Kate Murphy is surprised to receive a phone call from an old friend, and she can tell by Tina's voice that something has upset her. Tina explains about seeing something odd, and she wants Kate's scientific opinion about what she has found. Kate has some doubts about helping her, but once Tina tells her that she has something of hers that Kate believed to be lost, she reluctantly agrees to drive to Mercy, Georgia to meet her old friend. Closing in on her destination, Kate's car veers off the road and into a creek where she is rescued by Nolan Price, Tina's employer. She finds out that Tina had died earlier that day. As she stays in Mercy to recover, she finds too many things that do not seem to add up particularly concerning Tina's death. What is going on in Mercy? Why does everyone seem to have too many secrets?

Nolan Price is a man looking for answers into his wife's death when he and his daughter relocate to Mercy, Georgia. He knows that things are not what they seem, but he cannot seem to find the exact answers he is looking for. When he happens to rescue Kate Murphy from a car accident on the same day that her best friend dies, he becomes very suspicious indeed. There have been a lot of fatal car crashes around Mercy in the short amount of time that he has lived here, and he does not believe in coincidences. Struggling to deal with his teenaged daughter and his feelings concerning his new houseguest, Kate Murphy, Nolan works to unravel the mystery surrounding the town. Will the truth be too shocking? Will his faith and perseverance be enough to ensure the safety of those he cares about?

Debby Giusti has written another thrilling suspense novel laced with romance and an undeniable faith in the power of God. Her characters are well defined and each one has an important role. There are no small parts, and everyone holds a tiny piece of the overall puzzle. The plot hooks you in and takes you for a bumpy ride. It is a fast paced, fascinating story with plenty of downtime to become acquainted with the characters. SCARED TO DEATH starts out with a frantic phone call that leads the reader into a sticky web of intrigue with little chance to pull themselves free. It is a thoroughly enjoyable book.