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!

The Devil is in Scotland, and he want you to know all about him. That’s the basic premise of this debut novel which, to its credit, is anything but basic.
Oh no, this is a twisted descent into madness rendered so vividly, so terrifyingly, that you’ll have difficulty putting it down.
Is it a perfect book? No, not by any means. But it’s a really, really good one.
So, onto details…
A young man from a heavily religious and severely traumatizing upbringing comes to Scotland to attend University. The Devil finds him and commissions him to write a book about him.
(How strongly does it echo Angel’s Game? Very strongly. But present-day Scotland is a far cry from post WWII Barcelona, so there’s that.)
Anyway, the young man is terrified of the project for it has every potential to rekindle his once crippling phobia, but is desperate for money and so he reluctantly takes it on and finds himself spiraling further and further out of control.
But that’s actually the before story. The book stars with the aftermath, so we know just how far the spiraling went. So far that he became a notorious “Devil made him do it” murderer nicknamed Devil’s Advocate, went to prison for it and died there.
The book is an account assembled by a journalist with interest in the case. It comprises the young man’s own narrative allegedly found afterwards and interviews and testimonies of people relevant to the case.
The separate elements add up into a cohesive and riveting sum total. A novel as intense and as bleak and as unsettling as any dark psychological fiction/literary horror fans might wish for.
The atmosphere is perfect. The madness is technicolor. The way the author writes about panic attacks and anxiety is right on the money.
The only detractor here for me was the way the homosexual angle was handled. And hey, before you start the accusations of homophobia, hear me out. Nothing against it, but here in this novel it was so freaking heavy-handed. The rest of the novel is terrifically subtle in that is he or isn’t he going mad and what is lurking in those shadows way. But the homosexual aspect is layered in so thickly as too almost be clumsy with it. And yes, unlike the rest of the plot, you can see it coming from across the Atlantic. It ends up almost preachy with it. Disappointingly so for such an otherwise strong novel.
The author obviously did that old “write what you know” thing here. Being a homosexual American man who attended a University in Scotland, he created a protagonist he could understand and recognize. But not subtly. And agenda heavy.
But aside from that, the novel worked really well. So well written, so creepy, so engaging. Definitely something fans ought to check out. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

I have mixed thoughts about this book. I thought the idea was so cool and there were some moments that reminded me of the creepiest scenes from the third "Exorcist" movie. That said, I don't think that the execution quite made it to the point where this was frightening and creepy (other than those few moments which were creepy, they were just few and far between). The narrative plays a lot with your assumptions about Grayson and I think one of the biggest failings for me in this was the reliance on delusions as a plot device and as an element of shock value. I don't know, I felt that the way Dumas illustrates it here just really rubbed me the wrong way. I wanted to be scared, not sad about how in reality, delusions do affect people to similar breaking points as Grayson.

It takes a lot to really scare me, I'll be honest, but this just did not affect me the way I anticipated. I kind of thought everything about this was middling. I think Dumas can be a really great writer with the way he set the story up and ended things, but the rest just fell so short.

I'd recommend this if you're into shows like "Criminal Minds" or "American Horror Story" since I can see others being frightened and enjoying it.

I have mixed feelings about this book.

Let me begin by accentuating the positive: The author’s writing style is quite engaging and the set up of this book adds well to its supsense.

Plus, how about that ending?!?! It deserves a round of applause, for sure. I know I won’t be the only one kicking myself for the thing I failed to see all along.

Even though Grayson is the villain of this story, he was a sympathetic one. Learning about his childhood - his narcissistic mother, his emotionally distant father, his cruel brother, the stringent religious beliefs that mocked and controlled him, and the persecutory delusions that haunted him while his mental illness was blatantly ignored by his family - made my heart ache. It felt so real. I know families like this exist and I know how harmful religion can be, especially when the denial of mental illness comes into play. Grayson was relentlessly shamed for who he was. It was easy to see how that could drive him to his breaking point.

This is where I struggled, though. The rawness of his painful background made the blurred line between persecutory delusions and supernatural influence difficult to accept. I’ve mentioned before how insensitive I think delusions as a twist are, but this mental illness symptom wasn’t a twist here. It was an ever present possibility regarding the murder, yet still a convoluted device meant to deceive and shock the reader. The intent is to make you question whether these things are really happening or if Grayson has imagined it all. Because delusions are a torturous reality for some, affecting their own lives and the lives of their loved ones, I felt increasingly uncomfortable with the way this was illustrated in the book.

I had misgivings about the story early on but chose to trust the author would develop it into something meaningful. After all, Grayson’s history felt so realistically depicted. I wanted a takeaway that would redeem the aspect that did not sit well with me. While the ending was impressively clever and the last few lines raised an interesting point, I remain unimpressed with the way delusions were used in the story.

Luke Dumas is a skilled storyteller, but this book did not provoke me the way it should have. It just made me sad.

I am immensely grateful to Atria Books for my digital review copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and comment on Luke Dumas' 'A History of Fear.'

This is an unsettling book that plays with your assumptions and twists your thinking time and again in the same way it twists the thinking of the main characters - Grayson Hale (murderer or dupe of the devil) and journalist/author who's our overall narrator. Is this a case of the devil manipulating a young and susceptible man to his own ends or is it a series of events and crimes, delusions and hallucinations, born of deep-seated psychological horrors and repressed homosexuality? Who knows and in the end we still don't know. Cleverly, this ambiguity is carried through right to the very last letters of the very last page.

I found the descriptions of place, Edinburgh especially, very well done and evocative and lent a lot of atmosphere to the descriptions of Grayson's descent either into madness or the grip of the devil himself (see, there's that uncertainty again!).

The style of writing was reminiscent of the classic horror stories - Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde comes to mind - of the 19th century. Quite mannered and stilted by times but, again, reflected and captured the characters and the type of story this is.

The book maybe could've been trimmed a wee bit but that didn't bother me, I found myself very engaged and completed it in a couple of days.

Recommended.

this was fraught with long winded , often unreadable passages. the writing needs to be pared down, the style is all over the place, the timely references distracting.

Creepy debut. I would recommend this one if you love mystery thrillers like myself. Am always looking for new books to recommend to my reading partner and I will most definitely recommend this one to her.

Creepy and unsettling. Twenty five year old American Grayson Hale murdered a fellow grad student in Edinburgh, claiming the devil made him do it. After he dies in his prison cell, his written account of the crime is found. The novel alternates between his memoir, and interviews, observations and articles from other sources. All seek to answer the question of what exactly happened. There are twists and strange events that kept me glued to the novel. An interesting read, although I must note that there was a discordant vibe. This felt like a novel that should be taking place in the 70s/80s with its devil hysteria, but was set in modern day.

An exhilarating, sometimes terrifying thriller, "A History of Fear" by Luke Dumas was a binge-worthy, unique read. Told from the perspective of Grayson Hale, an accused murderer writing his manuscript in jail, this bizarre worshiping narrator takes the reader on a mental journey. Many were convinced Grayson murdered his best friend and fellow Scottish University peer, Liam Stewart. Convinced the devil forced his hand and made him pen a novel for him, Grayson attempts to prove his innocence while explaining his traumatic, religious past and his messy relationships.

Often cold and uncaring, Grayson's first-person perspective leans for a creepy, unique unstable, unrelatible narrator. Beyond his narrative, an investigative journalist fills in the gaps with interviews. The blatant disparity between Grayson's perspective and reality creates an irresistible moral dilemma for readers. Riddled with hallucination, trauma, and general instability, this wild ride represents the dangers of repressed sexuality coupled with religious brainwashing and extreme isolation.

Twenty-five year old Grayson Hale brutally murdered a colleague at the University in Edinburgh. After being convicted, he commits suicide in his prison cell. All along, he proclaimed that his reasoning is quite simple - the devil made him do it.

Now dubbed The Devil’s Advocate, readers are taken on a journey down the rabbit hole of Hale’s journal entries (his manuscript), psychological profiles, therapy sessions, and family stories, as the motives behind Hale’s murders are slowly uncovered. You learn all about his childhood, his trauma, and everything leading up to the murder.

In this gritty, first-person narrative told through the eyes of Grayson Hale’s manuscript, Luke Dumas treats readers to a frightening, spine-tingling thriller guaranteed to make you stay up late reading. You ride along Hale’s psyche, deranged as it may sometimes seem, as he meets the devil in person.

I was locked in within the first few pages of this novel. It grabbed my attention fast and didn’t let go until the story was over. Fans of psychological thrillers will absolutely love A History of Fear. It’s a dark, tense read that will stick with you long after it’s over. Make sure you say your prayers tonight.

“A history of fear” a suspense debut by Luke Dumas. This was an interesting read, at points over explained but not un-enjoyable. Definitely some interesting concepts in this novel.
We follow Grayson Hale, the most infamous murderer in Scotland. The 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?

***Thank you to atria books and netgalley for an arc in exchange for a free and honest review.***

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Writing: 2/5 | Plot: 2/5 | Ending :1/5

THE PLOT

After Grayson Hale, aka the Devil's Advocate who was found guilty of murdering his college classmate Liam Stewart, dies by suicide in his prison cell, his handwritten manuscript is found. Amongst the pages, supplemented with emails, interviews, and the prison psychologist's notes, we find out if the devil really made Hale kill.

MY OPINION

WELP. This book had me in the first 8% but I ate my words shortly afterward. That smell wasn't the scent of a banger... but deceit. This is a generous 2 stars because I liked what the author was trying to say, but I did NOT like how he said it.

- This book was heavily overwritten and long-winded. The information presented in the first 45% could've been whittled down to 15%. You can glean what's going on very early on in the book, yet the author stretches out the reveal waaaayyyy too long. JUST GET TO THE POINT. Also, writing things like "I summoned an Uber" in an attempt to keep this book "literary" was lol. How about you summon the point of this long-ass chapter.

- The murder took place in 2016 yet it feels like this was Salem Witch Trials days. I really felt like this was some 1970s story but then he'd be on Reddit so I was confused. For example, there's a scene where he comes out of a p0rno shop...??? In 2016??? Ok.

- Lots of hand holding at the end. Everything was neatly explained and wrapped up. For a book that tried so hard to be an enigmatic puzzle, having everything explained to you like you're 6 years old didn't really fit the vibe.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: interesting premise. Cool format with the book within a book supplemented by extra info.

Cons: super long-winded, overwritten, spoon-fed ending, "twist" is easy to clock, inaccurate time period

Luke Dumas's debut thriller, A History of Fear is an interesting horror thriller and I think fans of the genre will enjoy it greatly. A History of Fear is a story about Grayson, an American student in Edinburgh, who is self-confessed killer of his classmate Liam Stewart. However, Grayson has a unique reason for the killing: the devil made him do it. This book is through Grayson's memoirs and interladen evidence from different parts of the stories to try and make sense of what happened to and through Grayson. Was he just a troubled young adult or was something more infernal at work?

As with most horror thrillers, this books is propelled by it's main character. Grayson is an interesting character. One of the elements that Dumas handles so well is creating a character that is both offputting but someone that we still want to read about. Grayson's satanophobia and the story of his mental health issues is one of the most interesting parts of this story and trying to understand what role that played in his actions was the most fun part of this book for me.

It should be mentioned that Atria Books is doing fantastic this year with books with evocative settings; William Kent Krueger, John Connolly, and John Galligan's books have all done a lot with rural settings and while Dumas's book is set in urban Edinburgh he uses the maze-like streets and the atmosphere of being different from Grayson's background to great effect in this book.

I think this book will be a great surprise to anyone looking for a good horror thriller at the end of this year.

4.5 stars

Well I devoured this in a day.... Dumas's writing is gripping and a perfect tangle of wondering What's Really The Truth. He skillfully weaves a tense (psychological? paranormal? both?) horror story, transporting elements of Scottish history into a contemporary examination of Americanism and American evangelicalism. This is a very skillful debut, and I would recommend it beyond the obvious audience of horror and thriller readers -- I think It Has The Range, lol.

This was such an interesting read and more thought provoking than I originally intended it to be. The premise of this itself was interesting which is why I needed to download it as soon as I read it. I love scary movies and scary books. This didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Like I said, while it left me uncomfortable and on edge, I was still reeling with multiple thoughts which was interesting. I hope many others manage to find an interest in this too. For the spooky factor itself this is a 5/5 star read! It was really fun!!