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Under #1
Under
Nobody ever sees the abandoned ‘ghost stations’ of the London Underground. Nobody except Jake’s crew of urban explorers.
They think they’re infiltrating another disused Tube station tonight, but he hasn’t told them the truth.
Jake is haunted by a secret. An untold history that connects Black Death plague pits, the Necropolis Railway, the Moorgate disaster and some of London’s darkest legends.
Tonight, Jake will discover what’s under the Underground. What’s under us all.
Under is a horror/mystery novel set on the London Underground, from the author of the Auto Series.
The short story Signal Failure, a prelude to Under, is free to download as an eBook from Amazon.
They think they’re infiltrating another disused Tube station tonight, but he hasn’t told them the truth.
Jake is haunted by a secret. An untold history that connects Black Death plague pits, the Necropolis Railway, the Moorgate disaster and some of London’s darkest legends.
Tonight, Jake will discover what’s under the Underground. What’s under us all.
Under is a horror/mystery novel set on the London Underground, from the author of the Auto Series.
The short story Signal Failure, a prelude to Under, is free to download as an eBook from Amazon.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2018
12 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
David Wailing
23 books59 followersI was born in Nineteen Davidey-Dave (all the best people were born that year) and live in London. I write contemporary fiction, a blend of mystery, thriller and humour.
My most recent novel is Under, a horror/mystery set on the London Underground. Both it and Signal Failure - a prelude short story available for free - are the result of a long-held fascination with the London Underground and its history.
As a native Londoner I have travelled on the Tube thousands of times, but it always feels like inhabiting a slightly different world to the city on the surface. The facts and figures of the Underground are just as fascinating as its mysteries and shadowy corners, and I hope my book does justice to both aspects.
I have five other novels available as Kindle ebooks: Auto, Auto 2, Bang, Duallists and Fake Kate.
My most recent novel is Under, a horror/mystery set on the London Underground. Both it and Signal Failure - a prelude short story available for free - are the result of a long-held fascination with the London Underground and its history.
As a native Londoner I have travelled on the Tube thousands of times, but it always feels like inhabiting a slightly different world to the city on the surface. The facts and figures of the Underground are just as fascinating as its mysteries and shadowy corners, and I hope my book does justice to both aspects.
I have five other novels available as Kindle ebooks: Auto, Auto 2, Bang, Duallists and Fake Kate.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
May 11, 2020
Eighteen-year-old Jake Thames gets together a crew of urban explorers (who are addicted to finding ways into places they weren’t meant to go) to travel with him into the abandoned “ghost stations” of the London Underground. The other guys are there for the thrill, but Jake is doing this for other reasons. He is curious about his father (Mike Thames) who went missing, maybe in the London Underground. Jake is trying to find out what connections/secrets involve his family history to the London Underground. What will he discover?
This was a really good follow-up to David Wailing’s connected short story “Signal Failure”. I enjoyed the setting (the London Underground) and I learned a lot about it in this book. The story was tense and captivating. The book had two timelines that were easy to follow. I really enjoyed Mike’s story, with his letters to his son, and the letters Mike received from his own father.
A fascinating and intriguing read.
This was a really good follow-up to David Wailing’s connected short story “Signal Failure”. I enjoyed the setting (the London Underground) and I learned a lot about it in this book. The story was tense and captivating. The book had two timelines that were easy to follow. I really enjoyed Mike’s story, with his letters to his son, and the letters Mike received from his own father.
A fascinating and intriguing read.
December 9, 2019
Interesting novel about urban exploring and ghost stations of the London tube. I especially liked the part with the letters of the father to his son, his mysterious disappearance and the well researched historical details on Necropolis line to Brookwood (where a lot of mortal remains were transfered to). But the frame story was a bit too tedious for me. Mike was much more interesting as a character as Jake and his strange fellow explorers. Mike should have been the feature act. I think the story would have better worked with him as main character since with Jake and all the flashbacks it soon got a bit confusing. There were many gripping details on the tube even though the main story was a bit flat to me. If you know the tube and are interested in all its stations shown (or not shown) you should risk a glimpse.
June 24, 2020
Have you ever wanted to ride the ghost train? If you missed out as a kid, you get another chance by reading this book.
Mike Thames was a motorman (train driver) on the London Underground. Due to the shift nature of his work he spent long periods of time in London, away from his family. But he wrote many letters to his son, telling him stories about the trains and the ghost stations along the line that were no longer used. His father and grandfather also worked on the railways. Along with the letters he included the odd maps, tickets and other railway paraphernalia. Then abruptly the letters stopped and Mike Thames was never seen again. We follow his story as later letters are unearthed. It is a strange tale of ferrying the London dead on the Necropolis train, of strange occurrences and stations that simply shouldn’t exist.
Years later we meet Jake an 18 year old urban explorer. Urban explorers being adventurous young people who revel in exploring urban environments that people normally don’t see. You can guess where this is going - yeah? Jake has put together a crew of three others with solid reputations. They don’t know it yet but Jake has an agenda. He is following Mike Thames’s footsteps. He wants to find the rumoured Necropolis train of London dead that runs on the 13th of each month. Today is the 13th and they are ‘going under’.
I really loved the details about the underground, the old cemetery lines and the ghost stations. The author did a lot of research for the book and it shows. It was a lot of fun, hugely entertaining and, while it was a little creepy, I didn’t find it scary. The ending will surprise you but...enough said about that. There is also a sweet little prequel to this, a novella, called Signal Failure.
Mike Thames was a motorman (train driver) on the London Underground. Due to the shift nature of his work he spent long periods of time in London, away from his family. But he wrote many letters to his son, telling him stories about the trains and the ghost stations along the line that were no longer used. His father and grandfather also worked on the railways. Along with the letters he included the odd maps, tickets and other railway paraphernalia. Then abruptly the letters stopped and Mike Thames was never seen again. We follow his story as later letters are unearthed. It is a strange tale of ferrying the London dead on the Necropolis train, of strange occurrences and stations that simply shouldn’t exist.
Years later we meet Jake an 18 year old urban explorer. Urban explorers being adventurous young people who revel in exploring urban environments that people normally don’t see. You can guess where this is going - yeah? Jake has put together a crew of three others with solid reputations. They don’t know it yet but Jake has an agenda. He is following Mike Thames’s footsteps. He wants to find the rumoured Necropolis train of London dead that runs on the 13th of each month. Today is the 13th and they are ‘going under’.
I really loved the details about the underground, the old cemetery lines and the ghost stations. The author did a lot of research for the book and it shows. It was a lot of fun, hugely entertaining and, while it was a little creepy, I didn’t find it scary. The ending will surprise you but...enough said about that. There is also a sweet little prequel to this, a novella, called Signal Failure.
February 16, 2018
4 1/2 STARS
January 28, 2018
I’ve been looking forward to this book since I read its short (free) prequel Signal Failure. There’s a mystery surrounding some of the abandoned stations on the London Underground and a dedicated few are trying to find out their secrets. Four young place hackers, led by Jake, are trying to find a way into one of these stations but he has an agenda of his own. Mike Thames, journalist, is on a mission fuelled by his father’s old letters. They concern abandoned stations and sections of line and he wonders if there’s a connection between all this and his father’s disappearance when Mike was a boy.
I was just along for the ride, you might say, for the first few percent of this book then bam – a mystery, and that excited me. Once the hook bit, the line pulled taut and I was dragged along in the wake of the unfolding story. I admit that what developed is not at all what I’d expected from Signal Failure – and yet, looking back at it, the two stories remain faithful to one another. It’s all in the reader’s perception. This book is a conspiracy theorist’s Christmas and birthday rolled into one. It became exciting and horrifying in equal measure. If you want something completely different, this is your next read.
I was just along for the ride, you might say, for the first few percent of this book then bam – a mystery, and that excited me. Once the hook bit, the line pulled taut and I was dragged along in the wake of the unfolding story. I admit that what developed is not at all what I’d expected from Signal Failure – and yet, looking back at it, the two stories remain faithful to one another. It’s all in the reader’s perception. This book is a conspiracy theorist’s Christmas and birthday rolled into one. It became exciting and horrifying in equal measure. If you want something completely different, this is your next read.
March 1, 2018
A really entertaining story that uses the London Underground as its backdrop. But it's not just the underground we know that stars here, it's the underground we don't know. The part that exists under.
I loved the historical references! The whole Necropolis/Brookwood Cemetery angle was really fascinating and the way it linked into the story was brilliant. It was unexpected!
The story itself was never predictable and didn't go the way I thought it would which made it difficult to put down. Well written, believable characters and a cracking story make this highly recommended.
I loved the historical references! The whole Necropolis/Brookwood Cemetery angle was really fascinating and the way it linked into the story was brilliant. It was unexpected!
The story itself was never predictable and didn't go the way I thought it would which made it difficult to put down. Well written, believable characters and a cracking story make this highly recommended.
June 30, 2018
I read the prequel to "Under" a while ago ("Signal Failure") and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading this book. "Under" is a brilliant book. I don't know whether it's because I'm a Londoner but I was completely hooked by the mysterious stories running through this novel about the 'ghost stations' on the Underground. The London Underground is the perfect setting for a horror story and the author has done a fantastic job in creating a suspenseful and intriguing tale using the dark and sinister tunnels of the Tube network as the framework for the story.
The book is well-constructed with two separate stories, years apart, that both link to the tales of disused or abandoned Underground stations. There is the story of Mike Thames, who is desperately writing down his memories of the letters and stories his father had told him about working on the London Underground as a train driver; tales of abandoned stations and ghost stories - and then there's the story of Jake and his group of expert explorers who are trying to get into these abandoned stations.
I found the structure of the book engrossing. The way some of the narrative was set out in letter form made the story that much more interesting to read, like reading someone's diary.
The way the two stories come together at the end is cleverly done.
This book is interesting not only because it has a very imaginative and well-constructed story about one family's history and their connection to the London Underground, but also because it contains so many eye-opening facts interwoven with the fiction, and then there are those parts of the book that make you wonder whether they are fact or fiction. The characters are all believable and seem like real people. There are highs and lows and twists and turns that kept me hooked.
The horror element is nicely woven with social commentary about the state of the world and human nature. I loved the ending; the choice the character has to make is thought-provoking. A masterful twist.
This novel is full of interesting facts, fiction borne from the mysteries of the Tube network, and it will make you think about the fine line between what we believe is true and what is actually true.
The book is well-constructed with two separate stories, years apart, that both link to the tales of disused or abandoned Underground stations. There is the story of Mike Thames, who is desperately writing down his memories of the letters and stories his father had told him about working on the London Underground as a train driver; tales of abandoned stations and ghost stories - and then there's the story of Jake and his group of expert explorers who are trying to get into these abandoned stations.
I found the structure of the book engrossing. The way some of the narrative was set out in letter form made the story that much more interesting to read, like reading someone's diary.
The way the two stories come together at the end is cleverly done.
This book is interesting not only because it has a very imaginative and well-constructed story about one family's history and their connection to the London Underground, but also because it contains so many eye-opening facts interwoven with the fiction, and then there are those parts of the book that make you wonder whether they are fact or fiction. The characters are all believable and seem like real people. There are highs and lows and twists and turns that kept me hooked.
The horror element is nicely woven with social commentary about the state of the world and human nature. I loved the ending; the choice the character has to make is thought-provoking. A masterful twist.
This novel is full of interesting facts, fiction borne from the mysteries of the Tube network, and it will make you think about the fine line between what we believe is true and what is actually true.
January 30, 2018
Under is quite a claustrophobic story in that it's set either underground or at night.
It seems that bits are set with different people at different times but the stories weave closer and closer.
From urban exploring to the history of the Necropolis railway, this story got under my skin (and made me do research afterward).
This is a great read.
It seems that bits are set with different people at different times but the stories weave closer and closer.
From urban exploring to the history of the Necropolis railway, this story got under my skin (and made me do research afterward).
This is a great read.
February 27, 2018
Wow.
Absolutely loved this. Stumbled on this by accident. Grabbed by the cover and synopsis, I'm a sucker for happenings on the London Underground with a macabre twist from the films "Death Line " to "Creep" and Gaimans glorious "Neverwhere "this ticked all the boxes for me and grabbed me from the first line. Couldn't put it down and when I'd finished it read it again.
Absolutely loved this. Stumbled on this by accident. Grabbed by the cover and synopsis, I'm a sucker for happenings on the London Underground with a macabre twist from the films "Death Line " to "Creep" and Gaimans glorious "Neverwhere "this ticked all the boxes for me and grabbed me from the first line. Couldn't put it down and when I'd finished it read it again.
February 4, 2018
I actually finished within hours of starting! I already love David Wailing’s books, so couldn’t wait to get stuck in and I wasn’t disappointed.
The weaving of fact into fiction always intrigues me, and it’s done so well here, please give it a go!
The weaving of fact into fiction always intrigues me, and it’s done so well here, please give it a go!
March 20, 2018
Under
I found this book to be a real page-turner. Very well written and exciting - giving lots of "What's going to happen next?" feelings. The author clearly knows lots about the transport history of London, which gives the novel credibility. I thoroughly recommend this book.
I found this book to be a real page-turner. Very well written and exciting - giving lots of "What's going to happen next?" feelings. The author clearly knows lots about the transport history of London, which gives the novel credibility. I thoroughly recommend this book.
May 27, 2018
As usual, Wailing has some good tricks up his sleeve. I found this one a bit slow in places (maybe because so much of it is told through letters) but it picked up steam as it went, and there were some genuinely creepy/scary bits and scenes that have lingered in mind.
Well worth picking up if you enjoy horror that's more psychological than gory.
Well worth picking up if you enjoy horror that's more psychological than gory.
August 19, 2025
I also have been eager to read this and got straight into it when it landed on my Kindle today!
Amazing story, very original and well written.
I’ve always had a fascination with places that are “out of bounds”, especially those which are below ground like tunnels, cellars etc and the London Underground.
Thank you David Wailing for this fantastic book which goes onto my “best ever reads” list!
Amazing story, very original and well written.
I’ve always had a fascination with places that are “out of bounds”, especially those which are below ground like tunnels, cellars etc and the London Underground.
Thank you David Wailing for this fantastic book which goes onto my “best ever reads” list!
March 11, 2019
I've had this book on my TBR for a fair while now but circumstances nudged me to do something about it and I'm blooming glad I did as this book took me on a very wild ride! I also learned a great deal about the London Underground, something I'd just previously taken for granted - for me, it's just a means to get from Waterloo to Wembley, via Baker Street - who knew there was so much more to it!? And yes, I did pause to Google a few times along the way and have several things bookmarked to delve into further when I get chance.
When we first meet him, Jake is leading a group of urban explorers to "discover" some of the Underground's ghost stations. A bit of B&E aside, their previous adventures have been limited to just being somewhere forbidden and gleaning photographic evidence of their exploits. Little do they know that tonight will take them on a much much stranger journey as it soon transpires that Jake has a very strange alternative motive for taking them Under.
Told in the present with additional chapters from a journal, we follow Jake and his team of three as they go where no one has been for years. For good reason too as we discover later. It appears that the trains used to carry dead away from the Capital to out of town cemeteries on the Necropolis Railway (yes it existed). We also learn that the Underground itself skirts the old plague pits of London which explains some of the more circuitous routes it takes along the way. But what have these things to do with what happened to the Thames family, generations of train drivers whose stories are told in the journal?
As I started this book I gave myself a right talking to, having let it languish on my tbr for so long - goodness only knows how many other really great books are there still - I should have known better as I have already read and loved many other books and short stories written by this author since I read Fake Kate back in 2011 when I first got my kindle. His style of writing really suits me and his attention to detail and research never fails to impress. As an aside, there's a companion short story that serves as a prelude to this one - Signal Failure - which is also well worth a read.
I don't get into London much these days, only when I am going to Wembley so, as already mentioned, I tend to take the tube for granted but, I guess, comparing it with other changes that have gone on in the rest of the country throughout history, it's obvious that there should be parts that have been forgotten, closed down from lack of use, changes of popularity of the places served or just fallen into dereliction for other reasons. And in this book, the author has taken such places and combined them with real events, and has woven one heck of a story around it all. A story that snagged me from the very first page and held me captive until way past my usual bedtime, so reluctant I was to out it down until I had finished - probably not the best book to read into the wee small hours in hindsight, with where we ended up going, but there we are!
All in all, a cracking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's really made me think about the Underground in a whole new way. But I do have to make this promise, next time I purchase one of this author's books I'll make sure I read it straight away...
When we first meet him, Jake is leading a group of urban explorers to "discover" some of the Underground's ghost stations. A bit of B&E aside, their previous adventures have been limited to just being somewhere forbidden and gleaning photographic evidence of their exploits. Little do they know that tonight will take them on a much much stranger journey as it soon transpires that Jake has a very strange alternative motive for taking them Under.
Told in the present with additional chapters from a journal, we follow Jake and his team of three as they go where no one has been for years. For good reason too as we discover later. It appears that the trains used to carry dead away from the Capital to out of town cemeteries on the Necropolis Railway (yes it existed). We also learn that the Underground itself skirts the old plague pits of London which explains some of the more circuitous routes it takes along the way. But what have these things to do with what happened to the Thames family, generations of train drivers whose stories are told in the journal?
As I started this book I gave myself a right talking to, having let it languish on my tbr for so long - goodness only knows how many other really great books are there still - I should have known better as I have already read and loved many other books and short stories written by this author since I read Fake Kate back in 2011 when I first got my kindle. His style of writing really suits me and his attention to detail and research never fails to impress. As an aside, there's a companion short story that serves as a prelude to this one - Signal Failure - which is also well worth a read.
I don't get into London much these days, only when I am going to Wembley so, as already mentioned, I tend to take the tube for granted but, I guess, comparing it with other changes that have gone on in the rest of the country throughout history, it's obvious that there should be parts that have been forgotten, closed down from lack of use, changes of popularity of the places served or just fallen into dereliction for other reasons. And in this book, the author has taken such places and combined them with real events, and has woven one heck of a story around it all. A story that snagged me from the very first page and held me captive until way past my usual bedtime, so reluctant I was to out it down until I had finished - probably not the best book to read into the wee small hours in hindsight, with where we ended up going, but there we are!
All in all, a cracking read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's really made me think about the Underground in a whole new way. But I do have to make this promise, next time I purchase one of this author's books I'll make sure I read it straight away...
June 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It was creepy and atmospheric, and I loved the way it wove clues through, threading more subtle ones between more obvious ones. There were some truly pulse pounding moments where I couldn't put the book down.
Jake is an odd character because at first, he's not really relatable and not really likeable. He's not unlikeable either, just a little bland at first. In fact, through the letters, we actually get more invested in Mike Thames. But when we get to the end of the letters (I won't spoil anything) and we get a beautiful revelation that suddenly puts everything Jake is doing into perspective and you can't help but root for him. Which I thought was incredibly clever given the undertone of 'us' vs 'them' with the 'Londoners' and 'Londoneath'. So very well done on that front - an amazing job from the author.
The only thing which lets it down is the end. I'm all for a vague ending, but the whole bit with Emily seemed superfluous. I'm trying to be as spoiler-free as possible, but if the author wanted to keep what happened to Jake as vague and unknown, why did we need the section with Emily? If we were never going to discover what happened, she isn't needed and she doesn't really add anything meaningful to the plot. Really, the story should have ended with Jake doing what he did, and maybe everyone getting off at the platform. It's for this reason I've given it 4 stars instead of 5. Up until that point it had been a stellar 5 star experience that was slowed down and dragged out needlessly for another few chapters.
I don't know if the author was trying to pad out the word count a little, or trying to connect the short story in some way, but I didn't think is was necessary.
In any case, I still highly recommend this book. It's fantastically written, rich in atmosphere, I love all the history it weaves in, and it'll leave you guessing until the end.
Jake is an odd character because at first, he's not really relatable and not really likeable. He's not unlikeable either, just a little bland at first. In fact, through the letters, we actually get more invested in Mike Thames. But when we get to the end of the letters (I won't spoil anything) and we get a beautiful revelation that suddenly puts everything Jake is doing into perspective and you can't help but root for him. Which I thought was incredibly clever given the undertone of 'us' vs 'them' with the 'Londoners' and 'Londoneath'. So very well done on that front - an amazing job from the author.
The only thing which lets it down is the end. I'm all for a vague ending, but the whole bit with Emily seemed superfluous. I'm trying to be as spoiler-free as possible, but if the author wanted to keep what happened to Jake as vague and unknown, why did we need the section with Emily? If we were never going to discover what happened, she isn't needed and she doesn't really add anything meaningful to the plot. Really, the story should have ended with Jake doing what he did, and maybe everyone getting off at the platform. It's for this reason I've given it 4 stars instead of 5. Up until that point it had been a stellar 5 star experience that was slowed down and dragged out needlessly for another few chapters.
I don't know if the author was trying to pad out the word count a little, or trying to connect the short story in some way, but I didn't think is was necessary.
In any case, I still highly recommend this book. It's fantastically written, rich in atmosphere, I love all the history it weaves in, and it'll leave you guessing until the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2019
Who doesn’t love the intrigue of London’s secrets… old tunnels, obsolete underground stations and strange histories? Well I do, which is why I eagerly set about reading this novel, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Mike Thames is a man obsessed with finding out the truth behind his father’s disappearance after the Moorgate disaster in London. Aided by letters from his father, sent to Mike over the course of his childhood and teenage years, Mike becomes overtaken by a kind of madness compelling him to do whatever it takes to find out the truth.
Some years later, Jake and a group of three urban explorers are set to make architectural hacker history by finding their way into one of London’s least known out-of-service underground stations. Despite being thwarted at almost every turn they eventually find their way into the station. As elements of the station’s ghoulish past come to light, they discover it isn’t quite as much in the past as perhaps they’d thought.
The two stories entwine themselves through ancient history and family ties. There is intrigue and mystery and twists and turns aplenty. The writing style is polished, the pace is fast enough to make it a real page turner without losing your way, and the characters are distinctive and well-rounded. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Mike Thames is a man obsessed with finding out the truth behind his father’s disappearance after the Moorgate disaster in London. Aided by letters from his father, sent to Mike over the course of his childhood and teenage years, Mike becomes overtaken by a kind of madness compelling him to do whatever it takes to find out the truth.
Some years later, Jake and a group of three urban explorers are set to make architectural hacker history by finding their way into one of London’s least known out-of-service underground stations. Despite being thwarted at almost every turn they eventually find their way into the station. As elements of the station’s ghoulish past come to light, they discover it isn’t quite as much in the past as perhaps they’d thought.
The two stories entwine themselves through ancient history and family ties. There is intrigue and mystery and twists and turns aplenty. The writing style is polished, the pace is fast enough to make it a real page turner without losing your way, and the characters are distinctive and well-rounded. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it certainly won’t be the last.
October 6, 2021
An excellent story with some basis in factual events as there actually was a railway which ran from inner London out to specially created Cemeteries in what are now the suburbs and weaves in a dark tale of the London Underground , which would give pause to late night users of the service also read the Free to download from Amazon the companion though can be read as a stand alone short story
" Signal Failure " which is chilling in it`s own right . Mr Wailing seems to be a relatively new author but one who has become an instant favourite of mine , his novels are well written .
" Signal Failure " which is chilling in it`s own right . Mr Wailing seems to be a relatively new author but one who has become an instant favourite of mine , his novels are well written .
June 28, 2018
Intriguing, Fascinating and Fantastic
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I definitely will be reading more.
This novel was very well researched, having myself an interest in the ghost underground stations, there were a few I didn’t know of! I read this with Google by my side looking up different information.
This is a story of the Thames family, their history, the pull the London Underground system has on them. Thoroughly recommended.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I definitely will be reading more.
This novel was very well researched, having myself an interest in the ghost underground stations, there were a few I didn’t know of! I read this with Google by my side looking up different information.
This is a story of the Thames family, their history, the pull the London Underground system has on them. Thoroughly recommended.
February 26, 2019
Slow to build, but with a fairly rushed ending that hints at what has happened to one of the main characters, but leaves the reader not knowing for sure. Apart from this, an enjoyable and well written story and a fascinating setting - the London Underground.
November 5, 2018
This book is very different to other books I have read by David Wailing. at first I was quite intrigued by the storyline however it just didn't hold my attention throughout.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews