Book Reviews: FATHOMLESS and ABYSS by Greig Beck

Reviews by Kristy McCaffrey

If you're in the mood for a techno-thriller à la Jaws after getting your shark fix from Shark Week, then check out these two books by Greig Beck. I've included the Amazon link but his work is also available at other ebook retailers.

Fathomless

by

Greig Beck

A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thriller starring none other than a giant shark, FATHOMLESS is the perfect escapist read. Evolutionary Biologist Cate Granger is in search of answers to her grandfather’s disappearance years before and heads to Alaska in search of an underground sea. She and her team find more than they bargained for, and it should come as no surprise that the shark escapes back into the "real" world. This is Jaws and The Meg and Sharknado all rolled up in one, and I had a blast reading it. I did wish that the shark wasn’t so demonized, but there’s no disputing this is a trademark of the genre. Grab some popcorn and sit back for an entertaining ride.

Find FATHOMLESS at Amazon

Abyss

by

Greig Beck

This sequel to FATHOMLESS follows the same characters—biologists Cate Granger and Jack Monroe, as well as many others—and their discovery of more Megalodon sharks lurking in the ocean depths. This time around the action takes place in the abyssal zone of the ocean, nearly 20,000 feet down. You’ll experience the terror of being trapped in a submersible while a frightening menace watches from the inky depths, and be glad that you’re on land. Cate and Jack aren’t as well-drawn as I would’ve liked, but the plot is inventive while remaining firmly anchored in scientific fact. This is escapist horror-movie fare, and I loved it!

Find ABYSS at Amazon

Book Review: Recursion by Blake Crouch

Review by Kristy McCaffrey

Recursion

by

Blake Crouch

Neuroscientist Helena Smith is trying to create a device that will map memories in the hope of preserving parts of her mother before the woman slides completely into dementia. But Helena’s team accidentally stumbles onto something far more amazing, and terrifying, during her research. Soon pockets of people are experiencing false memories of lives they’ve never lived but are so vivid that it leads many to suicide. This is labeled a ‘syndrome’ and doctors struggle to identify the cause.

Helena’s story parallels that of Barry Sutton, a New York City detective investigating accounts of False Memory Syndrome. He’s also living with the heartbreak of losing his daughter in a car accident eleven years prior. Eventually, Barry and Helena join forces in a wildly inventive plot that will keep you guessing until the end. I don’t want to say too much more because it would spoil the story, but Crouch expertly weaves together the power of human consciousness and the science behind time-travel and multiverses, while challenging the very fabric of reality. The past, present, and future will never look the same again.

Read Recursion at Amazon