From the Deep by Kateri Stanley – 4 Star Book Review

Julian Finch, widower and fisherman, awakes to learn that the bodies of two colleagues have washed up on the beach of Drake Cove.

Welcome to one of the June 29th stops on the blog tour for From the Deep by Kateri Stanley with Rachel’s Random Resources (schedule linked.) Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, and exclusive content!

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About the Book

From the Deep
by Kateri Stanley

Published 6 May 2022
Burton Mayers Books

Genre: Thriller
Page Count: 294
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Julian Finch, widower and fisherman, awakes to learn that the bodies of two colleagues have washed up on the beach of Drake Cove. The close-knit community is under fierce public scrutiny due to a long-standing tradition called “The Culling”, the annual slaughter of pilot whales for consumption. An act which divides the nation.

The suspects are the extreme animal rights group, the Fighters Against Animal Cruelty (FAAC) who go wherever the politics is trending. They’ve been harassing the small fishing town for many years, smashing up their boats and sending vicious hate mail.

Tensions mount after a viral video, uploaded by the FAAC of Julian killing a pregnant whale, causes uproar online and in real life. In the aftermath, Julian becomes the victim of hate crime. In order to avoid further life-threatening attacks, Julian and his daughter take refuge in the home of Frank Blothio: ex-fisherman turned writer and political activist who does not have the best history with the animal rights movement, or Drake Cove as a whole.

As Julian integrates into the Blothio way of life, he discovers heinous secrets and disturbing truths lurking beneath the skin of his hometown that will change his life forever.

My Review

My Rating: 4 Stars
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I was granted complimentary access to From the Deep by Kateri Stanley in exchange for an honest review as part of my participation in a blog tour for this title with Rachel’s Random Resources. Thank you to all involved in affording me this opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

From the Deep is a unique page-turner of a paranormal thriller unlike any I’ve ever read before. If you like mermaid lore, marine deities, and/or shape shifter stories, and you also like thrillers set in the UK, the you need to read this book!

This book has multiple POVs, focusing on main character Julian but also giving us glimpses into the minds of his daughter, his mysterious will-they, won’t-they love interest. I really liked Julian and I wouldn’t have minded at all if the book had been entirely first person present tense from his mind. I wasn’t as sold on the way his teenaged daughter thinks, and I would say her glimpses demonstrate why it’s a good thing this isn’t a YA because I’m not seeing the level of insight into how teenagers really think and act in her.

From the Deep has a lot to say about morality, humanity’s responsibility as the dominant species on this dying Earth, and animal welfare in a very balanced way. There are characters who are blissfully still participating in whale cullings, those who rationally see that it’s not right and no longer participate but don’t lose friends over it, and those who belong to extremist groups ala PETA. It’s refreshing to see all these different ways of thinking about one issue presented realistically and fairly, and I wasn’t sure for the first half of the book which side of the fence I wanted Julian on by the end.

I will say the initial slow reveal about what’s different with the mysterious love interest was quite predictable but I didn’t mind one bit! The book was so well done overall that I didn’t mind being ahead of the curve compared to our main character. Granted my suspension of disbelief was already actively suspended going into this book, but Julian was discovering things he previously thought impossible.

About the Author

Kateri Stanley is a pseudonym for the multi-genre fiction writer. Since being a child, Kateri has been inspired by the wondrous mediums of books, music, TV and film. After working in the healthcare industry for eight years and studying for an Arts and Humanities degree, she made the decision to move cities in the West Midlands and live with her ever-suffering partner and their felines. Her debut novel Forgive Me was published by indie press house, DarkStroke Books in 2021 and it reached #1 in the US Horror Fiction charts on Amazon. She is currently working on her third novel, Bittersweet Injuries and would love to pursue a full-time career in writing.

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