Absolutely riveting and I intend finding others in this series: characters are as mysterious and intriguing as plot. I worried coincidences of purported suicides and final revelation abt who it was a bit too neat, but that did not deter me from setting everything aside to read! Terrific new writer to follow - forensic psychologist Flynn and her amorous but reluctant colleague Callas are going to be tremendously entertaining to track, without romantic cliches! And I'm in love with detective called Marilyn (near gender-bending name). Bravura and skillful performance.

Scared to Death is the second book in Medina's Jessie Flynn series. Psychologist Jessie is a complicated character with a dark and disturbing past. Unusually she works closely with the British Army and all of her cases have links to serving troops.

Just returned from a tour of duty in Syria and Iraq, Jessie is asked to talk to a young recruit called Ryan Jones. A senior officer has concerns about his mental well being so has invited Jessie in for a psychological assessment.

Local policeman DI Bobby Simmons is called to the local hospital after a toddler has been abandoned at the A&E department. His father Malcolm is severely depressed after his other son Danny committed suicide while serving in the army.

Captain Ben Callan is called to a suspicious death at the local base. A young recruit has been found dead in the grounds and as part of the military police Callan has to investigate whether this is murder or suicide.

As the three investigations progress it becomes clear that they are all linked and Jessie soon finds herself in mortal danger.

Scared to Death gives us a closer look at Jessie's past. We learn more about what happened to her after the suicide of her brother and get a better understanding of the vitriol she feels towards her father. This theme runs through the case studies in this story. Ryan, Danny and Stephen Foster are all in the positions that they found themselves in because of the lack of a strong and supportive father figure.

It is the exposition of Jessie that really makes this story. Her continuing issues of guilt that fuel her acute OCD are fascinating and she is such an interesting and unusual lead character.

Supplied by Net Galley and Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review.

UK publication Date: May 4 2017. 327 pages.

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N01TEWZ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B01N01TEWZ&linkCode=as2&tag=angelrevie-21&linkId=bbdce7de78bdc1e0454328a482f15e19">Scared to Death (A Jessie Flynn Crime Thriller, Book 2)</a><img src="//ir-uk.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=angelrevie-21&l=am2&o=2&a=B01N01TEWZ" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the plot came together and that there was a background story to the main characters. It made everything seem so real. The fast pace and short chapters made it compulsive reading. I hope there are more books in this series.

This book is one of the best reads at the moment. The storyline is different and has a few unexpected twists and turns. So looking forward to the next in series

I would like to thank HarperCollins via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I give this book 5 stars.

I read the first book [book:Fire Damage|25762600] by Kate and loved it, so of course I had to read this one.

This book follows Ben Callan as he tries to resolve the case of a baby who is abandoned in the doors of A and E, Callan tries his very best to solve it on his own and fight the urge to ask Jessie Flynn for help but it is clear that he needs her.

I won't say more about the book as I don't want to spoil it for those who :) ave not yet read it.

But...... OH MY GOD Kate I was not expecting that outcome. Thank you so much for giving me a great read. I really enjoyed the series, you really know how to keep people interested and glued to the book right through until the end. I look forward to reading your future books.

Another brilliant and exciting book about psychologist Jessie Flynn. Can't wait for the next book and highly recommend this series.

This is another fantastic book. I've loved all her books I've read. Great characters and plot.

Absolutely loved this book, a real page turner and I didn't want to come to the end.

This is the second in the Jessie Flynn Series .I read the first book and loved it so was excited to read this book .I wasn't disappointed ,this is a gripping thriller with lots of twists and turns and surprises .We learn more about Jessie and her past which I enjoyed .I didn't guess the ending to my shame !! A wonderful compelling story I hope there are more books to follow about Jessie .

I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for an advance copy of Scared to Death, the second novel to feature military psychologist, Jessie Flynn.

After 3 months work on a navy destroyer in the Gulf it's straight back to regular work for Jessie and an appointment with 16 year old Ryan Jones referred for unspecified mental health problems but before that she is asked to help DI Bobby "Marilyn" Simmons interview Mrs Lawson whose son is missing and baby grandson has been left in the local A&E. Not normally one for the military, but Malcolm Lawson's son committed suicide the previous year after a few months in the army and Malcolm spent a lot of energy trying to get his death investigated. In the meantime Captain Ben Callan of the Military Police is investigating the murder of a 16 year old squaddie.

I enjoyed Scared to Death as Ms Medina has a very readable writing style. I was drawn in and just wanted to keep reading, wondering how all the diverse strands would come together. I was a bit disappointed when the perpetrator was revealed as I was expecting a bit more than I got but the journey to that point is absorbing.

I like the main protagonists, Jessie, Ben and Marilyn, who are all pleasant, smart, dedicated individuals but their troubles are becoming excessive. I understand that most authors feel that they have to give their protagonists an edge of some kind or another, but all 3? Jessie has OCD due to her brother's suicide as a child and gains more problems in this novel. Ben has epilepsy which he hasn't disclosed to the army and Marilyn seems stuck in his early 20s with a lifestyle not befitting either his age or his job. I feel these issues detract from their character.

Scared to Death is not the perfect novel but, minor quibbles aside, it is a good, absorbing read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Two young men, Danny Lawson, Stephen Foster are dead and a third Ryan Jones is seeking help and counselling from psychologist Dr Jessie Flynn. Are there connections? and can Jessie discover and uncover the closed mind of young soldier Ryan, a deeply troubled and disturbed individual....."He started to fidget, fingers picking at a thread that had come loose from the stitching of his navy blue beret. His nails had been bitten to the quick, the cuticles raw."

This is the second book in the Jessie Flynn crime series and just as enjoyable as the first. It is not so much the story that is at the heart of Kate Medina's writing (although a well structured thriller is always vital) but rather the characters that adorn those pages with all their weaknesses, self doubts, and insecurities, and at this the author excels. Jessie is the central figure a fine and dedicated psychologist and yet possibly one of the most flawed, sensitive and self doubting individuals I have ever encountered. She has borne courageously a troubled childhood with her father departing the marital home, making her feel responsible for her younger, and sick, brother Jamie...."My father dumped me when I was twelve, dumped Jamie when he was only five, sick, dying. He dumped all of us for that...Bi**h" This has tragic consequences when Jamie commits suicide and is discovered by Jessie on her return home, something she will never recover from feeling responsible for his death as she was not present when it happened. She suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder indicated by her extreme sense of order...."She put the kettle back on its stand, straightened the handle flush with the wall"......"the bread and butter lined side by side on the top shelf, an identical space between each item."

Captain Ben Callan is employed as an officer in the Special Investigation Branch. He previously served courageously in Afghanistan and as a young soldier...."he had already taken two bullets whilst on duty. The first a gift from the Taliban eighteen months ago in Afghanistan, still lodged in his brain; the fallout permanent seizures, manageable at the moment with drugs..." Captain Callan has not disclosed his tenuous and fragile health prognosis to his employers for to do so, in his opinion, would surely mean his instant dismissal. As a result of this injury the unfortunate Callan now suffers seizures and blackouts manifesting in the form of epileptic fits. There would appear to be an attraction between Ben and Jessie possibly two wounded souls seeking comfort in the arms of the other. This is something that the reader really hopes will happen, will they or wont they is an occurring theme throughout the story. DI Bobby "Marilyn" Simmons contributes a little light relief if only for the fact that his nickname..." which he had acquired on his first day with Surrey and Sussex Major Crimes thanks to an uncanny resemblance to the ageing American rocker Marilyn Manson.

So with some great leading players and an enjoyable story that results in the exposure of a well hidden killer this the second book in the series draws to a dramatic close. The author has created a wonderful heroine and there must certainly be many more secrets to discover in the further adventures of Jessie and Ben in book 3 of the series. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for supplying me with a gratis copy for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Excellent book. Great main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

I really enjoyed this book once I got into it. The way in which the characters, victim, criminal and crime fighters; creates a tension- filled story.

I would have liked to read the first book in the series first because I think I might have missed some of the background of some characters. However, this book certainly managed to rate highly on its own merits.

The way in which the opening chapter set 11 years ago, finally makes sense as the novel reaches a conclusion is cleverly done.

There are several possible suspects along the way. How the opening crime and the modern days are linked makes this a successful story.

I will certainly look out for previous and future novels by Kate Medina on the strength of this book.

This book follows on from her first but can be read on its own. It is a very difficult subject to have written about (suicide within the Army) but has been done with great sensitivity. I like the way it starts with different murders which then all intertwine bringing the main characters together again. Both of these characters are facing their own demons and trying to over come them. I look forward to the next one !!

A clever, different take on the crime novel with lots of tension and red herrings.
Would have been a five star read if not for the constant references to "an electric suit" yet no explanation of what that is or its significance.
Reads well as a stand alone novel apart from the above issue, maybe the first instalment holds the explanation I feel is missing from this book?

This is a great follow up to Fire Damage which I loved. The chemistry between Callan and Flynn is electric and I just loved the follow on chapter in their lives. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who loves this genre.

This is the second novel in the Dr. Jessie Flynn series. In Scared to Death we learn more about Jessie's past and what makes her the person she is. She is a psychologist but struggles with her own OCD tendencies.

Kate Medina is an amazing writer and obviously researchers well. I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Author Kate Medina’s second entry in the Jessie Flynn crime series, “Scared to Death,” is an entertaining thriller that is sure to delight her fans while leaving others satisfied, but not enthralled. Here’s an overview, without spoilers:

The story moves at a brisk pace, aided by the quick chapters and by continual shifting between the three main characters, Jessie, Captain Callan, and Detective Inspector Bobby Simmons. Ms. Medina artfully weaves multiple mysteries for readers, dropping clues as well as red herrings. Toward the end the pace picks up and races towards the climax, although the ending felt a bit clipped, as if the author was running out of pages and had to end everything quickly. The final chapter for one of the minor characters was a bit unbelievable and thus disappointing.

Readers of Ms. Medina’s first Flynn book, “Fire Damage,” will remember Jessie as an intelligent psychologist dealing with her own personal psychological disorder. The oft-used gimmick of using a physical or emotional problem as a substitute for a character trait is frustrating to see in so many novels, and Ms. Medina has enough talent to forgo using such a technique. However, Jessie is now in her second novel, so there is nothing to do at this juncture but sigh and move on. But…

Captain Callan has his physical issues, compounded by neurological damage that, if exposed, could cost him his career. This leads to additional focus on another character dealing with physical problems rather than moving toward deeper character development. It could be argued by readers that the characters are revealing their personalities through their physical and mental issues. That could be true, though I would prefer to see the cast struggling with their personal foibles rather than constant mentions about uncontrollable things that cannot be defeated.

“Scared to Death” can be read as a standalone, and the author provides enough backstory to understand how Jesse, Callan, and Simmons all met and their subsequent relation to each other. In fact, sometimes it felt like there were too many references, and folks who read this book first may know too much about “Fire Damage” to want to go back and read the first book. For those who wish to know, the book is moderately seasoned with vulgarities including f-bombs, as well as an occasional oath every few chapters.

Overall, “Scared to Death” if a fine entry in this series and I recommend it to lovers of crime mysteries. Four stars.

I enjoyed Medina's White Crocodile a lot and this series has so much potential but having *two* investigator protagonists who are barely able to function on a daily basis is jarringly unconvincing and increasingly irritating to read about. The pile-up of angsty issues is just too much: Jessie's brother's suicide, her guilt, her OCD, her lack of friends or normal social life, her constant whingeing about her "electric suit", her prim inability to speak to lovely Callan just grate and I got to the stage where I skimmed past the interspersed paragraphs of her personal problems - losing them doesn't impact the story at all.

As if one dysfunctional character isn't enough, Medina then piles on the pressure with Callan who has one bullet embedded in his brain, was shot in the back at the end of the last book, is suffering epileptic fits, previously was depressed, is on medication and is somehow keeping it all from his boss and colleagues, even when it means he's doing illegal things like driving despite his epilepsy. How these two manage to get anything done when he can't even bear a camera flash going off in case it sets off his epilepsy, and she can't walk into a room without losing all concentration on her patients as she dwells on her own past is just a miracle, an unbelievable one at that!

It's such a shame because I like the premise of these books a lot, and Medina uses her army insight to fine effect. Her plotting is good, Marilyn is a blast of fresh air, Callan is intriguing (if only he weren't falling apart quite so obviously) - but Jessie has no personality, is just a collection of OCD events and bad memories, and her psychological expertise frequently feels shoe-horned into the story for no viable reason - she offers about as much psychological insight as a sniffer dog!

So I really want to love this series but I'm only getting through it by skim-reading all the irritating angsty main character stuff which we have every couple of pages. Medina just doesn't need to pile it all on like this: her plots, the characters (apart from Jessie), the setting, the writing are more than enough to fill the book in a satisfying manner.