A History of Fear, by Luke Dumas
Publisher’s description for A History of Fear, by Luke Dumas:
“The Devil is in Scotland.
Grayson Hale, the most infamous murderer in Scotland, is better known by a different name: the Devil’s Advocate. The twenty-five-year-old American grad student rose to instant notoriety when he confessed to the slaughter of his classmate Liam Stewart, claiming the Devil made him do it.
When Hale is found hanged in his prison cell, officers uncover a handwritten manuscript that promises to answer the question that’s haunted the nation for years: was Hale a lunatic, or had he been telling the truth all along?”
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Five stars. A History of Fear is atmospheric, creepy, and unlike anything I’ve read before. A slow burning, uneasy read that keeps you off-kilter throughout. Masterfully done, Dumas lays the groundwork thread by agonizing thread to keep you on your toes, never knowing what to expect or who to trust. With the protagonist’s somewhat odd and arm’s-length writing style, you’re somehow both sucked in and unnerved, not sure what’s happening or what is coming. I was hooked and especially could not read the second half fast enough. All the way through to the very end you’re sure there is still more coming—and you’re not wrong.
This is a perfect spooky season read. I only wish it were going to be available before December!