Dead Scared

Cambridge Police detective Lacey Flint goes undercover as a student at Cambridge University to investigate a series of student suicides. Working with psychiatrist Evi Oliver, Flint discovers the deaths may be connected to a pattern of extreme nightmares and sleep disturbances reported across campus. As Flint immerses herself in student life and gets closer to potential victims, she begins experiencing similar psychological symptoms to those who died. Her investigation leads her through the university's dark corridors and into the orbits of both suspicious faculty members and troubled students. The case forces Flint to confront her own past trauma while racing to prevent more deaths. DI Mark Joesbury maintains contact from London, providing support as the boundaries between Flint's undercover identity and reality start to blur. This psychological thriller examines themes of vulnerability, institutional power, and the thin line between nightmares and reality. The historic Cambridge setting serves as both a gothic backdrop and a commentary on how places of learning can harbor hidden dangers.

Readers describe Dead Scared as a tense psychological thriller with a dark atmosphere. Many found the Cambridge University setting added authenticity and called the plot unpredictable. Readers appreciated: - The complex relationship between detectives Lacey and Joesbury - Realistic portrayal of police procedures - Building sense of dread throughout - Integration of folklore and local history - Strong female protagonist Common criticisms: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle sections - A few readers called the ending rushed - Occasional confusion about timeline jumps - Some wanted more background on side characters Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (7,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (450+ ratings) BookBrowse: 4.5/5 (125+ ratings) "The atmosphere of fear is palpable" and "creepy in all the right ways" appear frequently in reviews. Multiple readers noted they "couldn't put it down" despite finding some scenes disturbing.

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🔍 Dead Scared is the second book in Bolton's Lacey Flint series, following her debut novel Now You See Me. 🏛️ The novel is set at Cambridge University, where several students have been dying by suicide in unusually theatrical and disturbing ways. ✍️ Sharon Bolton originally published under the name S.J. Bolton until 2013, when she began using her full name. 🌟 The book received the Mary Higgins Clark Award nomination and was praised for its psychological depth and atmospheric portrayal of Cambridge. 🎭 Bolton drew inspiration from real cases of suicide clusters in academic institutions, weaving this phenomenon into her fictional narrative while exploring themes of mass hysteria and suggestibility.