The Deep

Horror
Paranormal

By Alma Katsu

Paperback 432 pages
Publisher Bantam Press (5th Mar 2020)

"Deeply, deeply disturbing. Hard to put down, not recommended reading after dark." Stephen King

📕My Review

Being a fan of all things Titanic, this book immediately piqued my interest so, coupled with my love of horror, I couldn't possibly let this one pass.

Author Alma Katsu's writing is wonderfully atmospheric and a pleasure to read. History blends seamlessly with fiction in this haunting tale set upon the ill-fated Titanic. Told through dual timelines, the reader is introduced to an eclectic mix of passengers; from the cream of high society to immigrants setting sail for a new life in America.

Whilst I enjoyed the combination of fact and fiction, I found the plot just a little too slow. I was expecting more horror and felt slightly let down when the book didn't deliver. However, the beautiful writing and authentic glimpse into one of the world's most widely known tragedies made it a solid 3 star read.           
           
Book Source: Review copy from the publisher

Rating ⭐⭐⭐

📗The Blurb

Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic.

This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner's illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers - including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher - are convinced that something sinister is going on . . . And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes.

Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night, Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is convinced that he did not - could not - have survived the sinking of the Titanic . . .

Brilliantly combining fact and fiction, the historical and the horrific, The Deep reveals a chilling truth in an unputdownable narrative full of unnerving moments and with a growing, inexorable sense of foreboding.

📘The Author

Alma Katsu is the author of The Hunger, a reimagining of the story of the Donner Party with a horror twist. The Hunger made NPR’s list of the 100 Best Horror Stories, was named one of the best novels of 2018 by the Observer, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books (and more), and was nominated for a Stoker and Locus Award for best horror novel.

The Taker, her debut novel, has been compared to the early works of Anne Rice and Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander for combining historical, the supernatural, and fantasy into one story. The Taker was named a Top Ten Debut Novel of 2011 by Booklist, was nominated for a Goodreads Readers Choice award, and has been published in over 10 languages. It is the first in an award-winning trilogy that includes The Reckoning and The Descent.
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Ms. Katsu lives outside of Washington DC with her husband, musician Bruce Katsu. In addition to her novels, she has been a signature reviewer for Publishers Weekly, and a contributor to the Huffington Post. She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Program and Brandeis University, where she studied with novelist John Irving. She also is an alumni of the Squaw Valley Community of Writers.

Prior to publication of her first novel, Ms. Katsu had a long career in intelligence, working for several US agencies and a think tank. She currently is a consultant on emerging technologies.

Alma Katsu's website