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The Passenger
The chilling new horror novel from the highly acclaimed author of The Sleep Room and The Voices.
Not all those on board are invited . . .
1941. A German submarine, U-330, patrols the stormy inhospitable waters of the North Atlantic. It is commanded by Siegfried Lorenz, a maverick naval officer who does not believe in the war he is bound by duty and honour to fight in.
U-330 receives a triple-encoded message with instructions to collect two prisoners from a vessel located off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest, and British submarine commander, Sutherland, and an Norwegian academic, Professor Bjørnar Grimstad, are taken on board. Contact between the prisoners and Lorenz has been forbidden, and it transpires that this special mission has been ordered by an unknown source, high up in the SS. It is rumoured that Grimstad is working on a secret weapon that could change the course of the war . . .
Then, Sutherland goes rogue, and a series of shocking, brutal events occurs. In the aftermath, disturbing things start happening on the boat. It seems that a lethal, supernatural force is stalking the crew, wrestling with Lorenz for control. A thousand feet under the dark, icy waves, it doesn't matter how loud you scream . . .
Not all those on board are invited . . .
1941. A German submarine, U-330, patrols the stormy inhospitable waters of the North Atlantic. It is commanded by Siegfried Lorenz, a maverick naval officer who does not believe in the war he is bound by duty and honour to fight in.
U-330 receives a triple-encoded message with instructions to collect two prisoners from a vessel located off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest, and British submarine commander, Sutherland, and an Norwegian academic, Professor Bjørnar Grimstad, are taken on board. Contact between the prisoners and Lorenz has been forbidden, and it transpires that this special mission has been ordered by an unknown source, high up in the SS. It is rumoured that Grimstad is working on a secret weapon that could change the course of the war . . .
Then, Sutherland goes rogue, and a series of shocking, brutal events occurs. In the aftermath, disturbing things start happening on the boat. It seems that a lethal, supernatural force is stalking the crew, wrestling with Lorenz for control. A thousand feet under the dark, icy waves, it doesn't matter how loud you scream . . .
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
March 16, 2020
The year is 1941 and a German submarine, U471, patrons North Atlantic when a triple-encoded message reaches its commander Siegfried Lorenz. They are to collect two prisoners from a vessel located off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest. The prisoners are British submarine commander, Sutherland, and a Norwegian academic, Professor Bjornar Grimstad. But after the prisoners have boarded U471 doesn’t it take long before Sutherland goes rogue…
I will not give away much of the plot since I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone. But there are happenings on the submarine after the two prisoners have left the submarine that seems supernatural. It’s almost like the vessel is cursed. And, on the paper that sounds like a very intriguing idea. But unfortunately, the story wasn’t that interesting to read. I had some real problem with the story, I was just not that interested in the happenings in the submarine and often I felt my focus shift while I read the book.
But there were moments when the book was good. For instance, I liked the part when Siegfried Lorenz was on shore leave and you get to know him and his family more. There were also moments on the submarine that I liked when you could feel the danger they were in. But the paranormal stuff, it just didn’t work out (not until the very end). I was disappointed over the lack of suspense. I just never felt that the paranormal events onboard were that interesting. I would have preferred the book without that and just read about its crew and its missions.
I often thought while I read the book that this would have worked so much better as a movie than a book. Then you can add suspenseful music and bring forth the claustrophobic feeling in the submarine. But, if it is to be a movie do I want Thomas Kretschmann to plays Siegfried Lorenz. I may have imagined him in the role during the reading…
2.5 stars
I want to thank the publisher for proving me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede
I will not give away much of the plot since I don’t want to spoil the book for anyone. But there are happenings on the submarine after the two prisoners have left the submarine that seems supernatural. It’s almost like the vessel is cursed. And, on the paper that sounds like a very intriguing idea. But unfortunately, the story wasn’t that interesting to read. I had some real problem with the story, I was just not that interested in the happenings in the submarine and often I felt my focus shift while I read the book.
But there were moments when the book was good. For instance, I liked the part when Siegfried Lorenz was on shore leave and you get to know him and his family more. There were also moments on the submarine that I liked when you could feel the danger they were in. But the paranormal stuff, it just didn’t work out (not until the very end). I was disappointed over the lack of suspense. I just never felt that the paranormal events onboard were that interesting. I would have preferred the book without that and just read about its crew and its missions.
I often thought while I read the book that this would have worked so much better as a movie than a book. Then you can add suspenseful music and bring forth the claustrophobic feeling in the submarine. But, if it is to be a movie do I want Thomas Kretschmann to plays Siegfried Lorenz. I may have imagined him in the role during the reading…
2.5 stars
I want to thank the publisher for proving me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
Read this review and others on A Bookaholic Swede
August 12, 2025
A German sub is diverted from a weather patrol for a special mission to pick up two POWs. The mission ends badly with a murder-suicide, which will haunt the crew, particularly the captain, for the remainder of the patrol and the following one.
The author claims in the notes to have relied on genuine war patrol reports and available literature to create a realistic picture of wartime service on a German sub. It is not the glorious service of propaganda. Indeed it reminds me of grim descriptions of sailing days at its worst, as the bureaucrats weave their ill-conceived plots.
The author claims in the notes to have relied on genuine war patrol reports and available literature to create a realistic picture of wartime service on a German sub. It is not the glorious service of propaganda. Indeed it reminds me of grim descriptions of sailing days at its worst, as the bureaucrats weave their ill-conceived plots.
January 17, 2016
Review: THE PASSENGER by F. R. Tallis
I expected a great new novel from the author of VOICES, and THE PASSENGER is exactly that! A riveting, non-stop, historical thrill ride, the framework is the perils and progress of an early World War II German U-boat, against British shipping, both military and mercantile. (This period is prior to American entry against the Axis Powers.) On multiple levels, THE PASSENGER is stunning. The horrors of war, the loss of life (demonstrated both individually and multiply), the cost to the populace at home (in this case, both the German people, and the citizens of Occupied France), are all so vividly expressed that this novel could be taken as anti-war.
Then there are so many characters so excellently delineated (quite understandable as the author is a clinical psychologist), and this includes many who are of secondary and tertiary importance.
The protagonist (human) is Commander Siegfried Lorenz, commanding the unlucky U-330. He is truly exceptional: a military man who rules with a light hand, and quotes poetry in his war diary (commander's log). German Nationalism and the Reich are protagonists also, in a broader sense, as is the Nazi occultism, which by cause and effect directly bears on the imminent supernatural and paranormal events impacting and plaguing the feckless U-boat.
I seldom think of a book in a movie context, but this novel would be a superb and powerfully impacting film (emotionally, psychologically, and visually). Definitely a Best of 2016.
I expected a great new novel from the author of VOICES, and THE PASSENGER is exactly that! A riveting, non-stop, historical thrill ride, the framework is the perils and progress of an early World War II German U-boat, against British shipping, both military and mercantile. (This period is prior to American entry against the Axis Powers.) On multiple levels, THE PASSENGER is stunning. The horrors of war, the loss of life (demonstrated both individually and multiply), the cost to the populace at home (in this case, both the German people, and the citizens of Occupied France), are all so vividly expressed that this novel could be taken as anti-war.
Then there are so many characters so excellently delineated (quite understandable as the author is a clinical psychologist), and this includes many who are of secondary and tertiary importance.
The protagonist (human) is Commander Siegfried Lorenz, commanding the unlucky U-330. He is truly exceptional: a military man who rules with a light hand, and quotes poetry in his war diary (commander's log). German Nationalism and the Reich are protagonists also, in a broader sense, as is the Nazi occultism, which by cause and effect directly bears on the imminent supernatural and paranormal events impacting and plaguing the feckless U-boat.
I seldom think of a book in a movie context, but this novel would be a superb and powerfully impacting film (emotionally, psychologically, and visually). Definitely a Best of 2016.
September 29, 2016
Read by flashlight (booklight)
This is why I chose to read this book (from the book flap):
The new supernatural thrill from F.R. Tallis, who takes his readers under the wartime seas of the stormy north Atlantic in 1941. Where not all those on board are invited...
... disturbing things start happening on the boat. It seems that a lethal, supernatural force is stalking the crew, wrestling with Lorenz for control. Far under the dark, icy waves, it doesn't matter how loud you scream...
Lorenz is the captain of a U-330 Nazi submarine. He doesn't believe in the war and is kind of a maverick who only follows the rules when he must. An unexpected event leads to a death on the sub. The crew is generally superstitious to start with and this doesn't help. Afterwards, strange events begin happening that some attribute to ghostly intervention.
Granted, being on a sub and sinking towards the bottom would be incredibly frightening. I would never want to travel on a sub in the best conditions and the conditions of war are far from ideal. But, I was looking to be scared by supernatural things, not realistic things. The book is well written and interesting, but it wasn't scary. I read it quickly, mostly because I wanted to get through it.
Recommended to:
Fans of realistic or historical ghost stories.
This is why I chose to read this book (from the book flap):
The new supernatural thrill from F.R. Tallis, who takes his readers under the wartime seas of the stormy north Atlantic in 1941. Where not all those on board are invited...
... disturbing things start happening on the boat. It seems that a lethal, supernatural force is stalking the crew, wrestling with Lorenz for control. Far under the dark, icy waves, it doesn't matter how loud you scream...
Lorenz is the captain of a U-330 Nazi submarine. He doesn't believe in the war and is kind of a maverick who only follows the rules when he must. An unexpected event leads to a death on the sub. The crew is generally superstitious to start with and this doesn't help. Afterwards, strange events begin happening that some attribute to ghostly intervention.
Granted, being on a sub and sinking towards the bottom would be incredibly frightening. I would never want to travel on a sub in the best conditions and the conditions of war are far from ideal. But, I was looking to be scared by supernatural things, not realistic things. The book is well written and interesting, but it wasn't scary. I read it quickly, mostly because I wanted to get through it.
Recommended to:
Fans of realistic or historical ghost stories.
December 7, 2017
It's a good story and the events that unfold will leave the reader guessing about the two "passengers". I found this to not be actually about a supernatural happening but a much more subtle and intriguing story that focuses more on the boat’s crew and the psychological stresses of war...especially a war that you are confined in a "tin can" far below the ocean surface. I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been more focus on the supernatural element. Not a bad book by any means and well worth the time to read it...just don't expect any ghost of ghoulies to appear. This is also on DVD under the title U-471
September 30, 2022
Really two and a half stars. Disappointing supernatural thriller. This was really 90% historical fiction about a German WWII U-boat and 10% ghost story. A real lack of suspense made the scenes with the ghost fall flat. A good idea, with poor execution.
August 5, 2016
The Passenger is a well written novel by F.R. Tallis that unfortunately suffers from a split personality. Is it a horror genre ghost story with a Gothic theme set in World War II aboard a German U-boat? Or is it a well written novel of the life and death aboard a German U-boat during World War II that just might have a malevolent ghost hanging around?
It is 1941 and the German U-Boat, U-471, patrols the waters of the North Atlantic. It's Captain, Siegfried Lorenz, receives an encoded message to pick up two prisoners off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest. The prisoners, a British submarine commander and a Norwegian Professor, are picked up and the crew and Captain Lorenz are forbidden to have any contact with them. This is a special mission ordered from high up the chain of command of the SS. The rumor is that the Professor is working on a secret weapon, one that could change the course of the war. But the British sub commander has different ideas and gets his hands on a weapon and in the aftermath, both prisoners lay dead.
After the events that result in the brutal and violent deaths of the prisoners, strange and disturbing things began to happen aboard the submarine. Equipment malfunctions without reason and the crew begin to see apparitions in the dark and cramped quarters. Now Captain Lorenz is in a battle for the lives of his crew against a force he cannot begin to comprehend.
The Passenger is a good book. It really is and if it was just written about the lives of the crew at war and how they dealt with existence aboard the submarine. It would have been really great. If it had been written as a ghost story. A Gothic tale of horror with the haunted house being trapped inside the shell of the German U-boat beneath the ocean. That probably would have been pretty great too. But instead it tried to become a blend of the two and in doing so it fails on both counts.
Very little is explained about the two prisoners brought on board the U-boat and since they are integral to the foundation of the ghost story it seems a misstep not to explain in more detail how they came to be and how they were able to transform one of them into the haunting.
There is a scene in the book, where after the U-boat sinks a ship, it rises to the surface to see the survivors struggling for safety aboard life rafts. Captain Lorenz walks out on his submarine and gives the nearest raft supplies of food and water, telling them to stay where they are and a rescue ship will pass by in a day or so. It is a powerful and striking moment in war time story telling. That the Captain of the U-boat that just sunk the ship would offer the survivors supplies and aid. The depth of the character and humanity that is infused is so well done, that to have him then turn around and walk back to enter his boat, only to be enshrouded in fog and encounter an apparition that does nothing but stand there, seems an intrusion in the story telling.
The Passenger is a good book that simply could not make up its mind what kind of book it was.
It is 1941 and the German U-Boat, U-471, patrols the waters of the North Atlantic. It's Captain, Siegfried Lorenz, receives an encoded message to pick up two prisoners off the Icelandic coast and transport them to the base at Brest. The prisoners, a British submarine commander and a Norwegian Professor, are picked up and the crew and Captain Lorenz are forbidden to have any contact with them. This is a special mission ordered from high up the chain of command of the SS. The rumor is that the Professor is working on a secret weapon, one that could change the course of the war. But the British sub commander has different ideas and gets his hands on a weapon and in the aftermath, both prisoners lay dead.
After the events that result in the brutal and violent deaths of the prisoners, strange and disturbing things began to happen aboard the submarine. Equipment malfunctions without reason and the crew begin to see apparitions in the dark and cramped quarters. Now Captain Lorenz is in a battle for the lives of his crew against a force he cannot begin to comprehend.
The Passenger is a good book. It really is and if it was just written about the lives of the crew at war and how they dealt with existence aboard the submarine. It would have been really great. If it had been written as a ghost story. A Gothic tale of horror with the haunted house being trapped inside the shell of the German U-boat beneath the ocean. That probably would have been pretty great too. But instead it tried to become a blend of the two and in doing so it fails on both counts.
Very little is explained about the two prisoners brought on board the U-boat and since they are integral to the foundation of the ghost story it seems a misstep not to explain in more detail how they came to be and how they were able to transform one of them into the haunting.
There is a scene in the book, where after the U-boat sinks a ship, it rises to the surface to see the survivors struggling for safety aboard life rafts. Captain Lorenz walks out on his submarine and gives the nearest raft supplies of food and water, telling them to stay where they are and a rescue ship will pass by in a day or so. It is a powerful and striking moment in war time story telling. That the Captain of the U-boat that just sunk the ship would offer the survivors supplies and aid. The depth of the character and humanity that is infused is so well done, that to have him then turn around and walk back to enter his boat, only to be enshrouded in fog and encounter an apparition that does nothing but stand there, seems an intrusion in the story telling.
The Passenger is a good book that simply could not make up its mind what kind of book it was.
February 25, 2017
I really wanted to love this book, The Forbidden and The Sleep Room are both excellent but this isn't as good. The supernatural element didn't work for me it felt like it was shoehorned in amongst the many explosions, faulty equipment and mouldy food. I did love the character of Lorenz, definitely the best thing about the book.
January 26, 2016
Pegasus Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
This World War II historical fiction involves U boat U330, whereas Captain Siegfried Lorenz is asked by the SS to transport two prisoners to Brest, France. Without question, the Captain allowed those individuals on board: British naval officer Lieutenant Commander Lawrence Sutherland and Professor Bjornar Grimstad, a Norwegian academic. For reasons unknown to any on board, Sutherland gets ahold of a pistol, shoots himself, and the Norwegian. Soon after, supernatural forces seem to be at play on the U boat, which has disastrous effects on the crew.
The author did a great job of setting the scene, but I found the focus was too much on the daily operations of the U boat and not enough on the supernatural elements stalking it. I found it hard to forge a connection to the main character, Captain Siegfried Lorenz and, by the end of the book, I did not feel like I had experienced anything remotely like a suspense or horror. As a World War II historical fiction, not enough background was given to anchor the story to the time period. With such a unique premise, I had high hopes for this novel that, unfortunately, were not realized.
This World War II historical fiction involves U boat U330, whereas Captain Siegfried Lorenz is asked by the SS to transport two prisoners to Brest, France. Without question, the Captain allowed those individuals on board: British naval officer Lieutenant Commander Lawrence Sutherland and Professor Bjornar Grimstad, a Norwegian academic. For reasons unknown to any on board, Sutherland gets ahold of a pistol, shoots himself, and the Norwegian. Soon after, supernatural forces seem to be at play on the U boat, which has disastrous effects on the crew.
The author did a great job of setting the scene, but I found the focus was too much on the daily operations of the U boat and not enough on the supernatural elements stalking it. I found it hard to forge a connection to the main character, Captain Siegfried Lorenz and, by the end of the book, I did not feel like I had experienced anything remotely like a suspense or horror. As a World War II historical fiction, not enough background was given to anchor the story to the time period. With such a unique premise, I had high hopes for this novel that, unfortunately, were not realized.
January 2, 2017
I often ask myself in exasperated tones when I find books almost impossible, "Is it just me?" implying, of course, that it isn't and it's the fault of the writer. But this time I might have admit that it is just me--or Christmas in Buckland-in-the-Vale anyway. It's almost impossible to read here. Only something really, really gripping would compete with the endless discussions of which day the rubbish bags need to go out, and whether it's blue or black this week.
Unfortunately, this book isn't it. It's quite a detailed and fascinating account of life in a submarine during the War (ghastly, actually). Personally, I would think the conditions on board were bad enough without adding a ghost. It's just a bit too detailed and stilted for me. I need more horror to outdo the Devon recycling minutiae.
I'll try to finish and update...
Well, I finished this quicker than I expected and I'm glad I stuck with it. The second half is a more gripping account of a patrol to the far northern oceans and conditions on board are absolutely horrendous. I personally didn't need anything supernatural in this book. It just didn't work and seemed shoehorned into an already packed plot. If you are into submarine warfare or WWII stories, then I recommend this. Horror fans? Not so much.
Unfortunately, this book isn't it. It's quite a detailed and fascinating account of life in a submarine during the War (ghastly, actually). Personally, I would think the conditions on board were bad enough without adding a ghost. It's just a bit too detailed and stilted for me. I need more horror to outdo the Devon recycling minutiae.
I'll try to finish and update...
Well, I finished this quicker than I expected and I'm glad I stuck with it. The second half is a more gripping account of a patrol to the far northern oceans and conditions on board are absolutely horrendous. I personally didn't need anything supernatural in this book. It just didn't work and seemed shoehorned into an already packed plot. If you are into submarine warfare or WWII stories, then I recommend this. Horror fans? Not so much.
May 22, 2016
I love horror books set in a realistic historical setting. I guess I was hoping for a teensie bit more, but overall I was satisfied.
I really enjoyed Tallis's writing-style and I'll be on the look-out for more of his work.
I really enjoyed Tallis's writing-style and I'll be on the look-out for more of his work.
August 14, 2025
A claustrophobic Second World War gothic thriller.
1941. Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Lorenz commands a German U-boat patrolling the north Atlantic. Receiving orders to rendezvous with another vessel, they take aboard two prisoners, a British submarine commander and a Norwegian professor.
The details of the SS mission involving the two prisoners are kept from Lorenz, but an act of rebellion soon results in both prisoners dead and Lorenz none the wiser as to the purpose of their transportation.
The crew’s duty-bound isolation amid the terrors of war is soon secondary to fears that something – or someone – is haunting the boat and the minds of all aboard.
‘The Passenger’ is an historical horror novel by F.R. Tallis, his fourth psychological gothic horror under this name (having written psychological crime fiction as Frank Tallis). A dark, sombre tale set during the Second World War, we embark on a journey with German Naval officers upon the ill-fated U-330, one that evokes the nature of life spent patrolling beneath the surface of the waves, and the terror and futility of war; the waiting and the watching, unemotionally carrying out orders even when not entirely sure what you’re fighting for or having any faith in whose names you are fighting. Amidst this fraught tension and isolation, an enemy soldier is shot dead, but his spirit remains very much with them – perhaps they are being haunted from beyond the grave, or are simply losing their minds.
Tallis documents the cursed voyage of boat and crew, a slow-burning, richly-detailed, noirish thriller in the gothic tradition. Drowning in an atmosphere of claustrophia and desolation, bleak to the point of nihilistic, weaving paranoia and depression, betrayal, tragedy and mystery, we accompany Lorenz and the soldiers under his command through two patrols spent at sea and the intervening furlough, the crew in peril every time they submerge and every time they surface.
Lorenz does not believe in the war they are fighting, disenchanted with the Führer and his goals. Somewhat a maverick and unwilling to display the blind loyalty expected of him, this causes much contention between his own morals and ethics and the duty and honour of his position. Lorenz’s disillusionment is perfectly juxtaposed with the radical indoctrination and dogmatic propaganda of Nazi ideology, as represented by a photographer who joins their mission for their second patrol, in order to document the heroism and patriotism of the naval officers of the Third Reich as they boldly go forth to defeat the enemy. The reality is, of course, in stark contrast.
Deprived and terrified, in mortal peril out at sea, following orders unaccompanied by explanation or justification, now they are seeing spectres move in the shadows. Little can be explained, as each day unfurls into the next. Lorenz makes some inquiries, hoping to uncover some explanation for the mission that descended into disaster. Answers remain illusive, with subtle hints of esoteric mysticism and the occult obsession of the SS offering scant clues.
Finding themselves frozen within the ice as they are sent further north, gazing out across the vast and desolate sea, it cannot help but remind one that they are – pitifully and powerlessly – merely human. In their confrontations with the enemy, it becomes evermore apparent how similar they are. British or German, fighting on behalf of Allied or Axis powers, soldiers are simply doing their jobs and sacrificing themselves for a country which claims to be on the side of the angels, and yet your orders are to slaughter fellow soldiers blindly.
Threatening a descent into madness as much as beneath the sea, the narrative submerges us in suspense, escalating towards a tense climax, the focus not so much on the supernatural haunting as the psychological impact and slow disintegration of the minds of the sailors. Is what haunts them a supernatural entity seeking vengeance, or their own misguided actions and guilty consciences preying on their souls?
Tallis was inspired to create U-330 by tales of real haunted German submarine UB-65. Deployed for a relatively short period during the First World War, seemingly cursed before it even set sail, multiple deaths and tales of ghosts on board were attached to the vessel, with many of the stories of the hauntings alleged to be false. After almost a century of speculation as to the boat’s loss, the wreck was discovered off the cost of Cornwall, its sinking concluded to be accidental. It remains where it sank, beneath the surface under protected status.
Haunting and immersive, ‘The Passenger’ is a chilling mariner’s tale coiled in nautical dread and psychological tension.
1941. Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Lorenz commands a German U-boat patrolling the north Atlantic. Receiving orders to rendezvous with another vessel, they take aboard two prisoners, a British submarine commander and a Norwegian professor.
The details of the SS mission involving the two prisoners are kept from Lorenz, but an act of rebellion soon results in both prisoners dead and Lorenz none the wiser as to the purpose of their transportation.
The crew’s duty-bound isolation amid the terrors of war is soon secondary to fears that something – or someone – is haunting the boat and the minds of all aboard.
‘The Passenger’ is an historical horror novel by F.R. Tallis, his fourth psychological gothic horror under this name (having written psychological crime fiction as Frank Tallis). A dark, sombre tale set during the Second World War, we embark on a journey with German Naval officers upon the ill-fated U-330, one that evokes the nature of life spent patrolling beneath the surface of the waves, and the terror and futility of war; the waiting and the watching, unemotionally carrying out orders even when not entirely sure what you’re fighting for or having any faith in whose names you are fighting. Amidst this fraught tension and isolation, an enemy soldier is shot dead, but his spirit remains very much with them – perhaps they are being haunted from beyond the grave, or are simply losing their minds.
Tallis documents the cursed voyage of boat and crew, a slow-burning, richly-detailed, noirish thriller in the gothic tradition. Drowning in an atmosphere of claustrophia and desolation, bleak to the point of nihilistic, weaving paranoia and depression, betrayal, tragedy and mystery, we accompany Lorenz and the soldiers under his command through two patrols spent at sea and the intervening furlough, the crew in peril every time they submerge and every time they surface.
Lorenz does not believe in the war they are fighting, disenchanted with the Führer and his goals. Somewhat a maverick and unwilling to display the blind loyalty expected of him, this causes much contention between his own morals and ethics and the duty and honour of his position. Lorenz’s disillusionment is perfectly juxtaposed with the radical indoctrination and dogmatic propaganda of Nazi ideology, as represented by a photographer who joins their mission for their second patrol, in order to document the heroism and patriotism of the naval officers of the Third Reich as they boldly go forth to defeat the enemy. The reality is, of course, in stark contrast.
Deprived and terrified, in mortal peril out at sea, following orders unaccompanied by explanation or justification, now they are seeing spectres move in the shadows. Little can be explained, as each day unfurls into the next. Lorenz makes some inquiries, hoping to uncover some explanation for the mission that descended into disaster. Answers remain illusive, with subtle hints of esoteric mysticism and the occult obsession of the SS offering scant clues.
Finding themselves frozen within the ice as they are sent further north, gazing out across the vast and desolate sea, it cannot help but remind one that they are – pitifully and powerlessly – merely human. In their confrontations with the enemy, it becomes evermore apparent how similar they are. British or German, fighting on behalf of Allied or Axis powers, soldiers are simply doing their jobs and sacrificing themselves for a country which claims to be on the side of the angels, and yet your orders are to slaughter fellow soldiers blindly.
Threatening a descent into madness as much as beneath the sea, the narrative submerges us in suspense, escalating towards a tense climax, the focus not so much on the supernatural haunting as the psychological impact and slow disintegration of the minds of the sailors. Is what haunts them a supernatural entity seeking vengeance, or their own misguided actions and guilty consciences preying on their souls?
Tallis was inspired to create U-330 by tales of real haunted German submarine UB-65. Deployed for a relatively short period during the First World War, seemingly cursed before it even set sail, multiple deaths and tales of ghosts on board were attached to the vessel, with many of the stories of the hauntings alleged to be false. After almost a century of speculation as to the boat’s loss, the wreck was discovered off the cost of Cornwall, its sinking concluded to be accidental. It remains where it sank, beneath the surface under protected status.
Haunting and immersive, ‘The Passenger’ is a chilling mariner’s tale coiled in nautical dread and psychological tension.
September 3, 2022
I don't know what it is about them, but submarines have always fascinated me. I'm not sure if it's their clandestine nature, their inherent claustrophobia, or the impending sense of doom, but there's a massive (fictional) appeal there for me. I remember staying up way too late to watch Das Boot as a child, and I recall being quite content to sit alone in a nearly empty theater to enjoy The Hunt for Red October, but I think it was Clive Cussler who sealed the fascination for me with Raise the Titanic.
Given all that, The Passenger: A Novel would have caught my eye regardless, but toss a Gothic sort of ghost story into the mix and there was no way I could pass it by. To his credit, F.R. Tallis uses the ghost story element sparingly, allowing the real horror of submarine warfare to carry most of the plot, but there's an underlying thread of anxiety and superstition that magnifies the sense of dread throughout. It's a subtle sort of supernatural flavor, one that allows for a lot of doubt as to what's really going on. The whole story is carefully crafted so as to never come right out and declare that there are ghosts on board or that the boat is really cursed, leaving us to wonder what's real and what's imagined.
It's a small cast of characters who carry the story here, and they're all well-developed. Not necessarily the most likable of men, but admirable in their own way. Even though these are German sailors counting the tonnage of allied ships they've sunk, there's a humanity to them . . . and even a sense of mercy for their victims. In fact, the futility of war and the psychological cost is a huge part of the horror here, adding yet another layer to the story. With the exception of a prolonged section of the book where the men are on furlough with the ship in dry dock, it's a fast pasted novel that races from one near-disaster to the next. It seems like everything that can go wrong for them does, and there were more than a few times I didn't expect the U-330 to rise again.
Readers looking for a more straightforward horror story are likely to be turned off by the amount of detail surrounding submarine warfare, maintenance, and survival, but it's those elements that drive the story home. Tallis makes us share the dread, the fear, and the hopelessness of the situation on multiple occasions, until we're almost wishing he'd wave it all away with a ghostly explanation and give them men their rest. Who and what The Passenger may be is, of course, the mystery that drives the novel, providing Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Lorenz with reasons to question both his superiors and himself. As much as part of me was hoping for a bit more of the supernatural going into it, I think the balance here is perfect, with the subtlety making for a much more effective story.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Given all that, The Passenger: A Novel would have caught my eye regardless, but toss a Gothic sort of ghost story into the mix and there was no way I could pass it by. To his credit, F.R. Tallis uses the ghost story element sparingly, allowing the real horror of submarine warfare to carry most of the plot, but there's an underlying thread of anxiety and superstition that magnifies the sense of dread throughout. It's a subtle sort of supernatural flavor, one that allows for a lot of doubt as to what's really going on. The whole story is carefully crafted so as to never come right out and declare that there are ghosts on board or that the boat is really cursed, leaving us to wonder what's real and what's imagined.
It's a small cast of characters who carry the story here, and they're all well-developed. Not necessarily the most likable of men, but admirable in their own way. Even though these are German sailors counting the tonnage of allied ships they've sunk, there's a humanity to them . . . and even a sense of mercy for their victims. In fact, the futility of war and the psychological cost is a huge part of the horror here, adding yet another layer to the story. With the exception of a prolonged section of the book where the men are on furlough with the ship in dry dock, it's a fast pasted novel that races from one near-disaster to the next. It seems like everything that can go wrong for them does, and there were more than a few times I didn't expect the U-330 to rise again.
Readers looking for a more straightforward horror story are likely to be turned off by the amount of detail surrounding submarine warfare, maintenance, and survival, but it's those elements that drive the story home. Tallis makes us share the dread, the fear, and the hopelessness of the situation on multiple occasions, until we're almost wishing he'd wave it all away with a ghostly explanation and give them men their rest. Who and what The Passenger may be is, of course, the mystery that drives the novel, providing Kapitänleutnant Siegfried Lorenz with reasons to question both his superiors and himself. As much as part of me was hoping for a bit more of the supernatural going into it, I think the balance here is perfect, with the subtlety making for a much more effective story.
Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.
June 9, 2019
Though I enjoy Tallis's Leibermann series more than these solo works, they're worth reading as well. He seems to be after an effect in these, more than anything else, and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
His solos follow a pattern. You've got a single guy protagonist who fights an overpowering system that smothers him in the end, though he exacts some sort of personal salvation. Think, Jack Torrance succumbing to the hotel, but letting the boiler now up and saving his family. (This is the book, of course. The movie is about an a--hole who becomes more of an a--hole at the end, and therefore no redemption. This is King's, and my, major beef with the movie, which is stunning but without soul.) Literally all of Tallis's stand-alones are like this, in varying degrees.
This is not without its frustrations, though this one is his least frustrating for me--and the frustrations aren't that frustrating, which sounds terrible in a review, but is so nevertheless. For example, in another book, a father gives in to the overpowering system of his haunted house and his young child pays the price for it. This angered me tremendously until they reunite in a wherever at the end, and it's a lot better than where they'd been. And that's another little frustration: the system always wins, the protagonist doesn't, and it's a downer in a world where we have enough of those already.
So why read it? Why the great rating? Well, I read it in two days, which means it's gripping and readable. He successfully attains the effect he strives for, which was Poe's edict for a good short story (and Pritchett's, too, though I would've torn those pages out as well), but it can work for novels, too--as long as the reader appreciates that the effect is more paramount to Tallis. If the effects didn't work, Tallis would be in great trouble, but they do.
The effect successfully attained here is life in a German submarine in WWII. This is a bigger deal than the haunting of the submarine. I mean, it is haunted, but the book could have been the same without it. It may seem like once Tallis nails the effect, he doesn't know what to do with it; actually, he does: he ends it. Tallis writes historical fiction, after all, and this is yet another. Think Das Boot meets The Shining, with a dash of The Terror thrown in. That recipe doesn't sound bad at all, and it isn't.
His solos follow a pattern. You've got a single guy protagonist who fights an overpowering system that smothers him in the end, though he exacts some sort of personal salvation. Think, Jack Torrance succumbing to the hotel, but letting the boiler now up and saving his family. (This is the book, of course. The movie is about an a--hole who becomes more of an a--hole at the end, and therefore no redemption. This is King's, and my, major beef with the movie, which is stunning but without soul.) Literally all of Tallis's stand-alones are like this, in varying degrees.
This is not without its frustrations, though this one is his least frustrating for me--and the frustrations aren't that frustrating, which sounds terrible in a review, but is so nevertheless. For example, in another book, a father gives in to the overpowering system of his haunted house and his young child pays the price for it. This angered me tremendously until they reunite in a wherever at the end, and it's a lot better than where they'd been. And that's another little frustration: the system always wins, the protagonist doesn't, and it's a downer in a world where we have enough of those already.
So why read it? Why the great rating? Well, I read it in two days, which means it's gripping and readable. He successfully attains the effect he strives for, which was Poe's edict for a good short story (and Pritchett's, too, though I would've torn those pages out as well), but it can work for novels, too--as long as the reader appreciates that the effect is more paramount to Tallis. If the effects didn't work, Tallis would be in great trouble, but they do.
The effect successfully attained here is life in a German submarine in WWII. This is a bigger deal than the haunting of the submarine. I mean, it is haunted, but the book could have been the same without it. It may seem like once Tallis nails the effect, he doesn't know what to do with it; actually, he does: he ends it. Tallis writes historical fiction, after all, and this is yet another. Think Das Boot meets The Shining, with a dash of The Terror thrown in. That recipe doesn't sound bad at all, and it isn't.
February 8, 2017
F R Tallis was first known as Frank Tallis for a series of well-researched and intriguing psychiatrist detective novels set in Vienna. He is now better-known for horror writing, in which he ruthlessly applies these skills and knowledge to grim effect. The Sleep Room and The Voices were good, The Forbidden was outstanding, but The Passenger plunges the reader to new depths of terror.
The Passenger is a temporary Royal Navy captive on a WW2 U-boat diverted from commerce-raiding duties. The captain and crew of U-330 will seem familiar to anyone who’s read or watched ‘Das Boot’ and the submarine (with a huge weight of historical and technical research) is as much of a character to the reader and the superstitious submariners. The vivid setting of steel, sea and skies and the struggles of the crew dominate most of the book – 3 in 4 German submariners were lost at sea. But the Passenger lingers throughout the two patrols, as tension increases through repeated dangers and mishaps, the harmony of the crew disturbed by the overt Nazi presence of a propaganda journalist on the second voyage.
The supernatural presence is subdued but real enough, magnified in the fears of the submariners. But that’s enough of a description without risk of spoiling the plot. There’s a rich seam of extreme elements and maritime horror, Dan Simmons (The Terror) and Michelle Paver (Thin Air, Dark Matter) and this book continues that tradition.
2016 has been a great year for horror writing and this is close to the top of the list, certainly in a top three with Ramsey Campbell’s The Searching Dead and Paul Tremblay’s Disappearance at Devil’s Rock.
The Passenger is a temporary Royal Navy captive on a WW2 U-boat diverted from commerce-raiding duties. The captain and crew of U-330 will seem familiar to anyone who’s read or watched ‘Das Boot’ and the submarine (with a huge weight of historical and technical research) is as much of a character to the reader and the superstitious submariners. The vivid setting of steel, sea and skies and the struggles of the crew dominate most of the book – 3 in 4 German submariners were lost at sea. But the Passenger lingers throughout the two patrols, as tension increases through repeated dangers and mishaps, the harmony of the crew disturbed by the overt Nazi presence of a propaganda journalist on the second voyage.
The supernatural presence is subdued but real enough, magnified in the fears of the submariners. But that’s enough of a description without risk of spoiling the plot. There’s a rich seam of extreme elements and maritime horror, Dan Simmons (The Terror) and Michelle Paver (Thin Air, Dark Matter) and this book continues that tradition.
2016 has been a great year for horror writing and this is close to the top of the list, certainly in a top three with Ramsey Campbell’s The Searching Dead and Paul Tremblay’s Disappearance at Devil’s Rock.
December 8, 2025
The Passenger is a tense, gripping thriller that masterfully blends historical fiction, war drama, and supernatural horror. F.R. Tallis immerses readers in the claustrophobic, icy world of a German U-boat during 1941, where duty, honor, and survival collide with forces beyond comprehension.
The novel’s strength lies in its intricate character dynamics and mounting tension. Kapitanleutnant Siegfried Lorenz is a maverick officer whose loyalty to the war is overshadowed by personal moral conflict, creating a compelling and conflicted protagonist. The addition of British submarine commander Sutherland and Norwegian academic Professor Bjornar Grimstad heightens the stakes, as secrets, loyalties, and ulterior motives intertwine amid the ever-present threat of a mysterious and lethal force stalking the crew.
Tallis combines meticulous historical detail with a supernatural undercurrent, making the story both grounded and chilling. The suspense escalates steadily, as the U-boat becomes a labyrinth of uncertainty, paranoia, and fear, leaving readers questioning what is human, what is supernatural, and what is inevitable. The Passenger is a page-turner for fans of war thrillers, historical suspense, and paranormal horror, offering a haunting and immersive experience that lingers long after the final page.
The novel’s strength lies in its intricate character dynamics and mounting tension. Kapitanleutnant Siegfried Lorenz is a maverick officer whose loyalty to the war is overshadowed by personal moral conflict, creating a compelling and conflicted protagonist. The addition of British submarine commander Sutherland and Norwegian academic Professor Bjornar Grimstad heightens the stakes, as secrets, loyalties, and ulterior motives intertwine amid the ever-present threat of a mysterious and lethal force stalking the crew.
Tallis combines meticulous historical detail with a supernatural undercurrent, making the story both grounded and chilling. The suspense escalates steadily, as the U-boat becomes a labyrinth of uncertainty, paranoia, and fear, leaving readers questioning what is human, what is supernatural, and what is inevitable. The Passenger is a page-turner for fans of war thrillers, historical suspense, and paranormal horror, offering a haunting and immersive experience that lingers long after the final page.
June 12, 2017
The passenger takes place in 1941 under the wartime seas of the North Atlantic. A German submarine patrols the north Atlantic commanded by Siegfried Lorenz, a naval officer who does not believe in the war he is about to face. U-330 receives a triple-encoded message with instructions to collect two prisoners from a vessel located off the Icelandic coast--a British submarine commander named Sutherland and a Norwegian academic, Professor Bjornar Grimstrad. and transport the to a base at Brest. Any contact between the prisoners and Lorenz has been forbidden. This special mission has been ordered by an unknown source, high up in the SS. It is rumored that
Grimstad is working on a secret weapon that would change the course of the war. Sutherland goes rogue and a series of brutal events occur. Disturbing things start happening on the boat and the novel takes a supernatural turn and it seems a supernatural force is stalking the crew.
Grimstad is working on a secret weapon that would change the course of the war. Sutherland goes rogue and a series of brutal events occur. Disturbing things start happening on the boat and the novel takes a supernatural turn and it seems a supernatural force is stalking the crew.
March 2, 2018
Got about a third of the way through and gave up. I don’t like war stories or submarines. The promised paranormal/ghost story never really materializes; I sneak peaked through to the end-and if there was a payoff, the writing just wasn’t grabbing me enough to make me hold on for it. I’d read his “The Voices” and it was good and spooky and English-y. Will try another of his on the basis of that, but did not care for “The Passenger.”
April 22, 2020
An excellent book and very enjoyable. Of the 40,000 U Boat sailors who departed from Hamburg during the second world war, 30,000 were never seen again. This classes as a horror/ghost story however the true horror is within the numbers. A U boat provides a unique environment where survival is unlikely. Tallis performs a remarkable job in revealing the fear amo gst a crew so vulnerable in their duty. I genuinely adored this book and all who sailed in her.
March 23, 2023
I loved it! Usually I skip to the end of the book and if After reading the ending I still want to go back and finish the book then I consider it a keeper. This one was a keeper. Scary but not too scary for a wimp like me. I liked the main character, an officer and a gentleman. The story held my attention to the very end. I wish there was more details on the prisoners and the reason for their transport but it did mot detract from my enjoyment of the story.
November 23, 2016
This is a very, very good book. The book is set onboard the German u-boat U-330 patrolling the north Atlantic and Mr Tallis creates an atmosphere of claustrophobia extreme cold and more importantly extreme creeping fear with extraordinary skill. Even though this is a novel the undoubted bravery of the men on both sides of the second world war goes without saying. Recommended reading. 5*
April 30, 2023
A well written book that mixes in a little supernatural with the horrors of war to good effect.
The writing flowed well, the characters were likeable (apart from a few) which was surprising as it was written about a German submarine in WW2 but showed that we are all human and it’s not as cut and dry as looking at things from the outside.
The writing flowed well, the characters were likeable (apart from a few) which was surprising as it was written about a German submarine in WW2 but showed that we are all human and it’s not as cut and dry as looking at things from the outside.
August 11, 2017
Sorry, no. I wanted to like this book. Truly, I did. Factually, I didn't. Took too long to get to the story, the dialogue didn't advance the plot or develop the characters (it seemed to only be there to take up space) and I didn't find the characters convincing.
October 23, 2017
Well written, a quick read, yet a "slow burn" in terms of the unfolding supernatural element, which in the end is not quite satisfying. For me, there were a few mysteries that the author never gets around to answering.
January 16, 2018
Amazingly engrossing read! Tallis is able to create the claustrophobic and sensory environment of a submarine, and effectively add just a right amount of supernatural frisson that drew me in and kept pulling me on to the end! Loved it!
May 12, 2018
I'm an avid fan of horror fiction with a historical setting (Historical horror? is that a genre?) So as soon I found this book browsing through my library, I snatched it up. I'm not going to beleaguer things here; the atmosphere is satisfyingly chilling at times, the development of the main character and the historical setting was pretty good (and as far as I can tell, as WW2 isn't my historical hobbyhorse, accurate). I thought setting a book during World War 2 from the German point of view was particularly interesting. However, once you get past those parts, the story itself falters a bit. It is atmospheric -- you feel the claustrophobia of being trapped in a U-boat with limited food, limited air, enemies trying to blow you out of the water while you're just trying to do your duty without particularly believing in the machinations of the government -- but insofar as the antagonistic 'ghosts' go......eh. Sometimes, most times, not giving too much explanation is a good thing in horror novels. This time around, I would've liked SOME more explanation -- sure, Nordic runes, but what in heaven does a British commander have anything to do with it? Why is he such a troll? Is he bored? The ending was also predictable (as it would be, really, it's a U-boat) but you're left with more questions than answers, all atmosphere without the shivers.
May 10, 2021
The author is very good at explaining perspective and fleshing out the main character, but it wasn't as gripping as I had hoped it would be. I wish it had delved into the psychological elements a bit more and explained the feelings than just explaining what was happening.
May 11, 2021
If you are obsessed with WWII U-boats you might like this. If you think German sailors who supported Hitler got a bad reputation through no fault of their own, you might enjoy this. It wasn't badly written, just very unsettling for a person whose father and uncles fought in WWII against the Nazis.
March 14, 2017
This is a time traveling story. Interesting story line. Believable and likeable characters.
June 4, 2017
Boring book, should be a ghost story but the ghost appears only few times. Do not recommend.
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