The Deep

By: Alma Katsu

Narrated by: Jane Collingwood

Length: 12 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

From the acclaimed and award-winning author of The Hunger comes an eerie, psychological twist on one of the world's most renowned tragedies, the sinking of the Titanic and the ill-fated sail of its sister ship, the Britannic.

Someone, or something, is haunting the ship. Between mysterious disappearances and sudden deaths, the guests of the Titanic have found themselves suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone from the moment they set sail. Several of them, including maid Annie Hebley, guest Mark Fletcher, and millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, are convinced there's something sinister - almost otherwordly - afoot. But before they can locate the source of the danger, as the world knows, disaster strikes.

Years later, Annie, having survived that fateful night, has attempted to put her life back together. Working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, newly refitted as a hospital ship, she happens across an unconscious Mark, now a soldier fighting in World War I. At first, Annie is thrilled and relieved to learn that he too survived the sinking, but soon, Mark's presence awakens deep-buried feelings and secrets, forcing her to reckon with the demons of her past - as they both discover that the terror may not yet be over.

Brilliantly combining the supernatural with the height of historical disaster, The Deep is an exploration of love and destiny, desire and innocence, and, above all, a quest to understand how our choices can lead us inexorably toward our doom.

©2020 Alma Katsu (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Clever and haunting...Katsu is a wordsmith using vivid imagery and beautiful wording to create a story that will leave you wishing there was more." (Suspense Magazine)

"A riveting, seductively menacing tale of love, loss, and betrayal set amid the glamour of the Titanic, filled with séances, sea witches, and second chances." (Library Journal starred review)

"Painstakingly researched and meticulously plotted.... Though readers will be aware of the inevitable tragedies awaiting, Katsu successfully injects suspense into both time lines, spinning a darkly captivating tale of hauntings, possessions, secrets, and class.... Katsu’s artful writing and calculated pacing keep the pages turning. This is an impressive, horror-tinged trip back in time." (Publishers Weekly)

Good ghost story 😊

An awesome ride. Seemed long winded at times, but the ending is worth it. I'll be chilled by this one for a long while. 🤘

Jane Collingwood is FANTASTIC

The story was great, but what really sold it for me was the narration. Jane Collingwood is an incredible voice actor, and really brought each and every character to life. She clearly captures a wide range of accents, as well as voice qualities such as pitch, rasp, and volume. I can't recommend listening to her performance enough!

Interesting read

I really liked the historical links and the character development, but the ending seemed rushed. I was left wondering about the fates of some of the other characters.

More sad slice-of-life than horror

I had high hopes for this book after a friend of mine had read Katsu's The Hunger. A ghost story set aboard (or so I thought) the Titanic, how interesting!

There was very little ghost:ing going on during the first two thirds of the book and little of it made any sense until the final third. Personally, I don't enjoy when too little information is offered for so long, especially not when the "grand reveal" wasn't all that spectacular.

I've given the story a 3 star rating, but that is solely because I can't actually fault the storytelling. A lackluster.

Amazing storytelling

Alma Katsu is incredible. I will read anything she writes. The characters in her stories come to life.

absolutely loved this

not spooky, which I was happy about since I don't do scary stuff very well. But I love any stories about the Titanic and this was absolutely well written. Loved the characters ❤

Loved it!

Haunting mystery, a cast of characters intertwined with one of the most famous shipping accidents of all time. Loved it!!!

Dark, mysterious, mind-bending

While you won't find Jack and Rose on this version of the Titanic, you will find a compelling story of love and identity that takes place in both 1912 and 1916. The author does an amazing job weaving two storylines to build suspense and intrigue while introducing a vivid cast of characters who face the supernatural side of one of history's most infamous tragedies.

The audiobook version was well worth it due to the narrator's fluid transition between accents and the overall strength of her delivery. Though the novel bounces back and forth in time, the various chapters were clearly distinguished, and I never had trouble following the story. Can't recommend this one enough.

meh...

It just wasn't for me. I love a good ghost story but this book reminds too much of The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw except this was 12 hours longer than that.

Ghosts of the Titanic

This reads more like a real life diary than fiction. Many of the people mentioned actually did exist. The use of drugs, alcohol, and a belief in superstition by the upper class fueled a strange aura that hung over the ship. As the story moves from the Titanic into the future four years later, the ghosts followed along.