The Catacombs (World's Scariest Places)

This is a book that I would really have liked to give at least 4 stars to. I just can't. The premise was great and the prologue gave real promise to the story. The characters were well developed, but the problem is that there was just too slow a development to the story. You know that there is something horrible and scary that they will encounter, but it takes just too darn long to get there. I don't recall exactly how long, but it takes more than half of the book, maybe two thirds, to get to the real action. So much of the book is just getting through the catacombs and the interaction between the characters, including some flashbacks. I was waiting and waiting to get to the real horror. It just dragged too much. And finally when you get to the actual danger, I found it to be somewhat disappointing. I won't reveal what it was (as one reviewer already has), but it wasn't as horrifying as I had hoped. Nevertheless, the book was well written and deserved the three stars that says it was okay. I'm not sorry I read it, but was just hoping for something faster-paced and more horrifying.

Like the first book in this series, this isn't a horror filled scarefest of chills & thrills. Yet even though it wasn't, it definitely kept my attention to the very end. I really enjoyed the author's different take on the urban legend type mystique of the Catacombs.The characters were well developed, the storyline well fleshed out, not any typos or errors in sentence structure (that I noticed anyway & I usually notice everything).While I prefer my Horror with more of a splattered gorefest, the storyline definitely had just enough so I could enjoy it, yet not too much that would turn off the average reader.I especially love how you don't need to read previous books in this series to know what is going on, or even having to read each book in order. Each book stands on it's own without the dreaded cliffhanger that forces you to buy the next book (and the next, and the next, etc.) just to know what's happening or understand what happens next.I will definitely be reading this ebook again as well as continuing on with the rest of this series.

I really enjoyed this book, it's really easy to get through quickly. I only have a few criticisms, but it's just based on personal preference, not writing style. There were some sections that dove pretty deep into the main character's past, and I didn't really see the significance of it and felt as if it kind of distracted from the events taking place at that time. It seems the author tries to tie it into things, but in all honesty I didn't find any enjoyment in it - but hey, personal preference I guess. Other readers may really enjoy the main character's history snippets. I also wasn't too fond of the ending. It felt rushed, lacking details, and honestly pretty impractical. Overall though I've enjoyed Jeremy Bate's books and haven't found any other authors like him - he really puts you into the adventure and helps you to feel the sensations the characters feel. But as I had said, those snippets into the past, although brief and infrequent, really took away from the adventure.

Like others, I had high hopes for this book (and author).I've not read anything else by Bates and may not after this.I spent my first 19 years living near Paris, so I had great anticipation for a book playing tourguide to a truly interesting city and country. Sadly, he came across as a stereotypical 20 year-oldAmerican tourist. He did not offer fresh details about Paris, no interesting anecdotes oruseful travels throughout this vast and ancient city. What little was inserted into this storycould be cut and pasted from wikipedia. Not impressed.His anti-French attitude was evidenced as was his sloppy attempts to include French words orstatements made by other actors. Sadly, most of the French dialogue were snippets that made nosense, were in the incorrect tense and not realistic to normal dialogue. The irony is that his character wasmeant to be researching French culture, so as to create interest for others - barely a high school essay.The plot might have worked, the thrill might have existed - but the pace was far too slow. One did notfeel like a part of the group, did not feel the claustrophobia, the awe of such structures, the deep history,the adventure etc... I have been to the French catacombs (the paid part), in a variety of castlepassageways, dark wine cellars and crypts. This author barely gave you a blogger perspective.To end; the characters were not well developed nor enjoyable. Their backstories added nothing andall of them were as predictable as every bumbling teenager in a B horror movie. Far too manyswear words, too much talk of and actual sex (only makes story trashy). Ultimately reads quicklybecause it is written as a High school drama - or I wanted it to be over.

Now this is far more like it. Having read and been a let down by Bates first helping in the series I wasn't sure about this but I figured he deserved another shot and he pulled it back brilliantly. This isn't a faultless read by any means but at least this time the characters actually try to use their brains and weigh up options rather than charging in all gun-ho and the female characters have a bit of nounce about them and don't just do what they are told, in fact they end up doing a lot of the telling (much more realistic!). I'm not sure I totally liked the ending as it as a little too neat for me but then I do prefer not so happy endings in my horror genre (feel free to all me morbid) but the story was again brilliantly written, fast paced and gripping. I've never favoured an e-book over a proper book so much in my life (and I am both slightly ashamed and slightly proud). I'm looking forward to reading the next installment now.

The Catacombs are a network of tunnels beneath Paris which are said to extend more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) and reach depths of 30 meters (100), too deep for phone coverage. Follow 4 characters who go on an underground adventure to explore hidden treasures etc in this hidden world beneath the streets of Paris.I thought this thriller from Jeremy Bates was okay. The structure of this novel is similar to his previous book, the Suicide Forest and offers the same huge vocabulary that helps make this story such an adult read. Jeremy manages to capture the atmosphere of the catacombs very well indeed when he writes…I tried to imagine what it would be like to walk alone in utter blackness, with only your hand on the wall to guide you, your mouth dry from dehydration, your throat and lungs burning from the rank air and the countless hours of screaming for help, your feet weeping with blisters, your legs jellied with exhaustion, nothing around you but tunnels and more tunnels, ad infinitum.Yes, it is clearly very scary being lost in complete darkness within 300 km of tunnels below Paris knowing that nobody can hear you scream. I felt Jeremy explained these fears very well indeed as our 4 characters tried to exit the nightmare they had become trapped within.The plot of The Catacombs was okay and was a regular urban legend of a hidden community. The main problem I had with The Catacombs was that I read it straight after Suicide Forest. I thought that Suicide Forest was a GOOD 4 star read and in comparison The Catacombs was simply not as good. For me The Catacombs was an okay 3 stars read because it lacked the wonder threaded within the script of the Suicide Forest.

After downloading the freebie 'A Taste of Fear' I thought that Jeremy Bates was a pretty good writer. Fast paced, relatively believable situations and characters, gripping and a good read so I decided to buy this one next and it changed my mind from a pretty good writer to very rapidly becoming my favourite.The story primarily takes place in the Paris catacombs where the characters are battling the terrain, the fear and occasionally each other. The description of the catacombs is uncomfortable and how he describes a 6'4" man trying to push himself through tiny crevices is horribly claustrophobic. Yes it takes a bit of a strange turn towards the end but, having read other books by Jeremy Bates, I think that's just his style and it definitely works.One of the best stories I've read in a long time.

Great book! Keep me hooked from the start. Kept me wanting to know if they would escape alive- fast paced and excting. It reminded me of the film As above so below- very similar in places.Ive read both books in the series so far and found this one a easier read and although the Japan spooky forest was a good read I preferred this one. What make these stories fascinating to me is that they based in real places! Are the newspaper exerts real?Keep up the good work Mr Bates and look forward to reading your next book in the series...

Finished late last night because I couldn't put it down. Great story very well written i really could feel the cold dark damp tunnels,very chilling and claustrophobic. Definitely going to read more from this very talented author.