Review: A History of Fear

4 stars. What a fascinating novel! This debut comes with a really, really interesting premise, eerie, atmospheric writing and some genuinely fascinating scary moments. Perfect timing, as I'm heading to Scotland for a few days next month, and also great for spooky season. Very, very excited to see what this author has coming up next.

Presented in an epistolary format, A History of Fear is a collection of documents (interview transcripts, text messages, email chains and a manuscript) pertaining to an infamous murder case in Scotland - the murder of a student by a young man who claims the devil made him do it. Guilt is not at question, but the more we get to dive into the details and background of this case, the more interesting certain aspects become: motive, for example. Social context. Religious context. The roles of family, upbringing, sexuality, etc. 

Throw in a dash of academia and a spoonful of the supernatural and you'll be totally set for all 300+ pages. I personally couldn't put it down - at times because it was so compelling, at other times because I was sort of frustratedly driven to get some answers - but I highly, highly recommend this... as sort of a literary effort that blends true crime and horror and personal history. While the themes may be a bit predictable, or dated, or perhaps I should say unsuited for a story that's supposed to have taken place very recently, it is still a thought-provoking project full of conflict and pain that feels relevant. 

I know some other reviews described this as overwritten, or occasionally cheesy, and yes, it sort of meanders and maybe could have benefitted from stricter editing. Couldn't we all? Sometimes I wondered if that was intentional. Thankfully there was always a crisply unsettling moment to bring my attention back and move things along nicely.

Overall: complex, interesting, and very smart. Will be thinking about this one for a while.

A History of Fear on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads