For me, when I look to a review, I have already read the description and have my curiosity peaked and am looking to see whether I get that final push to spend my hard earned money and purchase the title or should I wait and get on the long list at the library to borrow it. As a bookseller as well as consumer, I like to “stack the deck in my own favor.”

In my opinion, this was a fast and fun read. I am someone fascinated with the Titanic and mans hubris so this peaked my curiosity. I’m glad it did. This tale alternates between the Titanic disaster that has occurred and the sailing of the Britannic with some of the very same characters and their struggles occurring in both. I’ve read other reviews comparing it to James Cameron’s movie rendition of Titanic and while if I stretch I can get that “hint,” I felt more a haunted ghost story and a lesson of those don’t learn from their mistakes are doomed to make the same ones again and again type of vibe. There were many characters for you to get to know, like, hate, and I felt that the story itself was one where I would slap my credit card down and purchase it, just to give myself an afternoon of visiting the past, enjoying the authors fantastic approach to a Titanic tale and give myself an escape from the pandemic currently in the news. Was it worth it? A resounding yes from me. Was it a 5 star I’ll never forget it book, no, however it was a 4 star that was a whole lot of fun and I am glad I took the chance kind of read.

To sum up plot lines for you without giving away any spoilers, there’s no one better than the publisher to do that, so if for some reason you didn’t read it ... here you go!

“ 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.”

I want to extend a sincere thank you to NetGalley, Alma Katsu, and the publisher Penguin Group Putnam for graciously providing me with an ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I was looking for a unique and interesting read and this book did not disappoint. I missed Katsu's first book, but "The Deep" is as good an introduction to her work as any. A unique take on the history of the Titanic. Haunting and lovely, every time I thought I knew where the story was taking me I was shocked and surprised by another new detail.

For fans of mysteries and thrillers, THE DEEP is a home run. The mythology is so rich and detailed. We explore an alternate story of the TITANIC and it's a doozy. Part-Gothic, this is one that haunted my nightmares. The deep sea is an overwhelming, unforgiving and terrifying setting. I found the characters the best part, though, as has been the case with each of Alma Katsu's books I've read. As much as the setting and story is spectacle, the very real people populating this story are what really stick with you. Cannot wait for whatever she writes next!

Titanic horror/historical fiction

This story jumps back and forth in several different ways, mostly from 1912 to 1916 when the main characters are on the fateful journey of the Titanic in 1912 and four years later on the Brittanic. Desperation, sadness and selfishness turn anger into an invitation to the supernatural that becomes a possession causing chaos, confusion and harm. I truly didn’t see the possession coming but it all made sense in the end. I also didn’t realize that the Britannic also sunk which just added more tragedy to the story. Some of the storyline felt choppy, 3.5 stars.

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster, Alma Katsu and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

*Previously at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/the-deep/*

Did the Titanic sink under paranormal circumstances? Could the odd occurrences that happened before the great ship sank have something to with its ultimate demise? This is Annie Hebberley’s story, but also the story of the Titanic the four days before it sank.

When help is needed on The Brittanic, the Titanic’s sister ship, and now a hospital ship, the director at Morninggate Asylum convinces Annie that she’s the girl for the job. Annie has survived the sinking of the Titanic, and after corresponding with Violet Jessop, another survivor of the Titanic, she agrees to work as a nurse. On her first day of reporting, Annie recognizes Mark Fletcher, a man she has obsessed about for years because he may have gone down with the Titanic. But when she tries to talk to him, he’s terrified. Has he seen a ghost?

Alma Katsu does a wonderful job connecting the accurate history of the Titanic with a veil of paranormal and mystery. In fact, much of what she writes is true to history. Madeline, Astor, John Jacob Astor, Lady Duff-Gordon, W.T. Stead among others were true passengers on the Titanic, and Violet Jessop is the only woman in history to survive both the sinking of the Titanic and the Brittanic. Though Violet Jessop is not a major character in The Deep (she is simply a vessel to connect Annie to both ships).

The true stories of this grand ship are used to create a wonderful story about someone or something which is haunting the Titanic. Katsu takes us back in time to 1912 and the four-day voyage that ended in disaster. She skips forward to four years later, when the Brittanic sets sail. The story comes in multiple points of view, even from that of a child.

The Deep is not a quick read, and requires focus on minute details. It’s worth it. Katsu amazes with all the “clues” she hides in this book. And the story comes together artfully in the end, only to have the reader feel not quite ready to get off the ship.

Annie Hebbley, a young Irish girl, is excited about her new post as a stewardess on the maiden voyage of the R.M.S. Titanic. Unfortunately a series of disappearances and a young boy's tragic death have cast an eerie, unsettling feeling over the ship, its passengers and crew. Years after surviving the sinking of the Titanic, Annie finds herself serving as a nurse on Titanic's sister ship, The Britannic. Expertly weaving a supernatural thread into both tragedies, Alma Katsu creates a riveting, spellbinding tale that was hard to put down. I found this retelling of two historic catastrophes to be suspenseful, haunting and very frightening. Excellent twist in the field of historical fiction!

This was a fun story and it had moments of creepiness. I got a little bored in the middle and it coul;dn't always hold my attention. But I did enjoy it and would definitely pick up this author again.,

I loved this book! The ghost story was terrific, and I love anything having to do with the Titanic. I will read anything by this author.

Alma Katsu grabs you with the first page and does not let go until the very end. An astute reader can see what's coming...but you cant look away and must read until the very end to see what will happen. Very suspensful

Katsu always creates environmentally living terror. The way she creates a setting is immersive, but sometimes her everyday readers get lost in the sprawling prose. There is a merging to literary and horror here, but for most it can be a bit much - a little heady.

I don't entirely know how I feel about this book! I l-o-v-e anything to do with maritime disasters and was a #youth in the 1990s, so obviously I love everything to do with Titanic. Ghosts + Titanic sounded like an absolute dream come true. But the thing is! There weren't enough ghosts.
Or like, any ghosts? Just weird random possession that wasn't entirely explained or I didn't read clearly enough because I still don't get it. Annie was a deeply annoying character and I kept thinking that _this_ is the reason that everyone was so anti-Irish back in the day, this murky spacey nonsense that she was pulling the entire book. Mark was a character, I guess. But not a particularly interesting one and frankly I was pleased that they both died at the end.
I wish there was more ghosts and I wish there was more Titanic-- first class is sort of boring at this point (Rose 4 Ever tho). I'll keep reading her books but ehh.

"She is not mad. But there is something in her that is hospitable to madness."

As I close the file and prepare to write this review, all I can think is, WHAT DID I JUST READ? Certainly the entire story was not what I was expecting even given the hints of the supernatural and Gothic elements within. Yes, it is historical fiction in that the thriller is centered on the very real Titanic and its sister ship, the Britannic. The author says that she was particularly inspired by a memoir written by Violet Jessop, a woman who did survive both disasters. I'm not merely speculating when I say that I'm certain that the events in this novel do not have even a remote connection to that memoir. Many of us are morbidly fascinated by the sinking of the Titanic and the huge loss of life on that terrible night especially given that we've probably read other books or seen the blockbuster film.

The narrative shifts in time between 1912 and 1916 and is told from the point of view of Annie Hebbley, who was first a stewardess on the Titanic and then, 4 years later, a nurse on the Britannic. The story draws you in and the prose sets a mood that makes the reader uncertain about what is really going on in either time period. I enjoyed the descriptions of the famous ships and the goings on of the real famous people who were on the voyage of the Titanic. The activities and thoughts of those historical persons, however, definitely require you to take it all with a huge shaker of salt in this novel. It took quite awhile before all the pieces came together for me and although I enjoyed it well enough, it just all seemed pretty over-the-top crazy to me in the end. Hopefully that won't be your experience!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-book ARC to read and review.

While the story was compelling I was really hoping for more when it came to the paranormal and horror aspects of the book. The dual story-lines was a bit confusing at first, but as the story progressed I loved the use of it as it made me more invested in the book. I loved the cult aspects with the wealthy participation, it reminds me of how to past time the wealthy would throw seances for fun, and I can really see this happening. Annie was great but I did not connect with her as much as I would have liked and while we get a whole showcase of characters none really tickled my fancy.

Haunting. Electric. Amazing. This book is gorgeous, wonderful and very highly recommended. Stirring and disturbing. I can't praise this book enough. Thank you for the review copy!

Some good, intriguing moments but the ending felt very incomplete. I also felt the author took too much creative liberty with the characters who were real people on the Titanic. It felt cringey. I feel this author has great potential and I do look forward to what she has to offer in the future.

The Deep was so good! I loved that it was set around the Titanic, and then WWI. I loved the mystery too. The characters were written really well and the writing as a whole was excellent. I highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a good mystery!

2.5 Stars

Review limited to Goodreads due to rating.

I love Alma Katsu's writing. I have read numerous books by this author and all are fairly highly rated. This is why when I saw this on Netgalley and heard others reviews of it, I was on board and excited. Most of my friends who have read it have given it five stars. I was all ready to go!

I could not warm up to this story AT ALL! I could not warm up to the characters. I could not warm up to the storyline. As a reviewer, I normally have several books being read at the same time and have a set portion of book to read daily. I could not meet those assigned tasks which is why it took longer to read this novel.

The reason I went with 2.5 stars is because Ms. Katsu's high quality of writing is present.

Now, will this be my last book by this dynamic author? Absolutely not. This is a writer well worth the read!

Reviewed for publisher via Netgalley.

I’d like to start off by thanking @netgalley & @putnambooks for this copy. All opinions are of my own. This review is incredibly late & I’m horribly sorry.

This was a book I wanted to love & I tried so hard. The idea behind the story was amazing, and having a historical fiction with a paranormal twist surrounding the Titanic really stole my attention. The book’s delivery really fell through the cracks though.

The Deep feels like those movies that begin by setting the tone with a prologue of sorts...then throws you into something that feels entirely different. It wasn’t until about 65% through that things felt a bit organized. Then you reach the sinking scene (spoiler alert! JK 😂) and you’re thrown back into a setting that starts to match the intro. The ending makes the book better but still has you wondering what the focus was supposed to be...the middle felt like one big filler chapter.

You felt like you knew the characters, and almost like you were on the Titanic, but the thrills and spooky atmosphere wasn’t strong (even reading at night) and there were many POVs that just felt like filler content. There was so much going on yet almost nothing felt crucial to the story. Felt more like unnecessary chaos cloaked by calm build-ups to a grand finale. The book started to make sense at the very end which effected the whole reading experience. I struggled with this and am disappointed because it sounded amazing. It falls short of expectations majorly.

I still recommend reading this because I’m one person & the concept really is cool.

This was an odd but really good book that gave an unlikely spin to what went on onboard not just the Titanic before she sank but also the Britannic. I really enjoyed the way several characters were eventually connected, but do wish one of the characters (that was less likable) had managed to make it, as I did like him. Great book and I would definitely recommend it.

Alma Katsu is the master of historically-informed horror, and this is a great and unsettling book, right up there with The Hunger.