Operation Below

by William Meikle

When Sergeant Wiggins is given a chance to prove himself it seems like a cushy number, acting as consultants for a police operation on the Austria-Germany border.

But fate takes a hand. Cattle are being mutilated, the police are baffled, and to find the reason why Wiggo must lead the squad and take them Below, where beasts of legend, red in tooth and claw, are waiting, hungry for fresh meat.

Genres: Horror

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2025

About the author

I'm a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with more than thirty novels published in the genre press and over 300 short story credits in thirteen countries.

My work has appeared in a number of professional anthologies and I have recent short story sales to NATURE Futures and Galaxy's Edge. When I'm not writing I play guitar, drink beer and dream of fortune and glory.

For an intro to me, my writing and my accent see my Youtube channel

Reviews

[Paul (Life In The Slow Lane) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, Ma! I got wyrms.

Time to get my Meikle on again. Every so often I give Amazon a yodel and tell 'em to electromail me some Bill Meikle 'cos I needs a bit of excitement. This one is a beaut. Action from go to whoa. I loved it even if the monsters were a bit tame IMHO.

[Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here there be wyrms

Wiggo and co head to Germany to check out and odd report and end up in a hollow earth scenario. Fairly quick paced that keeps going to the end. The squad is a little mixed up in the end but I'm excited to see what happens next.

[Amanda Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still a great story

I really enjoy the monsters and the quirky Wiggo. I would really like to see the other characters fleshed out a bit more and the opportunity to get to know them better. What could be next for the squad and their new leadership? We haven't seen a swamp monster yet have we?

[M.H. Thaung]

I’ve followed the S-Squad through their many previous adventures and was happy to pick up this latest one, released just a couple of weeks ago. This adventure happens in central Europe rather than a remote location, and probably just as well. For a change, Wiggo is in charge, but the mission still gets complicated. We meet a new squad member who I can’t help comparing to Captain Carrot—of course, this is absolutely not Discworld!

As we’d expect, the plot is a pretty straightforward creature feature. The monsters encountered didn’t strike me as based on specific folklore this time, although I didn’t go digging to find out more. There’s action rather than introspection and everything moves along at a good pace. I’d say there’s light horror and creepiness, but nothing excessively gruesome.

Overall, another enjoyable popcorn adventure.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Wiggo and the team are sent on a routine consultation mission, they soon find more than they bargained for. Trapped below ground with a large group of beasties, they are soon fighting for survival. Capt Banks and a new lieutenant attempt a rescue and soon they are all running for their lives.

[Amber Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love

I freaking love this series. Was so excited to snatch this bad boy and read it. Wiggo is a great character! This chapter is great. Caving, wyrms, bats and danger. Nothing like a little spelunking. Banks is such a great character and love the introduction of Duffield.

[Deacon D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Meikle is a marvel.

Whether it's his weird Sherlock Holmes adventures, his action-packed S-Squad series, or any of his other numerous horror/sci-fi works, the man is just a damn fine storyteller.

And this latest S-Squad tale is a good one, as the lads investigate the strange underground ecosystem introduced in Meikle's Below series.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a bit of a Meikle-maniac. And so should you be.

Read more Meikle! ☺

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay!

I was so excited to see a new S-Squad pop-up on New Releases and finished it quickly. It was short and not as good as Mongolia or Yukon or Infestation, but it was still worth reading. I missed having more input from Wilkins and Mac, but Duffield seems like a good addition. A wounded Banks makes me sad, but let's see how the next story plays.

[Dixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have never read this series, you should. it has action, fantasy, awesome characters and just plain fun to read. I love this series and drop everything to read one when a new one comes out. This particular one had my heart in my throat several times. read this series. you won't regret it.

[BERNARD ANDREWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very welcome return of S-Squad

Yet another excellent monster vs military adventure from the master of this genre. So very happy to learn about it that I read it in one very enjoyable session.
More please William 🙏

[Steve Chaput · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series I’ve read so all the characters are new to me.

A special Irish army squad is sent into often mysterious situations and use their skills and training to get through each mission.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never a dull moment with the men of S-Squad. Excellent and fun as always.

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

not very good

Not a very good book, a lot of plot holes, and unanswered questions. Would not recommend. Blah blah blah blah

[Robert N. Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read, thoroughly great cast of characters 👍