Twisty spooky novella

Nick Jones, a mining engineer from North Wales, comes to the U.S. with Jess, a social media celebrity, to make a television documentary about his grandfather, who was trapped in a gold mine collapse in 1957.

His grandfather was Nick's namesake and was a hero, rescuing most of the miners during the collapse in 1957. Now Nick, Jess with Sofia on camera will film the documentary as they enter the mine after the collapsed section is opened for them.

But they find more than they thought they would and are trapped underground with an entity that doesn't want them to get out.

Spooky, well-written, and quick read. There were a few cumbersome spots I think because the author was British and the setting was the U.S. and didn't quite mesh but it was still fun.

I received this advanced reading copy from Brigade Gate through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

Nick's grandfather was lost in a mining cave-in many years before Nick was born.  After hearing so much about his relative, Nick teams up with a social media star to investigate the newly rediscovered mine, because, hey, nothing could possibly go wrong in an abandoned hole in the ground!   This is one of those fun, fast-paced horror reads that drops you into the action right away and doesn't let you go until the end. Added bonus that it went a direction I really didn't see coming.  Great choice for a quick afternoon read.

This was a fast paced, edge of your seat read. This book has a creepy and claustrophobic atmosphere that keeps you turning the pages.

A fun, frenetic little slice of terror that long sticks with the reader.

Below feels like a grim, subterranean little horror film, in the spirit of the Descent. Nicolas Jones is a man who idolizes his grandfather, a lost hero who saved miners from a collapse in 1975. Now, with an influencer at his side, Nick is about to return to the mine and face the truth of what happened.

Of course it all goes wrong. It's horror, what ever goes right? Harrison's writing is claustrophobic. One feels tense, trapped inside the mine with the characters. And something is down there with them, something fearsome and terrifying, with a grim twist that sets everything on its head...

Below is not a long book, but that means it doesn't outstay its welcome. The story is tight and tense. The characters are authentic and fantastic. Harrison has a writing voice that makes him an absolute must-read. The novella could have stood for a bit more polish in events, as the horror only ramps up towards the end. But ultimately, it is an eerie, creepy tale that should sit well on any horror writer's shelf.

4.5/5

Below by Kev Harrison is an expedition to discover the truth filled with claustrophobic horror and terrifying truths. This is a fast paced story that will not let you put it down until the last page is read.

Although I think that many readers will guess where the story is headed, Harrison kept the twists and turns interesting and I found myself racing towards the end. Another aspect that really gave this story some depth is the filming of the document about his grandfather. Obviously the truth was not as clear as they initially thought, I felt that it kept the story on track.

The truth isn't always what we wish it was, and this story proves that some answers can best stay buried.

This was definitely a fun book!

While it was a wee bit predictable, I loved our characters and our very eerie setting.

Expect some truly chilling scenes and to definitely get creeped out by what happens in that mine!

This is my first book by the author, and I can tell you it won't be my last. I enjoyed his storytelling style immensely and found myself feeling like I was stuck in that mine with our characters!

*ARC via Publisher

Below is a great example of an author that has great potential. If you liked The Lost Village or early Stephen King this is one book to pick up.

This novel follows the story of Nick and his friends who are filming their journey of exploring a mine shaft that had collapsed and trapped Nick’s grandfather.

This book has an amazing concept that I haven’t really seen be explored too often.
The writing at times seems really simple and more like a YA novel. The characters each had a different voice and you can certainly tell each of them apart, which was a huge factor in me liking this story. I loved the group dynamic. That being said- I did get immersed into the story, the atmosphere was brilliant and very well done. Overall, a fun and short read and a great way to dip a toe into the horror genre.

I feel like Kev Harrison definitely has a grip on what he wants his books to be; he is for sure an author to keep an eye on. As an avid horror reader, I am certainly looking forward to any other works he puts out.

The final straw for me was when the TV show dude told them they may have to stay in the collapsed tunnel over night because "it'll be after 5pm by time the excavation crew arrives." WHAT. I was not aware that we don't rescue people out of old abandoned mines outside of business hours.

The notebook entries were campy as hell, too. They are somehow perfectly written, legible, preserved, and left behind in proper reading order to explain what ole Grandpa went through. It was a lazy way to explain what happened in the past.

I found the characters to be flat, I really didn't understand their motivations for doing this show from the start. There is far more "telling" than "showing" in this book. I was so removed from the story because of all these elements, so unfortunately I did not find the atmosphere scary at all.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up
Story grabbed me and kept me reading. Good writing style, flowed nicely. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

A short horror story that has a great plot and packs in a lot of details in a small amount of time. The setting of the story takes place in a gold mine and that’s a perfect start for a horror story. Dr. Nick Jones goes to the gold mine in California in search of answers to the heroic death of his grandfather, decades before. What he finds is more mysterious and sinister then what he first believed. The suspense builds, the reader will find out the secrets of this cave and who will survive this adventure. This is an entertaining short read.

Below by author Kev Harrison is a delicious slice of horror that will have readers all over the world sleeping with the lights on.

The story is that of Nick Jones, a man whose life has been in many ways shaped by the grandfather he knew only through the stories told to him. Nicholas Jones was a twenty eight year old miner when he heroically spirited fellow workers to safety during a mine collapse. As his turn to exit the mine arrived, the entire shaft disintegrated, burying he and two other miners alive. Nick has heard the stories all of his life, stories that sparked his own interest in mining and led to his pursuit of a PhD in mining engineering. The mine where Nick’s grandfather perished was never reopened, and Nick is on a funded mission to reopen the entrance and retrieve his grandfather’s remains—remains that have been in the collapsed mine for over sixty years. Nick is accompanied on his journey by upwardly mobile influencer Jess and camera operator Sophia. Together they descend into the darkness, where they discover that they are not alone.

Harrison’s strength is in creating a setting that is claustrophobic, dark and disturbing. The reader is immersed in this underground world, and it isn’t difficult to feel as if the walls are closing in. As the three explorers descend into the bowels of the mine, the tension builds in an edge-of-the-seat way that is physically experienced by the reader.

The weakness in this book, however, destabilizes reader engagement. The characters are two-dimensional—never fully explored or developed enough to warrant investment. I wanted to know more about Nick particularly, and of the specifics in the stories he had been told. I wanted his background so that I could feel some sort of emotion regarding his experiences in that mine. I also felt like the relationship between Jess and Sophia was forced as a way to make the story seem “woke” and on pointe with contemporary culture. It just wasn’t organic enough to be believable, a shortcoming that would be easily remedied by the inclusion of their back stories.

Overall, an atmospheric book that is a quick read—preferably with the lights on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brigids Gate Press for providing me a free copy for review. Below is available now at major booksellers.

Below has everything you would come to expect from Kev Harrison. Right from the start, we have the folklore contact. A dangerous mine that has a history of caving in. A grandfather with hero status. A presenter looking for her big break. The characters have bigger balls than I, the mere thought of being caved in is enough for me to put the breaks on. The breath you rely on running short, the darkness making you question reality, only your thoughts for company, no siree, I am out!

This is the third novella I have read from Kev Harrison (previously read The Balance and Warding) and it gives us something different. Nick has revered his grandfather for many years. He’s the ultimate idol, someone to base your life choices on. He’s studied the events of the 1957 cave-in where his grandfather managed to save many people but ultimately, he lost his life. He is given the opportunity to explore this mine in person as part of a new TV show for Adventure TV. He jumps at the chance – it’s one thing agreeing to this from the comfort of your home in Wales but it’s another thing entirely stepping into a mine that instantly triggers your claustrophobia.

The events that transpire are pure horror. The horror of mankind and all the intricacies of a destroyed mind. It examines the heavy weight of action and consequence.

Jess his co-host has had enough of vlogging everything. She’s sick of always having to be on display, immaculate appearance, and fake smile. IGTV is not where she wants to be, and this opportunity is her big break. One thing I adore about Harrison’s writing is the fact that he values characterisation as equally important as the plot. The duo’s adventure below the surface is distilled in fear and a chilling sense of doom.

Below could be compared with The Descent or As Above so Below but I think it’s in a league of its own, no comparison would do it justice and Harrison has created a story that would chill you to stone quicker than a Medusa stare.

Below ensnares the reader with its intoxicating atmosphere. From the descriptions of the impenetrable dark to the descriptions of the rock surface and the random noises that seem to assault their senses were expertly done. You always get an immersive experience and I felt like I was there with Nick and Jess, close enough to hold their hands and try and drag them back to the surface because they clearly aren’t thinking straight! HA!

Below is a testament to Kev Harrison and his skill. Master of folklore. Disturbing and relentless, this author is on a roll.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Great book - started out strong and just kept getting better. The ending was perfect - can't wait to read more from Kev Harrison!

Below | Kev Harrison
Genre: dark fiction, horror
Rating: 3 stars

Below is a standalone horror novel by author, Kev Harrison. It is my first read by this author. I selected it based on the mystery horror premise.

The story follows a team headed up by Dr Nick Jones as they investigate an old mine for a travel documentary where Nick’s grandfather was buried alive some 50 years prior. What starts as an adventure quickly turns into something much more chilling, sinister and terrifying.

I’ll start with what I liked. The claustrophobic mine setting is a great location and not one I’ve seen done a ton of times. The dark themes and questioning narrative sets a disturbing tone which permeates through the story. There are trigger warnings at the end of the book for those who want to check before diving in.
Despite this, I didn’t feel very connected to the characters, other than Dr Nick Jones. I appreciate that the story jumps straight into the events, but I’d have enjoyed getting to know more backstory for each of the main characters either at the start or along the way. I didn’t really feel a sense of danger or really fear for the characters. I also found the pacing a bit slow for my liking, very little happens for most of the story, until around 70% in. It’s a slow burn kind of dark fiction that asks deep questions about human nature and survival.
Overall, this was quick and easy to read novella. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

A fast paced adventure thriller! For those who love claustrophobic horror, creature features, and near hopeless situations.

Nick is on a quest to follow in his heroic grandfather’s footsteps; he is part of a documentary filming the abandoned Californian mine. Little do he and the crew know the horrors they will uncover.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kev Harrison, and Brigids Gate Press for a copy.

Below was a short, but entertaining read. I did feel that my suspension of disbelief failed in multiple places, I feel like there were definitely things that pulled me out of the read and question why the characters were doing what they were doing. Overall I really enjoyed it though and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Below

[Blurb goes here]

The novella takes you inside a mine that collapsed in 1957. Nick's grandfather was buried alive inside it when this happened. The man was deemed a hero for getting most of his men out of the caves before the entry way came down.

Nick is not used to working in the field, when the opportunity to go into the mine presents itself, he decides to go, along with Jess (an influencer) and Sofia (producer and cameraman for the expedition). As soon as the trio start exploring, weird things start to happen: banging sounds, fast moving shadows and Nick's grandfather letters, which pop out in each of the many chambers inside the mine. Letters that grow stranger and stranger, disturbing, even.

I enjoyed Nick's character, claustrophobic and scared at times. Nick is not the hero. Jess and Sofia are. The two women are portrayed as strong female leads in a credible and likable way, something that's far from being the norm nowadays.

The eerie atmosphere that makes for a great horror story, is all there. While I didn't enjoy the ending, there's no doubt in my mind that most readers will.

Very short, more a novella than a novel. The story itself required a good deal of suspension of disbelief, but that’s hardly uncommon in a horror novel and.the writing was appropriately creepy and atmospheric. It badly needed more detail. One thing I couldn’t overlook was that letters which were supposed to have been written in 1957 (only 3 years before I was born!) sounded as if they’d been penned 100 years prior. Those letters yanked me out of the story every time.

Thanks to NetGalley for. providing an ARC copy for my review.

3.5 stars rounded up
This is a fast paced easy read. The tension is high and the plot is smooth and engaging! I like that they didn’t play into the stereotypes of the characters. It actually made them feel more real.
I highly recommend!

Belowbby Kev Harrison.
Decades after his grandfather was buried alive in a Californian gold mine, Dr. Nick Jones teams up with an adventure travel influencer to venture underground and film a documentary, telling the story of what really happened.
Really enjoyable read. Love Nick Jess and Sofia. I loved the cover. Great story. 4*.