The Deep by Alma Katsu (#41 in 2020)
Thank you to @putnambooks for my finished copy!
It's the Titanic... but haunted.
This is the story of Annie Hebbley, and this book switches back and forth between her past and her present. She was once a maid aboard the Titanic, and now she is a nurse aboard the Britannic. There's also another crossover character- Mark Fletcher, a Titanic guest Annie attended while on board the Titanic and who resurfaces as an injured soldier being treated from his wounds during The Great War. While Annie may have survived the sinking of the Titanic, she has no idea what perils await her as she serves on board the next tragic ship or the spirits that haunt the dark water below...
The Deep is part historical fiction, part mystery, part horror, but I'd say that the main genre is historical fiction. There is, certainly, a haunted air about the story including spirits, seances, and creepy secrets, but it's not the kind of scary that includes blood and murder. Instead, The Deep is historical fiction with an eerily dark undertone to all of it. I know some people might go into this book expecting the gore side of horror, but that's not what this is. The horror in The Deep is both supernatural and classic. Katsu's use of horror is more like Agatha Christie or Shirley Jackson where the horror is more psychological and less physical.
Katsu's writing is mesmerizing, and I could hardly put this one down to take a break. I loved the trapped-at-sea aspect because it made the haunts of the deep inescapable. I loved the varying points of view as each one revealed another secret or another take on the spookiness aboard the boat. Much of the supernatural aspects left me wondering if the drama on board both boats was controlled by the passengers or by an unseen force.
Go into this one with no knowledge other than that it's about the Titanic and spirits. 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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