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Dan Forrester #4
Scare Me To Death
A homemade bomb exploded mid-air, killing 214 people on board. Thirteen people survived.
Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally bludgeoned to death. It looks like a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.
Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long lost father – who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.
To keep on killing to stop the truth from getting revealed.
Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally bludgeoned to death. It looks like a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.
Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long lost father – who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.
To keep on killing to stop the truth from getting revealed.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2021
66 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Carver
18 books128 followersCJ Carver is a half-English, half-Kiwi author living just outside Bath. Her books have been published in the UK, USA and translated throughout Europe. Her first novel Blood Junction, won the CWA Debut Dagger Award, was shortlisted for the USA Barry Award, and was also voted as one of the best mystery books of the year by Publishers Weekly. Spare Me the Truth, the first book in the Dan Forrester series, was nominated for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. CJ lived in Australia for 10 years before taking up long distance rally driving – she has driven London to Saigon, London to Cape Town and covered 14,000 miles on the Inca Trail.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 10, 2021
SCARE ME TO DEATH is the fourth novel, a psychological/crime thriller, featuring DC Lucy Davies and retired MI5 Dan Forrester. by bestselling author CJ Carver. Although easily read as a standalone, I recommend reading them in order to get the important back history of these characters.
The novels in this series include:
Beneath the Snow (2015)
Over Your Shoulder (2019)
The Snow Thief (2020)
Scare Me To Death (2021)
Scare Me To Death is set in London and deals with a brutal murder and a plane crash that had happened years before.
A homemade bomb exploded mid-air, killing 214 people on board. Thirteen people survived. Dan had helped save them.
Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally beaten to death. DC Lucy Davies is assigned to investigate the death of a young woman, who turned out to be one of the survivors of the plane crash. Upon further investigation, she learns that the young woman was searching for the bombers. It appears to be a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.
Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long- lost father who left when she was eight– who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.
This well-written novel with a complex plot and well-developed characters, has something for everyone, from crime, lies and secrets, and will appeal to a wide audience.
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
The novels in this series include:
Beneath the Snow (2015)
Over Your Shoulder (2019)
The Snow Thief (2020)
Scare Me To Death (2021)
Scare Me To Death is set in London and deals with a brutal murder and a plane crash that had happened years before.
A homemade bomb exploded mid-air, killing 214 people on board. Thirteen people survived. Dan had helped save them.
Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally beaten to death. DC Lucy Davies is assigned to investigate the death of a young woman, who turned out to be one of the survivors of the plane crash. Upon further investigation, she learns that the young woman was searching for the bombers. It appears to be a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.
Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long- lost father who left when she was eight– who has his own secrets. Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.
This well-written novel with a complex plot and well-developed characters, has something for everyone, from crime, lies and secrets, and will appeal to a wide audience.
Many thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books for my digital copy.
January 2, 2022
This is a highly rated book in which I am very much in the minority. I listened to the audio, and this in itself was a bad experience. The narration of this is terrible. Grasping at straws to change 'voice'. A hodge podge of horrible accents, but most of all, a lisping type of voice, very bad, not a pleasant experience at all.
The genre ended up being differet to what I thought, I don't normally go for terrorist themes, I am much more interested in the character developement, and while I enjoyed hearing about DC Lucy and a survivor of a plane wreck years earlier.
The acknowledgments state these two characters will work together in the future, I won't be reading, or listening. This book didn't pique my interest at all.
The genre ended up being differet to what I thought, I don't normally go for terrorist themes, I am much more interested in the character developement, and while I enjoyed hearing about DC Lucy and a survivor of a plane wreck years earlier.
The acknowledgments state these two characters will work together in the future, I won't be reading, or listening. This book didn't pique my interest at all.
April 9, 2021
Sixteen years ago, a plane exploded with a homemade bomb was detonated. Hundreds of passengers and crew were killed ... only 13 people survived.
DC Lucy Davies is tasked with investigating the beating death of a young woman... who just happened to have been one of the survivors of the plane crash. Upon further investigation, she learns that the young woman was searching for the bombers.
Lucy then follows the same footsteps looking for a killer. She's more than surprised to run across her father, who she hasn't seen since she was a young child. Not so surprising ..her father has his own secrets ... which may or may not be connected to the case.
Questions remain .... who is the killer .... and who's behind the bombings? Why go to such extremes to protect the people behind the bombing? And ... is the killer finished or will more survivors be brutally murdered?
This is a fast-paced, intricate plot with twists and turns that rival a carnival ride. The characters are deftly drawn. The suspense starts on the first page and maintains a high level until the unexpected conclusion. This is the 4th book featuring Lucy Davies and Dan Forrester. Although easily read as a stand alone, I recommend reading them in order to get the important back stories of these characters.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
DC Lucy Davies is tasked with investigating the beating death of a young woman... who just happened to have been one of the survivors of the plane crash. Upon further investigation, she learns that the young woman was searching for the bombers.
Lucy then follows the same footsteps looking for a killer. She's more than surprised to run across her father, who she hasn't seen since she was a young child. Not so surprising ..her father has his own secrets ... which may or may not be connected to the case.
Questions remain .... who is the killer .... and who's behind the bombings? Why go to such extremes to protect the people behind the bombing? And ... is the killer finished or will more survivors be brutally murdered?
This is a fast-paced, intricate plot with twists and turns that rival a carnival ride. The characters are deftly drawn. The suspense starts on the first page and maintains a high level until the unexpected conclusion. This is the 4th book featuring Lucy Davies and Dan Forrester. Although easily read as a stand alone, I recommend reading them in order to get the important back stories of these characters.
Many thanks to the author for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
March 17, 2021
Scare Me to Death is an exciting crime thriller set in pre-Covid London, about the investigation into a brutal murder, and how it ties in to a plane crash oversees years earlier. I was a little peeved to discover, soon after starting it, that it’s not a stand-alone novel, as it appears, but rather the continuation of a series about retired MI5 agent Dan Forrester and plucky young DC Lucy Davies (three books’ worth.) I hate reading series out of order, so would not have requested it had I known, but I did enjoy it so can’t regret it too much. There were plenty of references to their previous cases but no significant spoilers, and I liked Dan’s character enough to put those on the to-read list.
An explosion soon after take-off on a flight out of Marrakech kills almost everyone on board, but a young Englishman is able to save two children. Shifting to the present, Lucy is visiting her boyfriend in Bristol when she gets a call from her mother, asking her to help her old schoolfriend Ricky, who has been arrested for murdering his new girlfriend. Initially reluctant to get involved, she is bribed by Ricky’s mother by the promise of the one thing she wants most - a phone number for the father who left when she was eight. Managing to get herself assigned to the case, she is surprised to learn of her old friend Dan’s connection to the victim. Investigating separately, they discover a shocking conspiracy with worldwide ramifications, whose perpetrators are unafraid to kill to keep their secrets...
The opening scene here was brilliant, tense and (literally) explosive, gripping me immediately. I was then less enthused to meet yet another maverick female detective who thinks she’s cleverer than everyone else and makes everything about herself. I far preferred Dan’s chapters, and was intrigued by the subplot about so-called “aerotoxic” syndrome, which I had never heard of (despite having a postgraduate diploma in travel medicine) - and a quick google search reveals why - there’s no good evidence for it’s existence, but that actually made the story more interesting: I liked the way the author linked it into the main plot, and it also explained the otherwise confusing title. There was a lot going on here, and many minor characters to keep track of, so I was glad of the kindle search function, and wondered how it would all tie together, which it did in the end, although there was a bit too much coincidence in character linkages for my liking. The writing was however excellent and I will definitely be looking out for more from this author.
I received a free ARC from Bloodhound Books which allowed me to give an honest review. Scare Me to Death is published on April 9th.
An explosion soon after take-off on a flight out of Marrakech kills almost everyone on board, but a young Englishman is able to save two children. Shifting to the present, Lucy is visiting her boyfriend in Bristol when she gets a call from her mother, asking her to help her old schoolfriend Ricky, who has been arrested for murdering his new girlfriend. Initially reluctant to get involved, she is bribed by Ricky’s mother by the promise of the one thing she wants most - a phone number for the father who left when she was eight. Managing to get herself assigned to the case, she is surprised to learn of her old friend Dan’s connection to the victim. Investigating separately, they discover a shocking conspiracy with worldwide ramifications, whose perpetrators are unafraid to kill to keep their secrets...
The opening scene here was brilliant, tense and (literally) explosive, gripping me immediately. I was then less enthused to meet yet another maverick female detective who thinks she’s cleverer than everyone else and makes everything about herself. I far preferred Dan’s chapters, and was intrigued by the subplot about so-called “aerotoxic” syndrome, which I had never heard of (despite having a postgraduate diploma in travel medicine) - and a quick google search reveals why - there’s no good evidence for it’s existence, but that actually made the story more interesting: I liked the way the author linked it into the main plot, and it also explained the otherwise confusing title. There was a lot going on here, and many minor characters to keep track of, so I was glad of the kindle search function, and wondered how it would all tie together, which it did in the end, although there was a bit too much coincidence in character linkages for my liking. The writing was however excellent and I will definitely be looking out for more from this author.
I received a free ARC from Bloodhound Books which allowed me to give an honest review. Scare Me to Death is published on April 9th.
April 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this book.
The story begins with some passengers on a plane realising they’re about to crash land but no-one knows what’s gone wrong.
We’re then in the present day and a woman has been murdered.
Lucy is asked to help as her family know the man who is being held on suspicion of murder and she manages to become involved in the investigation.
She bumps into Dan who is also linked to the investigation and they start making their own enquiries.
Dan soon realises the woman who was was on the flight with him and was one of the few survivors had been looking into the terrorist attack on the plane. He helped her and her brother get to safety but after suffering memory loss from a traumatic event in his life, takes a while to join it all together.
Lucy also makes a discovery about her family and whilst she has been lied to by her mum, she now understands why.
This is a fast paced crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.
The story begins with some passengers on a plane realising they’re about to crash land but no-one knows what’s gone wrong.
We’re then in the present day and a woman has been murdered.
Lucy is asked to help as her family know the man who is being held on suspicion of murder and she manages to become involved in the investigation.
She bumps into Dan who is also linked to the investigation and they start making their own enquiries.
Dan soon realises the woman who was was on the flight with him and was one of the few survivors had been looking into the terrorist attack on the plane. He helped her and her brother get to safety but after suffering memory loss from a traumatic event in his life, takes a while to join it all together.
Lucy also makes a discovery about her family and whilst she has been lied to by her mum, she now understands why.
This is a fast paced crime thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to read this book.
June 21, 2021
Not a bad book characters were well written and the plot for the most part was good but was a bit far fetched in the conclusion and ruined it a bit that the killer and the criminals were related to the main detective. Also the fact that the lead detective was on the plane where a bomber went off because her dad had sold the airline dodgy bomb detection equipment wasn’t all that believable.
Also the plot didn’t match the blurb it makes out like someone is hunting the survivors of the explosion on the plane which isn’t the case.
The writing was good and the book was enjoyable but felt it didn’t get to the next level of being a 4 or 5 star read
Also the plot didn’t match the blurb it makes out like someone is hunting the survivors of the explosion on the plane which isn’t the case.
The writing was good and the book was enjoyable but felt it didn’t get to the next level of being a 4 or 5 star read
April 9, 2021
A bomb explodes mid-air killing most of those on board flight EG220 in Morocco, and for the thirteen survivors, life will never be the same again. Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found dead in brutal circumstances which, once again, opens up the air disaster to scrutiny, not just as part of a murder investigation but there are also personal reasons why retired MI5 agent Dan Forrester is involved along with DC Lucy Davies who has been attached to the investigative team in London.
The story moves along at a cracking pace, moving effortlessly, at times, between London and Morocco, with some interesting interludes in between which keep you guessing. There is much to take in and this complex investigation has more than enough twists and turns which help to build up the tension. I enjoyed how the story wasn't all about a murder investigation although that is central to the story there were other sections which explain the complexity of both Lucy and Dan's rather complicated personalities. They are both rather maverick, and more inclined to work better alone rather than part of a team, but this compliments, rather than compromises the way the plot develops.
Those who have read the previous books in the Forrester series will be well acquainted with Forrester and Davies, so their complex relationship will come as no surprise, however, it is perfectly possible to read Scare Me to Death with no prior knowledge of what has gone before but, of course, as with all series, it is far better to start at the beginning in order to understand how the characters have grown and developed their personalities over time.
I have thoroughly enjoyed piecing together all the jigsaw puzzle pieces of Scare Me to Death and was gripped from the beginning as the story only grew stronger and more complex as it progressed. Cleverly crafted and expertly put together Scare Me To Death is an action packed adventure which enthralls from start to finish.
The story moves along at a cracking pace, moving effortlessly, at times, between London and Morocco, with some interesting interludes in between which keep you guessing. There is much to take in and this complex investigation has more than enough twists and turns which help to build up the tension. I enjoyed how the story wasn't all about a murder investigation although that is central to the story there were other sections which explain the complexity of both Lucy and Dan's rather complicated personalities. They are both rather maverick, and more inclined to work better alone rather than part of a team, but this compliments, rather than compromises the way the plot develops.
Those who have read the previous books in the Forrester series will be well acquainted with Forrester and Davies, so their complex relationship will come as no surprise, however, it is perfectly possible to read Scare Me to Death with no prior knowledge of what has gone before but, of course, as with all series, it is far better to start at the beginning in order to understand how the characters have grown and developed their personalities over time.
I have thoroughly enjoyed piecing together all the jigsaw puzzle pieces of Scare Me to Death and was gripped from the beginning as the story only grew stronger and more complex as it progressed. Cleverly crafted and expertly put together Scare Me To Death is an action packed adventure which enthralls from start to finish.
April 11, 2021
Thank you to the author and Bloodhound Books for an ARC of this book!
Scare Me to Death is the fourth in a series that follows retired ex-MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DC Lucy Davies. It can easily be read as a stand-alone but I wish I would have started with the first book instead of this one. I really enjoyed the relationship between Dan and Lucy and would have liked seeing the beginning and progression of that relationship.
The book starts with the bombing of an airplane departing from Morocco; 13 people survive, including Dan and the two children he rescued from the crash. Fast forward 16 years later and one of the survivors is murdered while investigating the crash. Dan and Lucy join forces to find the killer while also discovering who was behind the bombing 16 years’ prior.
Well-written and fast-paced, this story keeps you wondering and guessing. Two minor gripes: one of them being that there were quite a few subplots so once or twice I was confused as to who a character was in the story, but the author did an excellent job of tying everything up in the ending. The other gripe is the misleading book blurb that made me believe all 13 survivors were involved in the story when actually only 3 are the focus.
I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author and plan to start with the first book in this series!
Scare Me to Death is the fourth in a series that follows retired ex-MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DC Lucy Davies. It can easily be read as a stand-alone but I wish I would have started with the first book instead of this one. I really enjoyed the relationship between Dan and Lucy and would have liked seeing the beginning and progression of that relationship.
The book starts with the bombing of an airplane departing from Morocco; 13 people survive, including Dan and the two children he rescued from the crash. Fast forward 16 years later and one of the survivors is murdered while investigating the crash. Dan and Lucy join forces to find the killer while also discovering who was behind the bombing 16 years’ prior.
Well-written and fast-paced, this story keeps you wondering and guessing. Two minor gripes: one of them being that there were quite a few subplots so once or twice I was confused as to who a character was in the story, but the author did an excellent job of tying everything up in the ending. The other gripe is the misleading book blurb that made me believe all 13 survivors were involved in the story when actually only 3 are the focus.
I’m definitely interested in reading more from this author and plan to start with the first book in this series!
March 17, 2021
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for this ARC.
This is my first read by this author and I thought it was a cracker of a read. It had a thrilling start that grabbed my attention right from the beginning and continued to be an engaging read all the way through. The two main characters are very likeable and I was rooting for them throughout. I really liked that the story was told through Lucy and Dan and that there were so many cliff hanger chapter endings that took my breath away and made me want to continue reading as I was desperate to know what would happen next. The plot twists were brilliant which I didn’t expect or see coming and I loved all the separate story threads which were all tied up nicely at the end of the book. For me, this was a thrilling, well written, action packed and fast paced read with lots of suspense that I would highly recommend. Whilst this book is part of a series, it can be read on it’s own, and the brief references to previous events make me want to read the other books in this series.
This is my first read by this author and I thought it was a cracker of a read. It had a thrilling start that grabbed my attention right from the beginning and continued to be an engaging read all the way through. The two main characters are very likeable and I was rooting for them throughout. I really liked that the story was told through Lucy and Dan and that there were so many cliff hanger chapter endings that took my breath away and made me want to continue reading as I was desperate to know what would happen next. The plot twists were brilliant which I didn’t expect or see coming and I loved all the separate story threads which were all tied up nicely at the end of the book. For me, this was a thrilling, well written, action packed and fast paced read with lots of suspense that I would highly recommend. Whilst this book is part of a series, it can be read on it’s own, and the brief references to previous events make me want to read the other books in this series.
March 25, 2021
Scare Me to Death is a London based, crime thriller in the series featuring retired MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DC Lucy Davies, it can also be read as a stand-alone.
Sixteen years previously a bomb caused an explosion on a plane out of Marrakech killing nearly every passenger, apart from 13 survivors. Dan had helped save them.
In the present day, Lucy is asked to help an old school friend who has been arrested for murder. Dan is also involved and as they begin to work together, they find a link between the murder and the bombing of the plane all those years ago. All the while Lucy is trying to trace her father, who had left when she was young.
This is a fast paced, exciting thriller it has great characters, lots of secrets and a clever twisty plot with a gasp inducing ending. Well written and compelling from start to finish.
Thank you to C.J Carver and Bloodhound books for an eARC of Scare Me To Death.
Sixteen years previously a bomb caused an explosion on a plane out of Marrakech killing nearly every passenger, apart from 13 survivors. Dan had helped save them.
In the present day, Lucy is asked to help an old school friend who has been arrested for murder. Dan is also involved and as they begin to work together, they find a link between the murder and the bombing of the plane all those years ago. All the while Lucy is trying to trace her father, who had left when she was young.
This is a fast paced, exciting thriller it has great characters, lots of secrets and a clever twisty plot with a gasp inducing ending. Well written and compelling from start to finish.
Thank you to C.J Carver and Bloodhound books for an eARC of Scare Me To Death.
April 19, 2021
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the earlier books in the Dan Forrester/Lucy Davies series, I've been waiting a few years now for the next. All I can say is this latest offering is worth the wait. Anyone familiar with CJ Carver's writing will know what to expect and it's here in buckets - high octane action, layers of intrigue, vividly realised locations, flawed but sympathetic central characters in peril and more than a few twists thrown in along the way to keep you guessing.
I've never been the sort to devour a book in one sitting but for the last week or so I've been coming to my block of reading time each day with enthusiasm and anticipation, wondering just what surprises were lying in wait for me. Can definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys pace, an intricate plot and sleight of hand.
I've never been the sort to devour a book in one sitting but for the last week or so I've been coming to my block of reading time each day with enthusiasm and anticipation, wondering just what surprises were lying in wait for me. Can definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys pace, an intricate plot and sleight of hand.
January 12, 2024
DNF blurb mislead me
April 5, 2021
Scare Me to Death begins sixteen years ago with the bombing of Flight EG220 in Morocco. With the author giving only a snapshot view of some of the passengers aboard this plane before tragedy strikes, it’s inevitable only a few will be lucky enough to survive and tell the tale. Fast forward to the present day and DC Lucy Davies is enjoying quality time with her fiancé, a fellow copper, when she receives a call from her mother requesting her help on behalf on an old school friend Ricky Shaw. He is being being held in Kensington police station arrested for the murder of a woman found in an Air bnb apartment and is specifically asking for Lucy. Initially reluctant to become involved since it falls outside of her jurisdiction, Lucy is only persuaded to make the journey from Bristol to London in exchange for information regarding the whereabouts of her estranged father. When it transpires the murdered woman is one of the survivors of the bombing, a complex investigation ensues, one that becomes increasingly dangerous and highly personal the deeper our intrepid detective delves. Why after all this time has one survivor been targeted? The reader can only assume this survivor was in possession of information that would expose the truth behind this catastrophic incident but the question remains as to whether anyone else is also at risk.
Lucy isn’t charged with solving this brutal murder alone, although she did strike me as a lone crusader, happy to play by her own set of rules. Instead she’s joined by ex spook MI5 agent Dan Forrester with whom she has a great friendship and someone who has proved invaluable in past investigations,going by certain references inserted into the narrative. If you have read previous books in the series then you’ll have a better understanding of their professional working relationship and the reasons why they trust each other implicitly but as a newcomer to this author’s writing I found myself scrutinising these two characters with completely fresh, unbiased eyes. I could tell immediately that they compliment each other well, bringing their own strengths to the table. Although I felt the author was more generous in disclosing or recapping Dan’s backstory as opposed to Lucy’s, on balance our investigators are well fleshed out characters whose welfare and safety I cared about as events become more life threatening and revealing in the most shocking of ways.
Lucy’s own observations reveal this is one intricate cats cradle of an investigation with so many threads that you feel as if you’re entering a labyrinthine maze where all the clues you encounter throw up more questions than they answer. Primarily this is a storyline associated with violent, dangerous, morally challenged and fraudulent characters, connected by criminal activity across the globe. Following a trail that leads from London to Morocco to Indonesia and back to the UK untangling all these leads requires patience perseverance and tenacity. It’s a perilous undertaking bringing the culprit (s) to justice, one in which the personal stakes for both Dan and Lucy reach dizzying heights and for reasons I won’t divulge it’s imperative that this operation is a success. With many chapters ending on mini cliffhangers, the author constantly surprises you with coincidence after coincidence compelling you to turn page after page in the search for the truth. Action packed and fast paced it’s a while before you understand the relevance of the title but I loved how all the elements eventually come together, however complex the trail has proven to be. My only criticism is towards the end, although the atmosphere is tense, the plot becomes so convoluted and chaotic, suffering from one too many coincidences to stay on the right side of plausible.
All in all Scare Me to Death is a good thriller that can be happily enjoyed as a standalone, and one that I would recommend. It would be my opinion that this is a series worth following and having made this new discovery I shall look forward to catching up with past investigations whilst anticipating new ones. My thanks to Bloodhound books for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy isn’t charged with solving this brutal murder alone, although she did strike me as a lone crusader, happy to play by her own set of rules. Instead she’s joined by ex spook MI5 agent Dan Forrester with whom she has a great friendship and someone who has proved invaluable in past investigations,going by certain references inserted into the narrative. If you have read previous books in the series then you’ll have a better understanding of their professional working relationship and the reasons why they trust each other implicitly but as a newcomer to this author’s writing I found myself scrutinising these two characters with completely fresh, unbiased eyes. I could tell immediately that they compliment each other well, bringing their own strengths to the table. Although I felt the author was more generous in disclosing or recapping Dan’s backstory as opposed to Lucy’s, on balance our investigators are well fleshed out characters whose welfare and safety I cared about as events become more life threatening and revealing in the most shocking of ways.
Lucy’s own observations reveal this is one intricate cats cradle of an investigation with so many threads that you feel as if you’re entering a labyrinthine maze where all the clues you encounter throw up more questions than they answer. Primarily this is a storyline associated with violent, dangerous, morally challenged and fraudulent characters, connected by criminal activity across the globe. Following a trail that leads from London to Morocco to Indonesia and back to the UK untangling all these leads requires patience perseverance and tenacity. It’s a perilous undertaking bringing the culprit (s) to justice, one in which the personal stakes for both Dan and Lucy reach dizzying heights and for reasons I won’t divulge it’s imperative that this operation is a success. With many chapters ending on mini cliffhangers, the author constantly surprises you with coincidence after coincidence compelling you to turn page after page in the search for the truth. Action packed and fast paced it’s a while before you understand the relevance of the title but I loved how all the elements eventually come together, however complex the trail has proven to be. My only criticism is towards the end, although the atmosphere is tense, the plot becomes so convoluted and chaotic, suffering from one too many coincidences to stay on the right side of plausible.
All in all Scare Me to Death is a good thriller that can be happily enjoyed as a standalone, and one that I would recommend. It would be my opinion that this is a series worth following and having made this new discovery I shall look forward to catching up with past investigations whilst anticipating new ones. My thanks to Bloodhound books for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2021
DC Lucy Davies is quite notorious. In her career so far she has already been kidnapped and has worked on three other cases with Dan Forrester, ex M15, including one where he saved her life. She’s now working in Stockton on Tees and engaged to a DI in Bristol. She gets a call from her mother telling her that Ricky Shaw, an old school friend in London, is in trouble, arrested for a murder he claims he did not commit. She is lured into helping by the man’s mother who promises news of her estranged father in return, a man she has not seen since she was eight and whom her mother refuses to discuss. The murder victim is Kaitlyn Rogers and Lucy discovers Dan is listed in her contacts. So Lucy manages to inveigle herself onto the team investigating Kaitlyn’s death and secretly using help from Dan, with his wealth of experience and knowledge, not to mention his personal interest in the dead woman and past events, she sets out to prove Ricky innocent and find the real killer. As events unfold, she realizes the murder is all tied up in the bombing of flight EG220 sixteen years ago where 214 people died and Kaitlyn’s quest for the truth. This search had taken Kaitlyn back to Morocco which is where Dan heads, as he follows in her footsteps and finds a lot of people scared or unwilling to help. Gradually Dan and Lucy find the clues that Kaitlyn had unearthed and follow up the trail.
There is plenty of action and thrills from Dan, while Lucy is on the more dogged police route of interviews of witnesses and suspects, and despite being a lowly DC and part of a large team, she appears to be a bit of a lone wolf, free to roam the countryside on her own investigations. Together can they resolve the horrendous crimes that took place sixteen years ago and bring to justice the people truly responsible for all the deaths, then and now? Will Lucy she ever get the truth about her father? And will she want to?
I really liked Dan; he’s been through a lot as told in the back story and yet he clearly cares about helping people and doing the right thing. I didn’t like Lucy so much as she seemed to forget she was a serving police officer a lot of the time and it was easy to see how she had annoyed her last boss. The blurb is quite misleading. From “Thirteen survived. Now someone wants them dead” I was expecting a plot to bump off all the survivors but this was a completely different and quite complicated plot with many characters and side stories which got a little unbelievable at times. The ending is fast and furious, and this book should appeal to fans of a pacy thriller featuring an ex-spook and a maverick detective. 4*
There is plenty of action and thrills from Dan, while Lucy is on the more dogged police route of interviews of witnesses and suspects, and despite being a lowly DC and part of a large team, she appears to be a bit of a lone wolf, free to roam the countryside on her own investigations. Together can they resolve the horrendous crimes that took place sixteen years ago and bring to justice the people truly responsible for all the deaths, then and now? Will Lucy she ever get the truth about her father? And will she want to?
I really liked Dan; he’s been through a lot as told in the back story and yet he clearly cares about helping people and doing the right thing. I didn’t like Lucy so much as she seemed to forget she was a serving police officer a lot of the time and it was easy to see how she had annoyed her last boss. The blurb is quite misleading. From “Thirteen survived. Now someone wants them dead” I was expecting a plot to bump off all the survivors but this was a completely different and quite complicated plot with many characters and side stories which got a little unbelievable at times. The ending is fast and furious, and this book should appeal to fans of a pacy thriller featuring an ex-spook and a maverick detective. 4*
March 16, 2021
My thoughts about this explosive edge of your seat thriller, C J Carver’s Scare Me To Death was just wow beyond excellent,with its fast tensed story and breathtaking suspense,makes this one of the most anticipated thrillers this year, you don’t want to miss. Author C J Carver is a passionate storyteller that surprises you with her powerful unique writing skills, that is truly remarkable. The story of Scare Me To Death begins with a flashback Sixteen years ago explosive opening scene,were we see one of the lead characters Dan working for the MI5 back then, he’s on a Aeroplane, which is carrying passengers, when a hand made Bomb goes off and see’s the plane on smoke, Dan sets out to save the passengers but only 13 survive the air crash. Then the story moves ahead Sixteen years later one of the survivors is found brutally bludgeoned to death. It looks like a crime of passion but DC Lucy Davies knows something is wrong. They were trying to find the bombers.Lucy’s search for the killer brings her into conflict with her long lost father – who has his own secrets.Dangerous secrets which Lucy must expose so she can confront a vicious murderer with only one thing on their mind.To keep on killing to stop the truth from getting revealed. Lucy teams up with Dan who is now retired from MI5, he is suffering from amnesia, gets caught up on all this as he knew one of the saviors gets a call from the police, was fantastic. The team up between Dan and Lucy to find the killer is just incredible. When finally the killer’s identity is revealed I was blown away just fantastic no wonder C J Carver won the CWA Dagger Debut Thriller Award,she is a well talented writer that deserves appreciation. Scare Me To Death is well plotted and well crafted thriller, that is going to take you on a rollocoster ride with its breathtaking suspense. I would like to say thank you to Author C J Carver, who had kindly sent me a gifted PDF copy, for me to read and review this outstanding edge of your seat thriller which is highly recommended.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥
April 12, 2021
With a horrifying prologue that chilled me to the bone, I knew from the very start that I was going to love CJ Carver's latest novel, Scare Me To Death, and I was not wrong; it's absolutely brilliant. Although it's the fourth book in the Dan Forrester series, it's the first one I've read so I can state with confidence that it can definitely be read as a standalone.
Dan is a wonderfully complex character who lost a lot of his memories when he witnessed a traumatic event. There's something very odd about that as it is only memories from a specific period of his life (and that of the traumatic event) that are missing; it's like they've been erased on purpose and it's certainly piqued my interest and made me want to read more about Dan in the previous books.
As if that wasn't tantalising enough, Dan's old friend DC Lucy Davies has one heck of a back story both in her career and her personal life. I loved how Lucy's story developed as her family history was untangled whilst she was investigating a brutal murder. With all this going on, I'm surprised her head didn't explode!
The story of the murder of Kaitlyn Rogers is so perfectly plotted that it left me breathless. When Dan follows a lead to Morocco I was on the edge of my seat as the danger level increased and I became even more intrigued by what Kaitlyn had discovered that led to her murder.
Gripping from start to finish, Scare Me To Death is a thriller with a capital T. Filled with danger and intrigue that left me breathless, I couldn't read this fantastic book fast enough. Very highly recommended and I'll definitely be reading the earlier books in the series now.
Many thanks to CJ Carver for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Dan is a wonderfully complex character who lost a lot of his memories when he witnessed a traumatic event. There's something very odd about that as it is only memories from a specific period of his life (and that of the traumatic event) that are missing; it's like they've been erased on purpose and it's certainly piqued my interest and made me want to read more about Dan in the previous books.
As if that wasn't tantalising enough, Dan's old friend DC Lucy Davies has one heck of a back story both in her career and her personal life. I loved how Lucy's story developed as her family history was untangled whilst she was investigating a brutal murder. With all this going on, I'm surprised her head didn't explode!
The story of the murder of Kaitlyn Rogers is so perfectly plotted that it left me breathless. When Dan follows a lead to Morocco I was on the edge of my seat as the danger level increased and I became even more intrigued by what Kaitlyn had discovered that led to her murder.
Gripping from start to finish, Scare Me To Death is a thriller with a capital T. Filled with danger and intrigue that left me breathless, I couldn't read this fantastic book fast enough. Very highly recommended and I'll definitely be reading the earlier books in the series now.
Many thanks to CJ Carver for sending me a digital ARC to read and review; this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
April 16, 2021
If you are a fan of fast-paced and action-packed crime thrillers, don’t pass this one up! I didn’t realize when I first started the book that it was an installment of a series following Dan Forrester & Lucy Davies. I can’t speak to whether or not I would have a different sense of the story if I had been previously introduced to their characters. Perhaps I may have received more character development if I had read the previous installments, but I didn’t feel lost or like I was playing catch up at all. You can read this as a stand-alone novel if you would like. After reading this one, I would certainly read another book from this author. The way that the narrative jumps between Dan & Lucy’s perspective keeps the storyline interesting. It’s a page turner with lots of dangerous characters and situations. I am usually more of a fan of psychological thrillers opposed to crime novels like this one, but it still kept me riveted. An action drama movie could be made from the plot and it would be a box-office smash! Nice work CJ Carver! Cheers for creating a heart-racing adventure for us to escape to in our minds when the pandemic has made mundane our everyday reality.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 28, 2021
Sometime you start a book and within minutes you know you are going to enjoy it. This was one such book for me. What a fabulous book.
Briefly, former MI5 agent Dan Forrester is one of 13 survivors from an air disaster. 16 year’s later a woman is murdered in London. What is the connection to the air disaster? Dan is reunited with DC Lucy Davies when she comes back to London to see the man accused of the murder and is subsequently seconded to the murder investigation. But Lucy has her own agenda when she finds out her father, who she thought was living in Australia, is in England...
This is so well written with a great storyline that keeps you on tenterhooks throughout. I love the way the relationships are described between Dan and Lucy and Lucy and her estranged father. You can feel how Lucy must feel. This author has a new fan in me and I will be checking out some other books very soon. A brilliant 5* read
Briefly, former MI5 agent Dan Forrester is one of 13 survivors from an air disaster. 16 year’s later a woman is murdered in London. What is the connection to the air disaster? Dan is reunited with DC Lucy Davies when she comes back to London to see the man accused of the murder and is subsequently seconded to the murder investigation. But Lucy has her own agenda when she finds out her father, who she thought was living in Australia, is in England...
This is so well written with a great storyline that keeps you on tenterhooks throughout. I love the way the relationships are described between Dan and Lucy and Lucy and her estranged father. You can feel how Lucy must feel. This author has a new fan in me and I will be checking out some other books very soon. A brilliant 5* read
March 18, 2021
This is the first book I read from author C.J. Carver and won't be the last.
I was a little confused at beginning about what was going on in the book, there are quite a few references to things that happened in past investigations, until I realized that this book is not a stand alone but rather part of a series of books depicting retired MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DC Lucy Davies.
I have to say that the book is an easy, very fast read, you want to continue reading to know what is going on and what would happen next, having said so, there are quite a few sub plots that kind of interwove one with with the other but at times make it a little confusing but tie nicely at the end of the book.
Scared Me to Death is a well written, well crafted thriller that will give you lots of suspense and a who did it surprise at the end.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
I was a little confused at beginning about what was going on in the book, there are quite a few references to things that happened in past investigations, until I realized that this book is not a stand alone but rather part of a series of books depicting retired MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DC Lucy Davies.
I have to say that the book is an easy, very fast read, you want to continue reading to know what is going on and what would happen next, having said so, there are quite a few sub plots that kind of interwove one with with the other but at times make it a little confusing but tie nicely at the end of the book.
Scared Me to Death is a well written, well crafted thriller that will give you lots of suspense and a who did it surprise at the end.
Thank you Bloodhound Books for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.
April 7, 2021
Although this is part of a series, it reads very well as a standalone as I hadn't read any of the previous ones in this series. The story opens with an aircraft bombing sixteen years before where there are 13 survivors. One of these is the ex MI5 Dan Forrester who saves two children. Move forward to current day and when one of them turns up dead and the accused killer turns out to be an old school friend of DC Lucy Davies, it is inevitable that they both join forces.
Great paced story and you are taken up lots of blind alleys looking for the truth as well as going between England and Morocco. A couple of sub plots too so as the reader, you have to be alert in case you miss something.
Overall 4.5. Would have been 5* but I was expecting the killing of all the 13 survivors so a wee bit misleading or it may just be me!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
Great paced story and you are taken up lots of blind alleys looking for the truth as well as going between England and Morocco. A couple of sub plots too so as the reader, you have to be alert in case you miss something.
Overall 4.5. Would have been 5* but I was expecting the killing of all the 13 survivors so a wee bit misleading or it may just be me!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
March 30, 2021
**Thanks to bloodhound books for an ARC of this book**
This book starts off with excitement galore and I thought it would set the “tone” for the rest of the book. While it slowed down a bit in action it was a wonderful police procedural. I loved the characters and there were so many side stories that ended up tying in nicely at the end. What an amazing storyline and I feel it really says something for the author who can juggle a few different plot points and not confuse the reader and keeps them engaged through out the book! I didn’t know that this was a series and this was not the first one until I read other reviews so that did not deter from the story or the enjoyment of the book. I would check out more from this author, easily!
This book starts off with excitement galore and I thought it would set the “tone” for the rest of the book. While it slowed down a bit in action it was a wonderful police procedural. I loved the characters and there were so many side stories that ended up tying in nicely at the end. What an amazing storyline and I feel it really says something for the author who can juggle a few different plot points and not confuse the reader and keeps them engaged through out the book! I didn’t know that this was a series and this was not the first one until I read other reviews so that did not deter from the story or the enjoyment of the book. I would check out more from this author, easily!
April 7, 2021
I hadn’t realised this was actually the third book to feature ex MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DI Lucy Davies. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the first two books though as there was sufficient information given for anything you need to know.
A very exciting thriller that takes us from a bomb on a plane some years ago where only 13 survive, to present day, where one of those survivors has been murdered. Why only one out of the 13? What did she know? It turns out Dan too was on the plane and survived.
A brilliant thriller that you won’t be able to put down!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC.
A very exciting thriller that takes us from a bomb on a plane some years ago where only 13 survive, to present day, where one of those survivors has been murdered. Why only one out of the 13? What did she know? It turns out Dan too was on the plane and survived.
A brilliant thriller that you won’t be able to put down!
Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC.
April 9, 2021
This is the first book I have read from this author and it won't be my last. At the beginning of the book we are transported to sixteen years ago, passengers that are on a plane suddenly realise that they are about to crash land but no one knows what has gone wrong. Then we fast forward to the present day where a woman has been murdered. How is it all connected? I found it a great paced thriller, full of suspense. I felt as though you really have to concentrate on this book as there is a lot going on and is packed with lots of characters. Even though this book is part of a series you can read it as a standalone which I did, but would be happy to read the others.
March 27, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this rollercoaster of a ride. Slightly disappointed to find fairly quickly that this was one of a series as there were many referrals to retired MI5 agent Dan Forrester and DI Lucy Davies and their past relationship. I wished I had read previous books first and although you can read this as a stand alone thriller, I do think it would improve your enjoyment were you to read previous books. A new author to my ever growing list of authors thanks to Arc Bloodhound Books and to C J Carver for giving me the opportunity to read and review.
April 9, 2021
I enjoyed this suspenseful story. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites by them yet. One thing I enjoy about this author is the ability to pull me into the story from the beginning. The characters bring the story to life and make the story engaging. This story is no different. I was pulled in by the characters who just made the story entertaining to read. This is a story that is full of action, killing, conflicts and a bomb that kills a ton of people. You dont want to miss this one. I highly recommend this book.
March 16, 2021
This was very good and after the first quarter I got really addicted. The first quarter was my issue really as I think it relied a lot on a back story and this was my first time of reading this author.
However once I got over that it was a really entertaining read with some surprises.
Really enjoyed it and want to read more by this author
I was given an advance copy by Bloodhound books and the author but this review is entirely my own.
However once I got over that it was a really entertaining read with some surprises.
Really enjoyed it and want to read more by this author
I was given an advance copy by Bloodhound books and the author but this review is entirely my own.
March 22, 2021
I have never read a book by this author previously but I may have to look for future books from her as this one kept me quite enthralled through the entire book. There was one inconsistency that bugged me but it wasn't enough to make me put the book down. The blurb talked about 13 survivors but this story centered only around 2.5 of them. There were a few stories going on at one time but they all melded well together and came full circle at the end. Enjoy and happy reading!
April 7, 2021
This is the first book I have read by this author and it definitely won't be the last. It drew me into the characters and story immediately and I read it very quickly as I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.
It was an intriguing story, full of twists and turns, culminating in an explosive ending. I look forward to reading more adventures involving Dan Forrester and Lucy Davies.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC of Scare Me To Death.
It was an intriguing story, full of twists and turns, culminating in an explosive ending. I look forward to reading more adventures involving Dan Forrester and Lucy Davies.
Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC of Scare Me To Death.
April 11, 2021
Fourth in the series. It can be read as a standalone but I found that I was missing out on the back story of some of the characters that way. The characters are well developed and the plot had some twists and turns as well as a bit complicated. I will be going back to the beginning of this series and reading it from there. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book thanks to the publisher and author.
April 8, 2021
A really good enjoyable read, well written and totally engrossing. There is no let up and action packed from start to finish. I thought I had some bits figured out but nope so far off the mark which I do like from a book. I won’t write about the storyline as I feel this is the job of the blurb, but if the blurb does grab your interest your in for a heck of a read.
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