Aching Deep

by Rian F. Holes

Alenka Zadravec got a new case: strange and gruesome suicides. The Special Agent of SOVA's National Security Section has to find out whether the unknown parasite that was found inside the victims is a risk for Slovenia or not. Sebastian Eichert, Professor for parasitology and expert of Strasbourg's IPPTS Institute may help her. It looks like he could manage the parasite. Until the next victim appears that changes everything...

Genres: Science Fiction, Horror

636 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2024

About the author

Rian F. Holes has started writing when he was seven years old by writing short stories about a teddy bear. Later as a teenager he wrote poetry, crime and science-fiction novels. While still being at school he started working as a freelance reporter for a local newspaper. He had studied HR and organizational management and Catholic Theology. He is a former business consultant and works as a teacher now. He had already published stories for children and articles about business management in international journals. Ice and Prey was his first internationally published novel for adults. At the "Bookstagram Awards 2023" he was among the final nominees for "Debut Author of the Year".
He is married and father of two sons. Together with his family and a small dog he lives in a village in western Germany.

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a rollercoaster!

The opening is very firmly in the vein of a gory sci-fi horror, with some death scenes that are utterly brutal (and memorable). There was a cinematic quality to these throughout (as well as in other parts of the book) and I have a feeling this book will have a lot of crossover appeal between horror and sci-fi thriller fans.

It's not all about the gore though. There's a compelling scientific mystery at the heart of the novel, and I was impressed with the research that clearly went into the book. Some of my favourite parts were related to the virology and bacteriology that are explored and investigated by the characters. The afterward made it clear Holes had spoken to real experts during (or before) the writing process, and it showed in the level of care and attention paid to those parts. I actually haven't read any Crichton, but I do feel the book would appeal to Crichton fans. It combined genres in a way that's similar to in his work, and had a tense but thoughtful feel.

The folkloric aspects were also something I really loved, and elements of the storyline related to history, folklore, and romantic love were honestly very moving.

[Ace Rinesch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unable to put this book down. It was an amazing story with lots of different perspective and new things to learn about. One of my favorite books I've read this year.

[Tehmeena · Rating 5 out of 5]

For 18+ audiences.

✨️𝔸𝕣𝕔 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨✨️

Gosh, parasites and a possible epidemic! Ugh, the parasites made me shiver. That's what many of the characters fought with. For e.g: Bogataj's toothache was explained in such a way that it even made me feel uncomfortable to read, the sheer pain that the poor guy experienced must have been excruciating! He couldn't relieve the pain even after bashing his face into the mirror. (Normal toothache is unbearable anyway, but the way he couldn't even end it no matter what he did was horrific to read - and that was only the beginning.) I won't spoil what happened to him, you'll have to read for yourself.

The plot takes you centuries back in history and to the future/present, meeting so many different characters! I was actually very invested in Maja's (past) story the most from the past, it was very sad. Also it was fascinating to learn about other cultures and their history. Alenka and Ema's (present) relationship was so sweet. There's some light-spicey moments with them, so keep that in mind if you're not into that. I didn't mind it, it was a pleasant addition because there was so much horror going on.

So, Sabastian and Miss Zadravec get together with the case takes them to work with the Sova Agency. It was intriguing how the professionals discusses and researched about the unknown parasite. They get together with more professionals and meet up at the headquarters, the Sova Agency and discuss what is killing people and how to stop it from spreading.

Now, a not-so-fun fact about me is that I have Thalassophobia lol And imagine me, reading along and having to imagine some fish looming under the surface water, splashing about and trying to leave! I physically shivered and had to pause reading. But that's my bad - I do not blame the author. I read on because I wanted to read on. I took longer than expected to finish this book because horror genre about parasites wasn't really my jam, it creeped me out and had me on the edge of my seat. Nevertheless I'm pleased to have managed to finish it, it was surprisingly a fun read. The whole scene about the dissection of an eyeball only to discover a parasite living deep within it made me shiver (I don't like eyeballs either!)

Gradually the researchers/parasitologists get down to what was causing the parasitic infections, and it's not super fast paced or super slow. (Personally, I had to go back and re-read a few pages to make sure I understood it all just to make sure, because my scientific knowledge is embarrassing lol)

Oh, and not to forget the Epilogue was shocking! I didn't expect it to end like that. Sebastian, no! The blood, the gore, the PARASITE! When I thought it was all over, huh? What an ending. I wonder if there'll be a sequel? I would read it! This was a roller-coaster. Loved it. Got scared a lot and had to take many breaks, but it was fascinating in a morbid way.

The book is adventurous, well detailed, and kept you wanting to read more, which I loved personally even when I felt horror-stricken. The descriptions made it easier to imagine what the author wanted to portray for the reader without going over the top. The way the author described everything made everything so much more intense with the blood and gore; bone-chilling. Furthermore, the author put so much research and carefully thought-out information (I learnt a lot along the way!) There were some drawings as well about Romani Mythology to give an idea.

Out of Fives;
Cover: ✨️✨️✨️✨️
Plot: 📝📝📝📝📝
Character Development: 👍👍👍👍👍
World Building: 🌍🌎🌏🌍🌎
Horror/Gore: ⏳️⏳️⏳️⏳️⏳️
Overall Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Received in: PDF/Microsoft Doc received.
Chapters: 16 chapters.
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Thriller, Science.
Would I Recommend? Yes.

[Monika Pavlovič · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant!

Aching Deep had me hooked from start to finish. The mix of science, folklore, and horror was so vivid that I could picture every scene like a movie in my head... Especially the parasite descriptions, which were both fascinating and terrifying!

I loved how Alenka’s investigation kept building tension, while Maja’s past story added such a haunting emotional layer.

The ending left me stunned and wanting more. Dark, intense, and cinematic... A masterpiece I’ll be thinking about for a long time!