NOMINATED FOR THE STOKER AND LOCUS AWARDS FOR BEST HORROR NOVEL
From the acclaimed 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 some thing, is haunting the ship. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the Titanic from the moment they set sail. From mysterious disappearances to sudden deaths, the guests aboard the ship are suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone of travel, with little sense of time during the four days of the boat’s illustrious maiden voyage. As the guests acquaint themselves and shrug off strange occurrences, several, including maid Annie Hebbley, guest Mark Fletcher, and millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, are convinced there’s something more sinister going on–that is, until disaster strikes.
Years later, Annie, having survived that fateful night, works as a nurse on the sixth sail of the Britannic, which has been newly refitted as a hospital ship during the rise of World War One. Unable to shake the demons of the first voyage, Annie struggles for clarity when she happens across Mark, now a soldier, unconscious onboard. Unconvinced, and perhaps unwilling, to accept that he survived the crash, Annie reckons with the bargain that must have been made, and the risk of sacrifice for the one she loves. Capturing a cast of characters and effortlessly 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.
Praise
Best Books of March – Stylist magazine
“A riveting, seductively menacing tale of love, loss, and betrayal set amid the glamour of the Titanic…” – Library Journal (starred)
“An impressive, horror-tinged trip back in time… a darkly captivating tale of haunting, possessions, secrets… painstakingly researched and meticulously plotted.” – Publishers Weekly
“Alma Katsu returns with another masterly supernatural reimagining of a historical tragedy: the sinking of the Titanic and her sister ship, the Britannic. Eerie, haunting and filled with suspense, The Deep is a whirlpool of a novel that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.”–Danielle Trussoni, author of the Angeleology series and The Ancestor
“Here’s an incredibly ambitious setting, prose as ornate as the boat, mood as ghostly as gothic, and what must have been enough research to build a ship of her own. Yet, The Deep is thrilling, rich, frightening, unsettling, and, nest of all, told from the heart. I’m going to have to read it again, because I’m not sure how she did it…The Deep is divine. I hear bugles blaring; the announcement of the arrival of a brilliant author.”–Josh Malerman, author of Bird Box
“At once both tragic and chilling, The Deep perfectly blends psychological thriller and eerie gothic ghost story to create something truly haunting, drawing you down into its dark depths before finally letting you up for air. Set in the claustrophobic confines of two doomed ship in their final days, Katsu’s excellently researched new novel establishes her as a unique voice in historical fiction. I can’t wait to see what she does next.”
—Sarah Pinborough, author of Dead to Her and Cross Her Heart
“The way Alma Katsu weaves the true story of the Titanic and its sister ship, Britannic, with this dark, terrifying story of possession and haunting is phenomenal. Part history, part drama, part love story, part creepy as heck ghost tales, with chills icier than the watery depths, The Deep is beautifully written, thoroughly absorbing and totally terrifying.”
—C.J. Tudor, author of The Chalk Man and The Taking of Annie Thorne
“Blending choice elements of mystery and horror into an impeccably recreated history, Alma Katsu has created a rich, haunting, irresistible novel that succeeds in rewriting the past while making it feel more ominously present than ever.”
—Louis Bayard, author of Courting Mr. Lincoln and Roosevelt’s Beast
“THE DEEP takes us back to the final days of the Titanic, her sister ship the Britannic, and the mysterious woman who links them both. In a haunting story of love and revenge, Alma Katsu blends paranormal and historical fiction as only she can—a spellbinding tale where desire knows no bounds and death is only a beginning. Another fantastic story from the author of THE HUNGER.”
—J.D. Barker, International Bestselling Author of The Sixth Wicked Child
“Like THE HUNGER, THE DEEP is historical reimagining laced with magic and mystery. Alma Katsu adds a sweeping love story and a ghostly tale of revenge to the sinkings of RMS Titanic and HMHS Britannic to tell a tale that is haunting, thrilling, and utterly original.”
—Dacre Stoker, co-author Dracul, great grand nephew of Bram Stoker
“Alma Katsu is a fantastic writer, with a unique ability to blur the lines of history, horror, humanity, and tragedy. Think Diana Gabaldon by way of Charlaine Harris. As with her exceptional novel, THE HUNGER, in THE DEEP Katsu takes on an infamous tragedy and adds her own haunting twists. A marvelous new addition to Katsu’s already impressive body of work.”
—Michael Koryta, New York Times Best-selling author of Those Who Wish Me Dead
“THE DEEP deftly mashes up spellbinding historical fiction, adroit commentary on class and gender, and a classic yet surprising ghost story. Annie’s tale is truly haunting .”
—Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghost and The Cabin at the End of the World
“Even though you know what will happen – these ships are gonna go down – it does not diminish the eerie suspense one iota.” – BookPage
“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 slow-burning but satisfying and eerie yarn.” —Booklist
“Atmospheric prose and exquisite attention to detail distinguish Katsu’s follow-up to The Hunger….A kaleidoscopic narrative adds color and depth.” —Kirkus Reviews