The Depths: A Technothriller

4.5 out of 5 starsJen Adams son has been kidnapped, and her boss has been brutally murdered. These things may have something in common, but Jen did not think that diving to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean was even in the realm of possibility once she tries to find her son. There, at the bottom of the ocean lays a research center, thought abandoned more than 30 years prior. Follow Jen, and the Royal Marines into this bubble as they try and figure out what Jen’s boss was studying and why he was murdered, along with finding her son along the way.The narration for this, like the other Nick Thacker full novel was done by Mike Vendetti. I liked the narration a lot for this, but with the breadth of characters and scenes, the audiobook version took a little away from the story, but not enough to discourage anyone from listening to this. Vendetti does a wonderful job voicing the different characters, from Royal Marines to scientists, he keeps you interested throughout this story.The only reason that this didn’t get a full-on 5 out of 5 was just due to my confusion of characters from time to time. I finished this book the other night and I believe that two of the characters had a similar or the same first name. And unfortunately, listening to it doesn’t make it any easier.When I started The Depths, I found myself wondering how we were going to be getting down to the bottom of the ocean like the description says, but Thacker doesn’t take too long guiding the reader with him on this incredible adventure. The cover art is amazing, and I was really excited to figure out how this played into the story. Part mystery, part technothriller, The Depths has something for readers across many genres.The scenery that Thacker paints of this research center literally gave me chills. I can’t imagine how it felt to discover this bubble at the bottom of the ocean, and to get to explore it. The whole team was even surprised that it was still intact, let alone almost functioning.Jen and her husband’s characters were really a fascinating couple to follow as this story weaves between them and others. I found myself wanting it to get back to their point of views every time it would switch to others.The mysterious scientists who are just kind of lulling around add a really unique feeling to this book, making me look around the room before turning off the lights at night.Thacker once again proves that he can write about anything and make it thrilling. A master of the modern day thriller.Did you like this review and want to see more like it? Check out briansbookblog DOT com

Well written with interesting plot. Thoroughly enjoy this book from beginning to end. You will not want to put it down till you reach the suspenseful end.

Although the book is a fairly fun read, the story is uneven. Characters, even the main ones, are not well developed. One character, who at first seems important, plays no discernable purpose in advancing the story. Why the author spent so many pages introducing the character, to have the character literally do nothing at all, makes no sense. Events occur in the story with no explanation and little purpose. This is definitely not the author's best work. But if you have several hours to kill and don't want to think too much, there are less interesting ways to spend the time.

I struggled with whether I should give this three or four stars. I decided on the latter because, while the story is actually interesting to the point of being difficult to put down, I think the author is too good not to know what's wrong with this novel.For one, there's far too much explanation. "They'd move heaven and earth to get the job done because Nouvelle Terre had done their job extremely well." "Sylvia started it, because I didn't make it down to finish the job." What's the point of such sentences? Any information they hold (1) is obvious enough or (2) should be incorporated into the story. There was also an overuse of "he knew", "she knew", "he felt", etc, which comes across as laziness.Secondly, there were no solid stories behind some characters. I was very curious about the 'scientists' and Bingham, but their stories just died. There was a detective whose presence only served to create an opportunity for the protagonists to be saved.The author implied that the 'scientists' were in fact rational in their thinking, although their motor and verbal skills were compromised. It would have been great to see this further developed, as the 'scientists' and other antagonists ended up just looking like victims. Also, I don't think it was right to make a protagonist punish someone we don't know is a bad guy. We don't know he's a bad guy because his point of view was never provided. So, like the other antagonists, this character ends up looking like a victim and the protagonist like a perpetrator.Fourth. Info dump. The scene where Mark hacks into a computer. Can a twelve-year-old really understand what the hacker was saying? I believe the author was trying to tell readers what Mark was doing by making him speak to the child, but it came across as contrived.And every character's nose flares at some point in the book. Really?I don't know about the plausibility of the science in the novel; I'd have liked it if it were simply better written. That said, I did enjoy reading The Depths. I hope the author gets some (more) editing done on it, both structural and line. It is a good story.

I hate giving bad reviews and more so as I love the author's work, but this was so far fetched and idiotic and I'm still annoyed at finishing it. Well written if you are into this type of story, but defied even my tolerance.

This was a nice book to read on a rainy afternoon. It starts off from the very beginning to let you know it's going to be a wild ride.

The book started off well enough, with some excellent action passages, but unfortunately it went rather down hill from there and became quite tedious to read.The story revolves around a scientist who is forced down in to an undersea base that had been built, and apparently deserted, years before. However it was still inhabited by a 'zombified' group of scientists, controlled by a criminal mastermind.Without wanting to spoil the plot too much, the base has been adapted to perform another more devastating purpose, which will basically destroy mankind and allow a new start.What really spoiled it for me though was the way the author rides roughshod over basic physics. To give one example; the wall of the base, five miles below water, cracked, and yet the author only speaks of the water level rising slowly and the water from the crack drenching the characters, when in practice any crack would lead to an immediate collapse of the whole structure, or at the very least a jet of water so powerful because of the pressure that it would cut through steel, and would fill even a huge base in a matter of seconds. There were several other similar discrepancies which to my mind speak of an author who is too lazy to find realistic solutions to the situations he gets the characters in.The author also relies way too much on happy coincidences to move the plot along. all in all a very disappointing read, I really can't recommend it.

Thank goodness this was a free book. I'd have hated to waste good money on it.The characters are poorly sketched out and the action is pretty badly written. There are so many things wrong that it got on my nerves after a while and I gave up reading it at Chapter 28. The whole thing, especially the undersea dome thing, is just so ridiculous as to be totally unbelievable. The 'zombie' scientists were the last straw! I actually got 3 free books, but I won't be bothering with the other two. There are too many good books out there to waste time on these! If you want a good read of this type try James Rollins or Scott Mariani.

The Depths isn't the sort of book I would normally pick up but the blurb interested me and it was a free pick-up through Amazon.I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and the story itself kept me intrigued throughout. Jen, a scientist, and her husband from whom she's separated, find that their son has gone missing. They received a note stating they only have days to provide the information wanted and of course they go out on a limb to do just that. What they get embroiled in is a deep-sea underwater adventure featuring fighting, lots of action, an underwater dome, a huge conspiracy theory and a man man.Ultimately I enjoyed this book. I did feel that some things went unexplained and left me with questions and sometimes the action became so non-stop that it was hard to see past it, but it's definitely worth a read.

Another waste of time. This is not a story it is a miscellaneous hodge podge of sentences which are totally disjointed. At 46% of the way through I have no clue as to what is going on or where it is likely to end up. A whole submarine blows up but none of the survivors is the slightest bit concerned.

What a tedious book,even a free download cost too much. There is no depth to the story or characters. The writing style is very naive and emotionless. The standard of even basic research is appalling. I cannot imagine a commanding officer in the British forces chatting rather than commanding and leading, and I'm certainly not aware of army submarines.I waded through 20% of this book hoping that it would improve. It didn't. Unfortunately I can think of no redeeming features with this book.