Fear Struck was intense and emotionally powerful, and also kind of creepy. It starts with Orson Kutter, a crime writer whose imagination bleeds a little too close to real life. One minute he’s hammering away on his keyboard, writing about murder and mystery, and the next, the cops are breaking down his door and slapping cuffs on him for killings that look suspiciously like scenes from his books. It’s one of those stories where reality and fiction twist around each other until you’re not sure which one’s real anymore. The whole setup feels like watching someone slowly wake up inside their own nightmare. It’s dark, smart, and honestly a little creepy in that “am I next?” kind of way.

I’ll be honest, this book made me anxious in the best way. I love a good murder mystery, and Fear Struck doesn’t just give you one, it gives you layers of them. I kept trying to guess if Kutter was guilty, if he was being framed, or if he was losing his mind. The writing pulls you into his paranoia so deeply that you start feeling trapped with him. The scenes in the jail, the smell of sweat and fear, the endless echoes, I could almost hear it. The story moves fast, but not in a shallow way. Every chapter left me thinking, “Okay, just one more,” until it was 2 a.m. and I was questioning my life choices. What really hooked me, though, was how Oliver plays with the line between author and character, fiction and truth. It’s almost meta, but not in a pretentious way.

The writing is really sharp. I like how Oliver doesn’t waste time with fancy words or filler. It’s cinematic, full of tension, and just messy enough to feel real. There were moments where I felt sick for Kutter, moments where I didn’t trust him at all, and moments where I wanted to scream at everyone around him for being blind. That’s good storytelling. Some parts slowed a little, sure, and a few twists I saw coming, but the emotion stayed raw. There’s this heavy mix of guilt, fear, and desperation that makes the book feel alive.

If you like stories that make your heart race and your brain spin, this one’s for you. Fear Struck is perfect for murder mystery junkies who like their thrillers dark, psychological, and just a little too close to home. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys Gone Girl or Misery but wants something with its own strange heartbeat.

Pages: 392 | ASIN : B0FRRK8HGX