author has a vivacity to keep a reader interested enough, but there were times when I felt as if the protagonist was not very brig...more Police officer Lacey Flint is sent undercover to Cambridge University to pose as a psychology student to get information about a spate of bizarrely carried out suicides involving young women. What she finds out puts her own life in extreme danger...

A new-to-me thriller writer to try and didn't take too long to get through. Mixed feelings about it though. Firstly, the author has a vivacity to keep a reader interested enough, but there were times when I felt as if the protagonist was not very bright, for instance, she complains to someone of having "the flu", but cannot put two and two together about how she is herself experiencing the very 'symptoms' that the serial killers have been exacting from their victims. She begins also to develop a romantic relationship with one of the suspects, even staying overnight and remembering not to drink his wine, which she doubts could be free of a drug that would make her pass out. And while the author lightly touches on the previous stories involving Flint and her love interest Jonesbury (her comanding officer in the force), I think she assumes that her readers are well acquainted from her previous novels. So, having never read anything by Bolton before, I just couldn't get caught up in the relationship with these two characters.

But there is one excellent redeeming feature of this novel and that is in the storyline. Sometimes one might read a novel and be merely entertained, and, at other times there's something real to be found within the fiction. I feel that Dead Scared offers an insight into something that is worth considering in a world where there are certain individuals giving themselves to narcisstic pursuits and selfish acts of unconscionable nature. For instance, when someone suffers a terrible misfortune in a public place and there's some ghoul who instead of offering help, will instead get the humiliating incident recorded on mobile phone and next thing you know a poor unfortunate is world-wide on Youtube.

This novel goes one step further with a plot involving 'trolls', those people that intentionally go out of their way to promote misery in other human beings. In the campus environment of Cambridge University, there are those with enough intelligence and resources to troll for women suffering depression and to use that to work them towards suicide. I remember watching the film Chatroom, directed by Hideo Nakata, that dealt with the ability of some to gain sick narcisstic pleasure from the woes of others to the end that that their victims will suicide.

One could say that such things belong in the realm of fiction but I would not be surprised at all that such things exist and that there are those who would desire to get the terrible misfortunes of others on camera. Overall, the novel is worth reading for the benefit of making-you-think.(less)

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May 22, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dead Scared
By
S.J.Bolton

My very brief summary...

Lacey...detective...is mysteriously sent to work undercover at Cambridge University...circumstances are odd and secretive.

My thoughts...

Students...over a period of years...are committing suicide in strange and horrific ways. They appear to be drugged, confused, and violated. They disappear for a few days and upon their return...attempt to kill themselves in horrible ways...no two ways are the same.
Lacey has one person who knows her identity...Evi......more

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May 17, 2012 Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Mallory Anne-Marie by: Great Minds Think Aloud

Shelves: may-2012-reads

Any mystery from S J Bolton will be a gem and a treasure and “Dead Scared” is no exception. Here is the return of Detective Constable Lacey Flint, who first graced us in “Now You See Me.” Lacey (of course not her real name) is recovering from an incident some months ago which nearly took the life of Detective Inspector Mark Joesbury, a man who unwittingly holds her heart, as she holds his. Joesbury recruits Lacey to go undercover at Cambridge University, where the suicide rate in the last few ye...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

To be published by Minotaur Books June 5, 2012

My sincere thanks to Alison Fisher, Library Marketing Coordinator, Adult TradeMacmillan for providing the e-galley for my reading pleasure.

Dreams, Darkness, Danger, Death!

If you're prone to nightmares, you might want to skip Dead Scared. If you love psychological manipulation, then this is the right book for you.

Bolton brings back characters DC Lacey Flint and by DI Mark Joesbury introduced in Now You See Me, and the tension between them heats once...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Miles rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviews

SJ Bolton has done it again; I’m beginning to wonder if this woman can do no wrong! Dead Scared is the third title I’ve had the pleasure reading – not quite sure if pleasure is an apt description given the subject matter! - and once again she has delivered an assured and gripping title I couldn’t and didn’t want to put down. Read over two days, the majority in one sitting, Dead Scared had me hooked from the very first chapter as I raced through the book eager to find out what happened to the pro...more SJ Bolton has done it again; I’m beginning to wonder if this woman can do no wrong! Dead Scared is the third title I’ve had the pleasure reading – not quite sure if pleasure is an apt description given the subject matter! - and once again she has delivered an assured and gripping title I couldn’t and didn’t want to put down. Read over two days, the majority in one sitting, Dead Scared had me hooked from the very first chapter as I raced through the book eager to find out what happened to the protagonists. What I didn’t expect was to come across a couple of characters I last saw in Blood Harvest – Harry (the vicar from Heptonclough) and Psychiatrist Evi Oliver – it was great to see them again even though Harry’s appearance is rather fleeting, I wanted more!

The book also marks the second outing for DI Mark Joesbury and DC Lacey Flint and once again the pair skirt around an obvious animal/love attraction that’s clear for all to see but they refuse to give in to their feelings – or do they? You’ll just have to read to find out! Lacey Flint is an intriguing character; she appears more open this time around – a depth that wasn’t there in Now You See Me - yet at the same time a lot more vulnerable but dogged and determined all the same. Lacey Flint is a terrifically arousing literary character. Deep undercover as a young college student at St John’s College Cambridge we experience two sides to her character but she soon discovers keeping them separate won’t be as easy as she thinks. As soon as Flint arrives at the college she’s on the back foot and under pressure, her cover almost blown before she has time to settle.

Another character to shine through was Evi Oliver. Like Flint she’s having a tough time of it - both physically and mentally – but one thing’s for sure, Oliver is a fighter, she needs to be. I loved the way Bolton has written her into this story; she wrestles with patient confidentiality, struggles with a debilitating injury and an increasing pain her meds refuse to combat, she’s not in a great place.

Dead Scared is without doubt character driven but the story itself holds strong and along with a plot that is both imaginative and very well structured, the narrative is taut and as I’ve come to expect from SJ Bolton incredibly easy to read. One of my favourite parts with this book was the humorous exchange of emails between Joesbury and Flint. Mostly sent in the early hours of the morning, sometimes under the influence of alcohol and lack of sleep, the pair skirt around the flirtatious issues neither are prepared to admit face to face! The way Flint talks to her superior had me in stitches “sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”. Classic.

Full Review on my blog:- http://www.milorambles.com/2012/04/05...(less)

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Jan 25, 2012 Annette Gisby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Thriller and whodunnit fans

Shelves: thriller

A Thriller that Thrills

Cambridge University has been suffering a spate of suicides, more than would be statistcally be expected. Most of the victims have been very attractive young women, again a statistical anomaly. Psychiatrist Dr. Evi Oliver, new head of the student counselling service is worried that something else might be going on. Detective Lacey Flint is sent in deep undercover to post as a depression-prone, potential suicidal student. Dr. Oliver and her boss, Mark Joesbury are the only...more A Thriller that Thrills

Cambridge University has been suffering a spate of suicides, more than would be statistcally be expected. Most of the victims have been very attractive young women, again a statistical anomaly. Psychiatrist Dr. Evi Oliver, new head of the student counselling service is worried that something else might be going on. Detective Lacey Flint is sent in deep undercover to post as a depression-prone, potential suicidal student. Dr. Oliver and her boss, Mark Joesbury are the only two who know who Lacey really is and soon she doesn't just feel alone on the campus, she is. Some of the young women reported bad dreams before they died, that they felt like someone was watching them all the time and they wake up sometimes with no memory of where they've been or what they've done.

Lacey soon starts investigating on her own, even though her brief was to stay low-profile and not rock the boat. All the victims had one thing in common, before they died they all reported being scared. They each had different phobias, different fears and they killed themselves by different methods. Is there some sort of cyber-bullying going on at Cambridge targeting the vulnerable or is something else going on? Lacey is determined to get to the bottom of it, but before she does she starts having weird dreams, just like all the others.

Dead Scared was a fast-paced thriller that kept me gripped from the very first page. I just couldn't seem to turn them fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. We've met Evi Oliver before in Blood Harvest and I was glad to see her back again, I love her as a character. Lacey and Joesbury first appeared in Now You See Me and I have a feeling they will back for more criminal adventures soon.

I've read quite a few thrillers and a lot of the time I can guess who the bad guy or bad guys were, but in this one I didn't figure it out until quite near the end, which was a treat for me.

This is more of a personal preference, but the Lacey parts were written from a first-person perspective, which is not my favourite. But it's testament to the strength of the writing that after a while I didn't notice and just got engrossed in the story.

An excellent thriller. (less)

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Jan 29, 2013 Shaun rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, crime, fiction, london

Bit confused about this one. I recently read the first book by Bolton featuring Lacey Flint. I thought she was a fantastic multilayered character who I really enjoyed reading about. And so I started this second book in the series full of anticipation of what I assumed would be another fantastic read. And for the first 100 pages or so it was a good read but after that I just got bored.

That isn't to say that the book isn't good, you only have to look at the other reviews to know that, but my perso...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Elisamatt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: police-procedural

I couldn't have said before this book that SJ seems to be writing a serial police procedural. Some of the characters in "Blood Harvest" appear in this book and the paranoia is held to a somewhat more believable level. It's an enjoyable read, & mostly the good guys win. I sure would have liked to have known is Megan, the maybe evil psychiatrist was really in cahoots with the bad guys, or was she doing it for lust? Ditto with Dr. Bell----was he a pawn of evil, or hapless? Did he survive his he...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Laurie Stevens rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 13, 2012 Mary Gilligan-Nolan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This latest book from S.J. Bolton, features two characters from a previous book D.C. Lacey Flint and D.I. Joesbury (Now You See Me). She has decided maybe to write a series, as opposed to her previous stand-alone books. Joesbury tells Lacey she has an assignment to go to Cambridge and pose as an undercover student, to look into a higher than usual suicide rate of female students. The methods of suicide are also extremely unusual and particularly brutal. She has only one contact there, Dr. Evi Ol...more

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About S.J. Bolton

Sharon J Bolton was born and brought up in Lancashire, the eldest of three daughters. As a child, she dreamed of becoming an actress and a dancer, studying ballet, tap and jazz from a young age and reading drama at Loughborough University.

She spent her early career in marketing and PR before returning to full-time education to study for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Warwick Univers...more

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“He’ll never know what it would be like, to wake up beside her.” — 2 people liked it

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Dead Scared (Lacey Flint #2)

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