A History of Fear
- Downloads：1029
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-12-08 11:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Luke Dumas
- ISBN：1797148516
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Miette
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Fantastic story， stayed up all night to finish it， I couldn’t put the book down。 And a shivery ending， just perfect！
Tammy
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Grayson Hale is dead。 We know this from the beginning。 He was known throughout Scotland as the Devil’s Advocate after confessing to the murder of a classmate。 We hear his side of the story posthumously via a found manuscript interspersed with interviews and exhibits put together by a journalist。 This is a clever device that works rather well。 The story is chilling and paranoid producing。 Did the devil make him do it？ Maybe or maybe not。
Lynsie Wilson
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 How many times has the Devil been blamed for sinful acts， such as lying， cheating， stealing… or even murder？ Grayson Hale is convinced the Devil made him do it。Grayson， or Gray， has suffered from Satanophobia since he was thirteen years old。 He grew up in California， under the roof of his abusive mother and neglectful， ever-disappointed father who is also the minister for a cult-like Christian sect that would hold regular Fellowship out of their family home。 Now in his 20’s， he moves to Edinburg How many times has the Devil been blamed for sinful acts， such as lying， cheating， stealing… or even murder？ Grayson Hale is convinced the Devil made him do it。Grayson， or Gray， has suffered from Satanophobia since he was thirteen years old。 He grew up in California， under the roof of his abusive mother and neglectful， ever-disappointed father who is also the minister for a cult-like Christian sect that would hold regular Fellowship out of their family home。 Now in his 20’s， he moves to Edinburgh to get his doctorate in Scottish literature， hoping to finally win the approval of his deceased father。 When Grayson arrives， he sees an ad for “WRITING HELP NEEDED”， and responds， eventually meeting the dark and mysterious D。B。 Now Gray isn’t so sure it was just a phobia， what if the Devil is real and he made a deal？ What follows is a heady mix of depravity， violence， and madness through the streets of Edinburgh。 The book is part memoir and part investigative， as we follow the events that got Gray， “The Devil’s Advocate”， put away for life for the murder of Liam Stewart。 Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advanced ebook copy of “A History of Fear” by Luke Dumas。tDumas does an exceptional job with his debut novel。 The writing is cutting， frank， and mid to fast-paced。 Gray is one of the most unreliable narrators I have had the devious pleasure of reading but I caught myself hanging onto his every word。 Dumas’ mastery of capturing Gray’s distress while keeping the characters' personalities forefront made switching between text （or narrators） natural。 There is a menacing quality to Dumas’ writing that hooked me from the beginning， keeping me engaged until the heart-rending conclusion。 The use of the Devil as an embodiment of repressed homosexuality is the real gem here。 On its face， it’s offensive。 I debated continuing the book when I figured out what was happening。 I did some research and deep breathing and continued， and I have to say it’s genius。 Gray grew up in an ultra-conservative religious environment， same as me， and Dumas captured the feeling of otherness， internally and within the family unit， to a tee。 The religious trauma and abuse， as well as physical abuse in this story is graphic and needs a warning， but it is well written and non-exploitative。 It brought up a lot of memories I had growing up。 The feeling Gray has of being invaded， unclean， evil… I would be surprised if Dumas didn’t also grow up like this。 I have a feeling this is a somewhat autobiographical work。 What is keeping this work from being perfect for me is the lack of subtlety。 Around the middle of the book， I was no longer guessing if it was supernatural or not due to how obvious the writing was。 I’m going to impugn my own critique here by saying it didn’t make the book less enjoyable， but it bridles it from achieving perfection。 I do recommend this book whole-heartedly， but warning for themes of homophobia （internalized and external）， sexual assault， child abuse， and religious trauma and abuse。 I’ll be keeping an eye out for more by this author。 4。5/5 。。。more
Ali Do Is Read
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Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this E-ARC！ I put a fancier review on NetGalley but here are some thoughts:Things I liked: the feverish is-this-the-devil-or-psychological-trauma aspect。 Honestly still not sure which it was *shrug*。 The mixed media elements。 The story within a story within a story confusion （love that shit）。 The creepy ~atmosphere~。Things I didn't like as much: The repetition toward the end of the book （I think the entire courtroom scene could be cut）。 The amount of th Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this E-ARC！ I put a fancier review on NetGalley but here are some thoughts:Things I liked: the feverish is-this-the-devil-or-psychological-trauma aspect。 Honestly still not sure which it was *shrug*。 The mixed media elements。 The story within a story within a story confusion （love that shit）。 The creepy ~atmosphere~。Things I didn't like as much: The repetition toward the end of the book （I think the entire courtroom scene could be cut）。 The amount of theological discussion （I stupidly was not expecting a book with the devil in it to also discuss religion lol that's on me）。 Content warning for anyone sensitive to elements of religious trauma and homophobia。 Read this if you like: unlikeable characters， dark academia， unreliable narrators， reading about the effects of psychological trauma， the devil lolol 。。。more
Janalyn Prude
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Grayson Hale is it American student living in Scotland he is the oldest son of very religious parents who saw things in good or evil。 Unfortunately for his mother his brother was good and he was evil。 Trying as an adult to prove his dad’s biggest theologian belief in the reason he’s going to school in Scotland。 His visa is about to run out though and he needs more money this is when he reluctantly takes a ghost writing job with a man calling his self DB he wants Grayson to help him right a book Grayson Hale is it American student living in Scotland he is the oldest son of very religious parents who saw things in good or evil。 Unfortunately for his mother his brother was good and he was evil。 Trying as an adult to prove his dad’s biggest theologian belief in the reason he’s going to school in Scotland。 His visa is about to run out though and he needs more money this is when he reluctantly takes a ghost writing job with a man calling his self DB he wants Grayson to help him right a book called “the history of fear in Scotland。” At the age of 12 Grayson suffered from a condition that made him believe Satan would at any moment pop out of the woodwork and come visit him it was a real fear and now since starting this project it is come back full force。 When he is arrested and put in jail for killing his classmate Liam he said the devil made him do it and is now one of Scotland‘s most famous killers and they call him the devils advocate but when he is found dead with the manifest left behind people start to wander was he really crazy or was he right？ This book is on the longer side but it flows quickly the pace is fast it is easy to read it definitely holds your interest in that is one of the better dark thrillers that I’ve read。 If this book falls under horror it is horror for those with an IQ because it is so smart and such a good book and I loved it。 I received it from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review totally voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review。 。。。more
Kathleen
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This book really creeped me out！ Thank you to the publisher for the copy I received via Goodreads Giveaways。 And thank you for creeping me out。 It’s what I needed and I can’t wait to read more from Luke Dumas！
Amy
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I only heard about this book because of @scaredstraightreads his review a few months ago made me add this immediately and although we don’t always agree， he was right this time 😏 It sounded so unique and creepy and it totally was。 I loved the format with it being a book within a book and the question at its core， is Grayson really communing with the devil？ SO dark and SO creepy！ The atmosphere was fantastic， the story was well written and compelling and the whole thing was haunting and clever。 I I only heard about this book because of @scaredstraightreads his review a few months ago made me add this immediately and although we don’t always agree， he was right this time 😏 It sounded so unique and creepy and it totally was。 I loved the format with it being a book within a book and the question at its core， is Grayson really communing with the devil？ SO dark and SO creepy！ The atmosphere was fantastic， the story was well written and compelling and the whole thing was haunting and clever。 I listened to this one （thanks @simon。audio ） and the narration was amazing， there are five narrators that brought the story to life。 I think this is an ideal winter read， if you like super dark books that are smart try this 。。。more
Mindy Rose
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a man who grew up with a paralyzing fear of satan due to his bizarre religious upbringing is studying abroad in scotland when， desperate for income， he agrees to take on the task of writing a book。。 about the devil （even though his employer is unsettling and disturbing incidents seem to follow him wherever he goes） while working on the book， the man quickly finds himself revisiting his own history of fear， and things， including his own sanity， begin crumbling around him in horrifying ways。 this a man who grew up with a paralyzing fear of satan due to his bizarre religious upbringing is studying abroad in scotland when， desperate for income， he agrees to take on the task of writing a book。。 about the devil （even though his employer is unsettling and disturbing incidents seem to follow him wherever he goes） while working on the book， the man quickly finds himself revisiting his own history of fear， and things， including his own sanity， begin crumbling around him in horrifying ways。 this had such an icky， satisfying， slowly creeping dread and the way the reader is fed tiny morsels of the protag's life pre-scotland throughout the book is so well done and maddening because just when you think you're about to learn something you've been suspecting that will give you a better understanding of the protag， you're yanked away back to scotland。 absolutely torturous。 hell yeah。 4/5。thank you so much for the arc @thenewdumas 💚 。。。more
Megan
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This book sucked me in， had me flipping through pages， and then left me with so many questions。 It was perfect。After Grayson Hale's father dies he decides to explore the legacy his father left by enrolling in the University of Edinburgh。 However， his time in Scotland morphs into him becoming one of the most infamous murderers in Scotland and he becomes the Devil's Advocate as the headlines name him。 The reason Grayson is written about in every major Scotland news outlet is not just because he is This book sucked me in， had me flipping through pages， and then left me with so many questions。 It was perfect。After Grayson Hale's father dies he decides to explore the legacy his father left by enrolling in the University of Edinburgh。 However， his time in Scotland morphs into him becoming one of the most infamous murderers in Scotland and he becomes the Devil's Advocate as the headlines name him。 The reason Grayson is written about in every major Scotland news outlet is not just because he is an American who murders his classmate， but because he claimed the Devil made him do it。 Grayson doesn't seem to be your typical murderer and after Grayson commits suicide while in prison people are left with even more questions。First， the way this book is written really pulled me in。 Reading the details through Grayson's eyes with anecdotes from the case and media reporter helped answer questions while also providing more questions。 Grayson was an academic student and reading what was his words I very much felt that's what I was reading - an academic manuscript。 While that lead me to have to look up some words， I'll never be upset to add to my vocabulary。 As a horror fan and someone that appreciates the mental health struggles that many people face， I do enjoy stories that make you question if things are "real" or apart of a mental health episode， if done well， and this book delivered on that。 After finishing this book and allowing days to pass to let it sink in I still am not sure what was what。 There was also an LGBTQ+ undercurrent throughout the book that came full circle by the end of the book that I really understood。Overall， I very much enjoyed this book。 There are parts that are very sad and horrific so I recommend checking TW's but if you're cool with them I highly recommend！ 。。。more
Jen
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Holy cow this was awesome！
Krissy （books_and_biceps9155）
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I tried but …around 12 % and I couldn’t do any more w the rambling。 Beautifully written but I don’t think my mind is in the right spot for this。
Carly
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It's the spring of 2019。 I'm in a Scottish literature class taught by a TA。 We have to read THE PRIVATE MEMOIRS AND CONFESSIONS OF A JUSTIFIED SINNER by James Hogg。 I read it and think， "guy meets the devil in Scotland。 Weird but ok！" then I go on with my life。 It's the fall of 2022。 I read a book for work called A HISTORY OF FEAR。 20 pages in and I think to myself。。。 I know another dude who met the devil in Scotland。。。Lo and behold， this is occasion number 2 where I read a book years ago， it wa It's the spring of 2019。 I'm in a Scottish literature class taught by a TA。 We have to read THE PRIVATE MEMOIRS AND CONFESSIONS OF A JUSTIFIED SINNER by James Hogg。 I read it and think， "guy meets the devil in Scotland。 Weird but ok！" then I go on with my life。 It's the fall of 2022。 I read a book for work called A HISTORY OF FEAR。 20 pages in and I think to myself。。。 I know another dude who met the devil in Scotland。。。Lo and behold， this is occasion number 2 where I read a book years ago， it was really hard， but then I stumble upon a modern retelling at WORK and I feel so smart that I know what it's from。 I tell everyone in my hallway that it's a retelling of an obscure classic so they know how well-read I am （kidding！）。 The original was better。 Total gothic masterpiece， whereas this one feels a little flimsy in its attempts to bring the story into the 21st century。 I will absolutely give kudos to the author for totally pulling a William Goldman in the first chapter。。。 I literally turned to my coworker and told her I was reading the scariest true crime story。 She said Carly 。。。 this 。。。 is fiction 。。。 and then it all made more sense :） 。。。more
Cassie
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4。5 stars。 A History of Fear is completely riveting -- the kind of riveting that will make you want to pet a bunch of squirming puppies， cuddle a chubby-cheeked baby， or listen to Mary Poppins sing "A Spoonful of Sugar" on repeat to balance out all the horrors in its pages， but riveting nonetheless。 Once I started reading this， I didn't really come up for air until I finished， completely engrossed as I followed Grayson Hale's disturbing， harrowing descent into devil-fueled madness。 The book is s 4。5 stars。 A History of Fear is completely riveting -- the kind of riveting that will make you want to pet a bunch of squirming puppies， cuddle a chubby-cheeked baby， or listen to Mary Poppins sing "A Spoonful of Sugar" on repeat to balance out all the horrors in its pages， but riveting nonetheless。 Once I started reading this， I didn't really come up for air until I finished， completely engrossed as I followed Grayson Hale's disturbing， harrowing descent into devil-fueled madness。 The book is structured as a piece of investigative journalism and also Grayson Hale's memoir， which sounds a bit confusing but really isn't when you get into the flow of it。 At age 23， graduate student Grayson was convicted of the murder of his classmate， Liam Stewart， and made headlines across Scotland for claiming that the devil made him do it。 In his memoir， he offers a full account of the events leading up to Liam's murder: from his first meeting with the devil， to the deal he unwittingly struck with the prince of darkness， to the strange and frightening events that occurred when he tried to back out of that deal。 He also reveals a troubled past， including an emotionally distant father， a cruel zealot mother， and the "satanophobia" he developed as a preteen。 Meanwhile， on the investigative side， the reporter provides bits of factual evidence， including article excerpts， interview snippets， and pieces of testimony from court proceedings -- some of which directly counteract Grayson's claims。A History of Fear is so perfectly executed， impressive especially for a debut。 Luke Dumas's writing is emotionally rich and captivating， almost hypnotic in the way it draws the reader in。 The book feels incredibly intimate as it delves deeply into Grayson's psyche。 Dumas crafted this character with so much complexity that we sympathize with Grayson， distrust him， and are horrified by his actions all at once。 Dumas's clever construction will have you constantly undecided on which version of events， whose perspective， can be believed。 The ending of the book left me with my mouth hanging open， questioning everything I'd just read。A History of Fear is an incredibly dark， uncomfortable， disturbing book that doesn't flinch away from troubling imagery or events。 It's also a deeply psychological， heartbreaking exploration of childhood trauma， mental illness， religious zealotry， sexuality， and repression。 Kudos to Dumas for being brave enough to take on the devil with his debut and totally nailing it -- I can't wait to see what he writes next。 。。。more
Melanie Gordon
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What an awesome debut by Dumas。 This is a uniquely well written， eerie， creepy， and thought provoking book。 It is full of built up suspense， and had me wanting to crawl under my sheets because of the detailed creepy writing and descriptions throughout。 This is about a book within a book-and it is utterly fantastic and mind blowing。 Grayson Hale is an American student who is living and studying abroad in Scotland and he has committed an unthinkable crime。 He was convicted of murdering his classma What an awesome debut by Dumas。 This is a uniquely well written， eerie， creepy， and thought provoking book。 It is full of built up suspense， and had me wanting to crawl under my sheets because of the detailed creepy writing and descriptions throughout。 This is about a book within a book-and it is utterly fantastic and mind blowing。 Grayson Hale is an American student who is living and studying abroad in Scotland and he has committed an unthinkable crime。 He was convicted of murdering his classmate， and throughout his time studying in Scotland he was writing a manuscript of his deepest thoughts and behaviors。 After Hale is found dead by hanging in his prison cell the manuscript s found by Daniella， who is an editor。 Daniella is determined to get to the bottom of the gruesome crime committed， will Hale’s journal shed light on the crime？This was a binge-worthy， addictive read that truly held my full attention from start to finish。 Dumas does a great job with the character development and the eerie creepy detailed writing。 After finishing this one I was truly in utter shock at what I had just read-but in the best possible way。 It has been awhile since a book left me feeling like that。 This truly had me creeped out！ This is one that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat， and left me feeling so satisfied and ready to pick up the next book by Dumas！Make sure to pick this one up if you enjoy a uniquely written thriller/mystery/horror book！ Thank you to the author for having a copy sent my way and to @atriabooks 。。。more
Erin Clemence
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Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: December 6， 2022 The Devil is in Scotland。 After Grayson Hale killed his friend， Liam， and claimed the “devil made him do it” he rose to infamy as “The Devil’s Advocate”。 After his death， a manuscript is found in his cell， detailing Hale’s childhood， where he suffered from intense satanophobia （fear of the Devil） and religious abuse Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free， electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review。 Expected publication date: December 6， 2022 The Devil is in Scotland。 After Grayson Hale killed his friend， Liam， and claimed the “devil made him do it” he rose to infamy as “The Devil’s Advocate”。 After his death， a manuscript is found in his cell， detailing Hale’s childhood， where he suffered from intense satanophobia （fear of the Devil） and religious abuse and the events that led to the murder。 Through transcripts from witnesses and those who knew Grayson， and Grayson’s own telling， only one question remains- did the Devil really possess Grayson？ “A History is Fear” by debut author Luke Dumas intrigued me right from the start。 I adore tales of demonic possession， in both books and films， and this one read like a Hollywood movie。 Grayson narrates it posthumously， although there are sections collected by the editor where the reader hears from Grayson’s childhood friends and family about his upbringing and Hale’s strange behaviours and obsessions。 Then of course， enter the mysterious D。B， who hires Hale to compose his manuscript， and you have an utterly intense and addictive tale。 Right from the start， Grayson’s sanity is questioned but of course， not enough to actually sway the reader。 Throughout the novel， Dumas leaves enough evidence for both sides， leading to the “mentally insane or possessed” debate that is the very basis of this novel， while making either argument utterly believable。 I loved Grayson as a character as he was both relatable and heartbreakingly human。 I’m a little biased maybe， but books based in Scotland tend to be some of my favourites， and I loved the Scottish folklore and demonic history of Scotland Dumas provided。As a debut novel， this is a hands down winner and I am looking forward to Dumas’ next release。 。。。more
ElphaReads
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Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！The creeping dread of this literary horror novel is a slow and ambiguous burn and build up。 We are told the story of Grayson Hale through his own， potentially unreliable words， and through supplementary material provided by a journalist named Daniela who is fascinated by a murderer who said the devil made him do it。 I liked how some truths are obscured and then clarified， only to be perhaps turned on their heads again。 I liked ge Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel！The creeping dread of this literary horror novel is a slow and ambiguous burn and build up。 We are told the story of Grayson Hale through his own， potentially unreliable words， and through supplementary material provided by a journalist named Daniela who is fascinated by a murderer who said the devil made him do it。 I liked how some truths are obscured and then clarified， only to be perhaps turned on their heads again。 I liked getting into Hale's head as deeply as we did， and it made for a more tragic trajectory had we not had his perspective。 I felt like Dumas captures a lot of anxieties and real life terrors that go beyond a general Satanic panic tale， and it was the undercurrents of both building tension and a sense of building sadness that mixed well to create an unsettling horror novel。 A HISTORY OF FEAR is unnerving and melancholy， and I think it would be a perfect winter evening read。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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A History of Fear is a cleverly written novel about a violent crime and it’s causes。。 It is written as a case study of mental illness， abuse， religious zealotry， and homophobia。 Saying much more is difficult without saying too much。 I devoured this book in a day。， completely immersed。 Unlike anything I’ve ever read。
Jody Blanchette
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Can you really use the excuse that the devil made you kill someone？ The Son of Sam tried it， and blamed it on his dog too。 So I guess it works for an insanity plea。 Grayson Hale has earned the moniker， The Devil’s Advocate， for this exact reason。 He really believed the devil made him kill another man。 Part memoir （ Grayson’s story） and part journalist notes and interviews， this book appeals to true crime and dark fiction readers。 Though the book is mainly about Grayson’s experience with the dev Can you really use the excuse that the devil made you kill someone？ The Son of Sam tried it， and blamed it on his dog too。 So I guess it works for an insanity plea。 Grayson Hale has earned the moniker， The Devil’s Advocate， for this exact reason。 He really believed the devil made him kill another man。 Part memoir （ Grayson’s story） and part journalist notes and interviews， this book appeals to true crime and dark fiction readers。 Though the book is mainly about Grayson’s experience with the devil， his Satanphobia， and his eventual spiral into darkness， it’s actually so much more。 It’s a deeply dark book about sexuality， religion， repression and mental illness。 Through Grayson’s anecdotes from youth， we slowly get the bigger picture of why he is as scared to be who he is。 He yearns for his father’s acceptance， driving every decision he has ever made。 It’s heartbreaking and raw。 This is a heavy read， but told very well。 The writing style is atmospheric and emotional， really putting the reader in Scotland and experiencing Grayson’s trauma。 I feel like Dumas played head games with us through the whole book， giving us a couple unreliable characters。 It was almost like a Tyler Durden （Fight Club） presence， without giving us the gory details。 I liked it， but questioned everything through the entire book。 I am really interested to see what this author puts out next。 Starting with the devil is a risky step， but I think he nailed it。 。。。more
Jenny Lawson
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A gripping psychological suspense novel about the devil。 Or not。 Depends on who you ask， really。
The Bookend Diner
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Thank you， Atria Books， for the gifted copy of A History of Fear {partner}Genre: HorrorFormat: 📖Pub Date: 12。6。2022Star Rating: ☆☆☆ "The Devil found me at the dodgy end of Leith Walk， having lured me by use of guile and the pretense of employment， the thing I needed more than anything。"I started reading The History of Fear in my never-ending quest to find something that actually creeps me out。 Maybe there's something wrong with me， but History of Fear didn't seem all that scary; there were unset Thank you， Atria Books， for the gifted copy of A History of Fear {partner}Genre: HorrorFormat: 📖Pub Date: 12。6。2022Star Rating: ☆☆☆ "The Devil found me at the dodgy end of Leith Walk， having lured me by use of guile and the pretense of employment， the thing I needed more than anything。"I started reading The History of Fear in my never-ending quest to find something that actually creeps me out。 Maybe there's something wrong with me， but History of Fear didn't seem all that scary; there were unsettling elements to the story， BUT to me， it just seemed like a tragic story。 The underlying tone of the story seemingly deals more with mental health as we learn about the MC's past and his contact abuse and neglect as a child at the hand of his extremely religious parents。 This leads me to my next point 👇🏼The book was too detail-oriented。 It almost became repetitive at some points。 The majority of the chapters focused on the upbringing of the MC， Grayson Hale。 I wanted more information about his time in Scotland， and if none could be provided， then the novel could've been cut shorter。I also understand that Grayson is meant to come across as intelligent and well-educated （thus leading to the shocking nature of the crime）。 Still， the chapters from his perspective were almost excruciating to read due to their formality。 🎧 Would make a great audiobook🤷🏽♀️ More disturbing than scary🤪 Detail oriented🎩 Formality of the MC was over the topFor a debut novel， I was impressed with the author's ability to tell a story， and I look forward to reading what he writes next。 I understand that my review is in the minority， so you should take my opinion with a grain of salt and give History of Fear a try to see what you think。 ______ Follow me on Instagram: https://www。instagram。com/thebookend。。。。Follow my blog: https://thebookenddiner。com/Follow me on Goodreads: https://www。goodreads。com/thebookendd。。。Follow me on StoryGraph: https://app。thestorygraph。com/profile。。。 。。。more
Summer
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25-year-old American grad student Grayson Hale， who notoriously murdered his classmate Liam Stewart， is found hanged in his prison cell。 Officers notice his clothes are torn and there are strange claw marks all over Liam’s body。 Next to Grayson’s body is a manuscript where he claimed that the devil forced him to murder Liam。 Was Grayson a psychopath all along， or was he telling the truth？ A History of Fear is a slow build literary and psychological thriller mixed with truly terrifying horror el 25-year-old American grad student Grayson Hale， who notoriously murdered his classmate Liam Stewart， is found hanged in his prison cell。 Officers notice his clothes are torn and there are strange claw marks all over Liam’s body。 Next to Grayson’s body is a manuscript where he claimed that the devil forced him to murder Liam。 Was Grayson a psychopath all along， or was he telling the truth？ A History of Fear is a slow build literary and psychological thriller mixed with truly terrifying horror elements。 I didn't realize until after reading that this book contains a massive twist that left me reeling。 I cannot remember the last time a book left me in utter shock and disbelief as this one has （but in the best way）。 As a jaded lifetime horror reader， it takes a lot to truly scare me but several moments in A History of Fear left me looking over my shoulder and genuinely creeped out。 The book contains some supernatural elements but nothing too outlandish or unbelievable。 I love an original story with a unique plot and characterization so I've tried to compare this book to other reads but I truly have never read anything even remotely close to it。 Like Dumas did a fantastic job creating his debut novel and I see a very bright future for him！ Fans of psychological thrillers as well as horror readers will love A History of Fear。 A History of Fear by Luke Dumas will be available on December 6， 2022。 A massive thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Leah
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The Devil is in Scotland， Grayson Hale knows this all too well。 He's known， after all， as the "Devil's Advocate" for murdering his classmate Liam Stewart in cold blood。 As a graduate student at Edinburgh University， Grayson has barely settled into his schoolwork and life away from America before he's plagued by the unnerving suspicion that something dark has found him in the streets of Scotland。 When a mysterious figure known as D。B。 proposes a writing job to Grayson that he'd be a fool to turn The Devil is in Scotland， Grayson Hale knows this all too well。 He's known， after all， as the "Devil's Advocate" for murdering his classmate Liam Stewart in cold blood。 As a graduate student at Edinburgh University， Grayson has barely settled into his schoolwork and life away from America before he's plagued by the unnerving suspicion that something dark has found him in the streets of Scotland。 When a mysterious figure known as D。B。 proposes a writing job to Grayson that he'd be a fool to turn down， it soon becomes clear to Grayson that he's become entangled in something far more sinister than he could have ever imagined。Perhaps a bold statement， "A History of Fear" is one of the finest pieces of dark academia I've ever come across。 It's ominous， pulsating， and the kind of story that settles deep into your mind and breeds--dare I say it， real fear。 It's masterfully-written， engaging from the first page， and left me utterly speechless at the last page。 What Luka Dumas has crafted in the story of Grayson Hale is something that reaches far beyond "thriller" or even "horror" territory; "A History of Fear" is a genre-bending， dread-filled masterpiece whose countless layers unfold into something so terrifying （yet engrossing） it will be nearly impossible to stop reading once you've started。 *Many thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for providing me an advanced reading copy of this title in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Cheryl Carson
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Eerie but not scary。 Well written and atmospheric。 It was fun to read a book partially set in my home town， San Diego。
Lindsey Anderson
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Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of A History of Fear by Luke Dumas。 This is an amazing read！ I love the way it was presented， with narrative， interviews， Graysons psychologist and the editors notes all adding into the story。It did take me a couple of chapters to get into this book， but once I did， I was hooked。 I really felt for Grayson and everything he was going through。 I would recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy atmospheric reads。
Rachel Martin
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Well I thought this was excellent。 The ending left me feeling unsure what to believe， but it was written that way， not in a sloppy， unfinished sort of way。 Was Grayson spiraling down a path of madness and eventually murder as a result of his environment， the cult-like religion thrust upon him， his inability to come to terms with his sexuality？ Or was it truly the Devil within him？ The format of the novel flips between Grayson's diary and evidence （via interviews， letters， etc。） of the investigat Well I thought this was excellent。 The ending left me feeling unsure what to believe， but it was written that way， not in a sloppy， unfinished sort of way。 Was Grayson spiraling down a path of madness and eventually murder as a result of his environment， the cult-like religion thrust upon him， his inability to come to terms with his sexuality？ Or was it truly the Devil within him？ The format of the novel flips between Grayson's diary and evidence （via interviews， letters， etc。） of the investigation presented through a journalist， Daniella Barclay。 The novel is eerie， speculative， psychological。 I am sooo pleased with my reading experience， can't wait to read more from Dumas！！ 。。。more
Claire
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Thank you to Atria books for an advanced copy of this book！A History of Fear is a clever book written as a book within a book with supplemental editor notes。 It hooked me immediately with its psychological thriller storyline。 Was Grayson Hale guilty of murder or was the Devil behind it all？ With twists and turns and an ending that shook me， I would say we will never know。 Luke Dumas writes this genre so well。 He should be proud of his work。 It is unlike any book I’ve ever read before。
Beth Ann Garcia
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I enjoyed this suspense plot spanning two continents and two generations。 It fully satisfies the reader's senses and is incredibly thought provoking。 However， at times， I was confused and wondered did this really exist or was the haunting a product of mental illness。 Could this type of haunting be hereditary？ The story is told from two different perspectives giving you the ability to decide for yourself。 I enjoyed this suspense plot spanning two continents and two generations。 It fully satisfies the reader's senses and is incredibly thought provoking。 However， at times， I was confused and wondered did this really exist or was the haunting a product of mental illness。 Could this type of haunting be hereditary？ The story is told from two different perspectives giving you the ability to decide for yourself。 。。。more
Stacy40pages
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A History of Fear by Luke Dumas。 Thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the gifted Arc⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Grayson Hale is a famous name in Scotland。 He’s infamous for the murder of a fellow classmate and claimed the Devil made him do it。 Now we look back into his history to find out what happened。 This was a pretty heavy read。 It was very interesting， but read as a non-fiction。 I loved the interviews and transcripts interspersed within the story。 The ending is begging for a book club discussion！ I am hopi A History of Fear by Luke Dumas。 Thanks to @atriabooks and @netgalley for the gifted Arc⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Grayson Hale is a famous name in Scotland。 He’s infamous for the murder of a fellow classmate and claimed the Devil made him do it。 Now we look back into his history to find out what happened。 This was a pretty heavy read。 It was very interesting， but read as a non-fiction。 I loved the interviews and transcripts interspersed within the story。 The ending is begging for a book club discussion！ I am hoping someone finishes this one soon and can discuss it with me。 “The one you fear is real - and he’s coming。”The History of Fear comes out 12/6。 。。。more
Gayle
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Grayson Hale is serving a life sentence in a Scottish prison for the murder of a university classmate; a murder he claims the devil made him commit。 Grayson is found dead in his cell， hanged， his body covered with claw marks。 A manuscript detailing his experiences is uncovered。 What really happened？ The reader is left to decide。The novel certainly had my interest from the beginning to the end。 The story is presented as a journalist’s account of the events that transpired from his life growing up Grayson Hale is serving a life sentence in a Scottish prison for the murder of a university classmate; a murder he claims the devil made him commit。 Grayson is found dead in his cell， hanged， his body covered with claw marks。 A manuscript detailing his experiences is uncovered。 What really happened？ The reader is left to decide。The novel certainly had my interest from the beginning to the end。 The story is presented as a journalist’s account of the events that transpired from his life growing up in a cult based religious family to the tragedies that befell him as a young adult。 I felt sympathetic toward Grayson and found him a likeable character。 I was rooting for him despite knowing the outcome of his short life。 I felt the novel was well written and adequately paced。 I did however have difficulty with the handwritten font used on occasion as I found it to be a distraction。 I would recommend this to horror/fiction as well as true crime lovers， and to anyone else who loves eerie and disturbing stories。 。。。more
Matt Chisling （MattyandtheBooks）
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