The Depths

by Kirk Kjeldsen

"A gut-punch of a thriller, wickedly paced and beautifully rendered." - Peter Swanson, author of Her Every Fear and The Kind Worth Killing Nominated for the 2019 LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA LITERARY AWARDSFrom the author of Tomorrow City and Land of Hidden Fires comes a thriller about a strained expat couple that gets taken hostage while vacationing in Malaysia.After trailing spouse Marah Lenaerts suffers her third miscarriage in as many years, her husband Eden surprises her with a vacation to Malaysia, hoping it will lift her spirits. And it does, as they enjoy trading the bustle of their Shanghai life behind for the idyllic tropical paradise. But while on a diving excursion, they're taken hostage by a group of terrorists, who take them to a remote island and hold them there for ransom. The longer that time drags on, though, the more doubts Marah begins to have about their captors' true motivations.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Ebooks, Suspense, Adult

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2018

About the author

Kirk Kjeldsen received an MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He is currently a senior lecturer at Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Filmowa, Telewizyjna i Teatralna im. Leona Schillera (the National Film School in Łódź). He was a staff and freelance reporter for a number of newspapers and magazines, and his first novel, Tomorrow City, was published by Signal 8 Press in 2013. His novel The Depths was included in the New Jersey Star-Ledger's 10 Best Books of 2018 list and was nominated for the 2019 Library of Virginia Literary Awards, and his novel East was nominated for the Dzanc Prize for Fiction. He also wrote and produced the film Gavagai, which was included in the The New Yorker's and the Los Angeles Times' “Best of 2018” lists. He currently lives in Germany with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Grenzland Press for sending me this e ARC. Eden and Marah Lenaerts go to the Malaysian part of Borneo for some diving in a pristine environment with lots of wildlife. Then it all goes wrong. They are kidnapped by 4 men armed with M16s. They demand that Marah make a phone call for ransom money.
I would call this a thriller/mystery in that you know who most of the bad guys are. The author drops clues to the identity of the other and I suspected who it was, but there are no spoilers in this review. I liked the ending and the author's description of the sights, sounds and smells of the jungle.

One quote on sunrise: "Fingers of soft light soon reached down through the thick canopy of the trees, illuminating the darkest reaches of the jungle. The warmth of the sun slowly urged out the delicate scents of the wild coronitas, the moon orchids, and the sampaguita flowers, chasing the nighttime odors of wet, dead leaves, standing water, and the giant Rafflesia flowers that smelled like rotting corpses."

[Don Gerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, author Kirk Kjeldsen takes an ordinary person, thrusts her into an incredibly stressful situation, and then allows us to experience what happens next. In “The Depths,” Marah and her husband Eden are kidnapped during their vacation. Readers are along for the ride as Marah relates her fears, struggles, and regrets. Mr. Kjeldsen burrows deep into Marah’s thoughts, granting an intimate review of her past life as well as her perceptions of what is occurring, meshing everything with the anxiety that has become a constant companion.

The story begins on an idyllic note, burdened only by the bothersome thoughts that Marah insists on carrying. The author artfully foreshadows the future in the early chapters before the surprise and horror of the kidnapping envelopes Eden and Marah. The nightmare worsens as the story progresses, and the possibility of surviving their ordeal becomes more remote. While it is a challenge to show deep characterizations in a first-person novel, there are enough differences to enable each of their captors to have separate personalities.

Overall, this is a quick, enveloping read that pulls you into the story and never allows you to stop reading (I finished it in a single sitting). Five stars.

My thanks to the author for an advance complimentary copy of this book.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Granted I’m not much of a traveler, outside of the armchair traveling books afford, but still, never quite understood the appeal of third world vacation destinations. In fact, if it seems dangerous and statistically speaking is dangerous, then it probably is…very. High poverty rates, high crime rates…but what…the nature’s pretty? Seriously? You’d think rule of thumb would be if you can’t safely drink the water and (for a woman) safely walk in public not completely swathed in fabric then maybe that’s a pass? But no, Marah follows her man, Eden, to what turns out to be a distinctly not Edenic vacation in Malaysia. And then they get kidnapped and held for ransom. Well, at least when the push comes to shove, Marah takes charge and then seems there’s nothing she won’t do to get free…or have a baby for that matter. That’s Marah’s main driving force throughout the book, she’s a character completely driven and half deafened by her increasingly loud biological clock, which results in some seriously questionable decisions. But aside from that, it’s a very decently written book, pretty entertaining and such a quick read (only 165 minutes), there are some thrilling elements, a sprinkling of suspense and even a twist. The best thing about it might be the vivid descriptions of Malaysian nature and climate, which makes for an immersive atmospheric read, but this isn’t the book that would make the readers jump online to immediately plan an actual trip, unless one was to defenestrate all caution. Fun enough of a book plus the opportunity to use the word defenestrate in public alone is totally worth it, totally.

[Ken Fredette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read "Land of the Hidden Fires" and now "The Depths" and seem to like the style that Kirk writes in. He makes everyone seem at ease, when they are living there lives prior to being kidnapped. Then when they are kidnapped they are treated similarly by being beat up, all being a ruse. Marah seems to have finally gotten herself together and finally figures out that this ruse was planned by her husband, Eden when she see's him coming out of a hut drinking bottled water with no guards or chains hindering him. You keep rooting for Marah not to give in and die.

I think that Kirk all along planned that Marah would survive and conquer her fears. Plus. there was the special ending that was why they decided they needed a vacation. I would recommend this book to read by everyone. Kirk is a author who has lived in the U.S.A., and Germany and puts this to good use.

[Juney B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read about the author’s last book in the New Jersey Star-Ledger’s “Best Books of 2017” list, so when I saw this on NetGalley, I requested it. It’s a great read, very cinematic and full of suspense, and Marah is a complex protagonist.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this was a very interesting, fast-moving book. The author does an excellent job of getting into the main character's head and giving us a lot of detail about her experiences. Quite honestly, I had assumed this book was written by a woman because the author did such a great job of capturing her voice. Having had panic attacks before, I also thought he totally captured what those are like and how challenging they are to control.

For me, the characters in this story, the beautifully written descriptions, and the opening and closing of this book (which follows a truly WTF? twist that totally caught me by surprise--and I mean that in the best possible way) are the strongest sections of this book. Unfortunately, for me, things lagged a bit in the middle. The multiple trips to shore felt a bit repetitive (too many descriptions of of counting in her head, banging her head, feeling hot, and panicking.)

A few other things I was less than in love with were our hero's truly epic knowledge all animal species-both underwater and on land (Really? Are there no animals she does not know the name for on this deserted island?) the book's title and cover (which seemed to not ultimately match the story I read) and our hero's actions at the end of the book (she makes a decision--and later reverses it-- which seemed really out of character to me.) But these are ultimately small quibbles that are a matter of preference than skill.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I read and reviewed Land of Hidden Fires, by this author and absolutely loved it, so when I was invited to read this, by the publisher via NetGalley, I didn’t hesitate. This is a beaut read. Realistic, dramatic and very scary.
Marah and Eden work in Shanghai after moving there when Eden got offered a promotion in the bank where he worked. But it brought with it some emotional problems when Marah miscarried three times in as many years. Now she suffers with depression with no family near at hand to support her, so Eden takes her on a surprise holiday to Malaysia. When the couple are diving off the coast they surface to find terrorists waiting for them and are taken hostage to an Island and held for ransom.
Whoa, these fellows really mean business as the couple face horrific physical and mental abuse. Living tied up outside in the jungle exposed to the elements, they are starved and humiliated daily and forced to give the terrorist details of how to contact their families back home. The couple have gone from living accustomed to quite a comfortable life style to survival mode.
This is a gripping story with such vivid descriptions that heighten every sense you have. The worst of the horrors are yet to come as the tension rises further in the last few chapters. Brilliant story line that kept me spell bound. Highly recommended!

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Going into this book, from the first two chapters; I had high hopes for a mind blowing climax and turning point. I will say that the climax was surely out of the way sort of turn of events. Though the road to get to the climax felt very repetitive. I only managed to get through with the book because of the situation that the main character, Marah, was in with her husband Eden. Over all I will give this book a 3/5 just due to the repetitiveness nature of the events during the majority of the novel. Still worth a read to get your mind working.Kirk KjeldsenThe Depths

[Kathy Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Depths is a riveting story written by Kirk Kjeldsen once again. This time we find ourselves in Malaysia and the main characters intensely carry you along in the suspense of their kidnapping. Kjeldsen’s style is lean at the same time as descriptive – balancing it very gracefully. Marah and Eden were subjected to dreadful conditions and she was able to draw upon poetry, prayer and counting to allay her fears. And, the author, alluding to the “motivations of her husband” on his back cover set us up for a peripeteia and an ending not to be missed.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

GNab I thoroughly enjoy the way Kirk Kjeldsen's mind works. The Depths is another excellent who-done-it from this author, this one in modern times, set in the Mindanao Island Group - over a thousand islands in the chain, which covers forty thousand square miles of Pacific Ocean. Eden Lenaerts and his wife Marah are taking a mental health vacation from their home in Shanghai's Min Hang district after Marah's third miscarriage. Things aren't going all that well for Eden at work, either, as the economy hits another long downward spiral.

Marah is very sure her mental health would be happier with a trip home to New York to see her mom, or if it must be Malaysia then a 5 star western hotel with all the bells and whistles. Eden wants them to do some diving though, and he has made arrangements to lease a private beachfront villa complete with a motor boat in a small village between Semporna and Kunak, Malaysia and has maps featuring great diving locations within range of the villa.

Very shortly, the trip will turn into a nightmare, detrimental to both Eden and Marah's mental health. But the word pictures of the beauty of this varied group of Islands, the songs of life all around from birds to insects to primates, the shushing of the tides, the stars at night - all tend to downplay the angst that Marah and Eden are dealing with - or balance out the angst in my mind, anyway. Poor Marah.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Kirk Kjeldsen, and Grenzland Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. Kirk Kjeldsen is a writer to watch for.

pub date May 31, ,2018
Grenzland Press

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Grenzland Press for the eARC.
Marah and Eden Lenaerts are on vacation in Malaysia. Marah has just suffered her third miscarriage and is inconsolable and Eden felt the trip might assuage her grief a little. She is suffering from panic attacks as well; her emotions are shattered.
While on a deep-sea dive, they are kidnapped and life turns into a nightmare.
I read and enjoyed Kirk Jeldsen's Hidden Fires, he's a terrific writer so I was looking forward to reading The Depths. To my disappointment I couldn't get invested in the story and flipped through the pages to the end. The story didn't appeal to me and neither did the characters.

[Kimberly Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A holiday gone wrong, and every traveler’s worst nightmare when a couple is kidnapped while on vacation in Malaysia. Kirk Kjeldsen delivers in The Depths — a tense and action-packed story that seems built for the big screen. Breathless suspense!

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Who were you? And how could I have been so blind?’

Kirk Kjeldsen simply has it! Having worked through the hoops of preparation - an MFA from USC and serving as an assistant professor of cinematic arts at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts - Kirk lived in Shanghai, taught at Fudan University in Shanghai, the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin, and the Polish National Film School in Łódź. He adapted the poetry of Yarjei Vesaas into a feature film, and has a résumé that reads like an actor's tryout for heavy movie roles. His previous novel LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES was listed as one of the ten best books of 2017 by the New Jersey Star-Ledger. He now lives Essen, Germany with his family.

But to have all that background and then come to the literary table with a third novel THE DEPTHS (his other novels being TOMORROW CITY and LAND OF HIDDEN FIRES) he has become well established as a novelist of the first rank. His use of language is so appropriate and filtered free of extraneous clutter that the reader soon understands that to lose attention for a moment on a page will be like falling off a cliff!

Kirk’s poetic fluid style deserves an example for those new to his gifts: ‘The fog appeared after they passed over Mount Kinabalu. At first, it looked like a tuft of dirty cotton. Then it looked like a spreading ink stain. Before long, it filled the horizon. It rolled over them like a slow, gray wave, swallowing them whole.’ Eloquent writing, conjuring the atmosphere for his new book.

In this novel Kirk covers the experiences of a strained expat couple that gets taken hostage while vacationing in Malaysia. As Kurt summarizes the plot, we read ‘After trailing spouse Marah Lenaerts suffers her third miscarriage in as many years, her husband Eden surprises her with a vacation to Malaysia, hoping it will lift her spirits. And it does, as they enjoy trading the bustle of their Shanghai life behind for the idyllic tropical paradise. But while on a diving excursion, they're taken hostage by a group of terrorists, who take them to a remote island and hold them there for ransom. The longer that time drags on, though, the more doubts Marah begins to have about their captors' true motivations.’

Kirk’s ability to use this richly colorful atmosphere to brew a tale of terror and mystery is equal to the finest authors. He steadily climbs toward the top of the list of important contemporary writers. Highly recommended.

[Diana Kingsbury · Rating 2 out of 5]

The basic plot has promise: young(ish) married couple goes on vacay on a remote Malaysian island, in hopes of repairing and rekindling their floundering relationship… only to find themselves kidnapped and carted off to the jungle by a band of pirates. Not inherently original, but surely the sort of action/psychological-terror vehicle to provide ample—and satisfactory—escapim, right?

Unfortunately, not so much; despite having the makings of a suspenseful low-budget movie, the premise of Kirk Kjeldsen’s The Depths is far better than its execution.

How does it all go so wrong, then? Believe it or not, even at a miniscule print length of 143 pages (listed as a “novel”, by the way, though to me it would be more-aptly described as a “novelette”)—the very definition of “tight” writing and editing(!!)—The Depths still feels a good (or bad, yeesh) 90 pages longer than it needs to be. (Yes, really.)

The problem, in all those excess pages, is that very little ever actually happens… and the space in between—where you’d expect to feel the psychological terror the couple is going through—becomes excrutiatingly repetitive, very quickly. If Kjeldsen had given them more to think about, so that we really learned about the characters (and could genuinely feel their plight), this could’ve been a compelling little read, but instead, they come across as thin, cardboard creations with little connection to the reader.

The only good thing is that I didn’t immediately figure out what was going on, so… I guess that’s something, right? (The biggest mystery to me is actualy the amount of professional praise this has received via the editorial reviews. I feel like there’s no way any of them could’ve read the same story I did..!)

Bottom line: The Depths is woefully misnamed, because this one-note wonder has very little depth, at all.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm very back and forth on this book. It was decently written and a quick read, but the first half of book didn't capture me as much as I wish it had. The twist near the end brought this book up a full star because even though I kind of figured what maaaaaaaay happen, I wasn't sure and was pleasantly surprised. It was well done and I appreciated the execution and conclusion. I also appreciated the nod to mental health and especially anxiety. Some of the scenes reminded me of panic attacks I've had and it was interesting to see what I've felt written on paper.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fast-reading, suspenseful book. Great descriptions of setting and local wildlife. All told from the POV of the female protagonist. I didn't even realize the author was male until I finished. I couldn't put it down, although I had a strong suspicion about the circumstances. But seeing how it all unfolded was fascinating.

[lynne cleverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a true page-turner story to the end.

The story really held my interest most of the way through. However, when Marah had to walk through the jungle, the stream and beach and back again, numerous times, my mind began to wander due to the repetition. But it never stopped me from wanting to get to the end. Great book. I highly recommend.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the style of the author and the way he described the settings of his book. I liked Marah, however, I thin we should've met more about Eden. Just a little.
The best part of this book is the plottwist, which by itself is weird and not at all predictable.
The ending however made me a little mad because the decision she almost makes goes against everything she believed in.

[Linette-Jean Gauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected read!

This was a good book and I enjoyed it though it was not what I had expected. A couple of what I would term rookie mistakes: an overuse of "that", and myriad needs nothing before or after as "a myriad of", myriad mistakes would be sufficient. There was a nice twist toward the end which I liked.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very scary short novel, about the worst kind of monster: human beings. After suffering yet another miscarriage, Marah lets her husband Eden whisk her away to go diving in Malaysia. She is not convinced but, as usual, she gives in. Just as she's starting to relax, they get kidnapped by pirates and taken to a deserted island. This is a story we've heard before, usually from the point of view of the people trying to rescue the hostages. This time, we are seeing everything just as Marah does. She is a hostage. She knows nothing: not where she is, not what the bad guys are saying in their native language, not when she will be shot, get to eat, drink water or go to the bathroom. She thinks of her life, which now seems ridiculous. Before, she practiced Hot Yoga to lose her swollen belly. Now, she eats rotten fruit and drinks dirty water that she knows will make her sick. If this makes the plot sound slow, it isn't. There is psychological horror, torture and a few twists that made me gasp. But it's Marah's transformation from insecure, needy wife into a jungle version of Ellen Ripley that kept my pulse raising.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Grenzland Press!

[Pj Gamm · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much repetitiveness in this book. I lost track of how many times the phrase 'Before she could finish...' made an appearance; at least once a chapter. There was a lot of effort spent on describing the jungle, but little in plot advancement. The story seemed to me to be: grab Marah, toss her in the boat, describe uncomfortable boat ride, make her phone the states, toss her back in the boat, describe uncomfortable boat ride, tie her up again, and repeat the next day. By the second half of the book I skimmed much of it, because there was nothing new. The book reads like an editor never glanced at it to realize how much repetitiveness was in this book.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists

Oh tangled web we weave, this novel is an interesting tale hijacking and kidnapping and what happens when a determined young woman is able to thwart the evil doers. The book explores in the waters of the far east how a determined person can understand what is happening and respond in an unusual but totally appropriate way. This book is certainly worth the time it takes to read; good character development throughout!

[Michael W Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ending

For me most of this story was slow going until Maraha took things into her own hands. Totally was not expecting her husband to have been behind the kidnapping. Or that she got pregnant and didn't loose it during all she went through, makes one wonder if she'll carry to full term or not ,if so did Eden somehow cause the previous miscarriages? Enjoyed last few chapters .

[Dan Krzyzkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirk Kjelden's third novel is a thrill-ride that will keep readers guessing. Marah and Eden Lenaerts' dream vacation to Malaysia takes a nightmare turn when the married couple is kidnapped and dragged to a jungle island, where they are held for ransom. The kidnappers' goal is to extract two million dollars from Marah's wealthy stepfather.

As with Mr. Kjeldsen's previous novels, "The Depths" is set in a foreign country (outside the U.S.). The author describes local settings with the assurance of one who has traveled to such places. His grasp of endemic flora and fauna is impressive, to say the least. One of Mr. Kjeldsen's great talents is utilizing local wildlife to help set a scene. He opens Chapter 9 with the following paragraph:


"At night, the jungle came alive again with a myriad of sounds. Primates chattered high up in the trees; birds cried out in the darkness, sometimes answered by others, and sometimes not. A flying fox screeched past overhead and went crashing through the foliage, grabbing for low-hanging fruit with its clawed thumbs. Beneath it all, a constant chittering of centipedes, roaches, and other insects scratched away like the string section of an orchestra."


The story is narrated in a third-person limited point-of-view. It is Marah's story, and the reader stays on her shoulder throughout. Marah is a perpetually anxious and often unconfident woman who has suffered several miscarriages. Her marriage to Eden is stable, at best, though it is clear the honeymoon is well over. Marah has lived a life fettered in shackles of doubt, and many readers will identify with her daily self-esteem struggles. A portion of her crippling self-doubt stems from a strained childhood relationship with her mother, but the majority is a direct result of her inability to have a child. And so "The Depths," really, is not only a story of a man and woman being held hostage; it is that of a woman who has been a hostage for most of her life, and in one of the worst places--her own mind. In order to free herself from a life or death situation on a jungle island in the middle of nowhere, Marah must first scratch and claw her way out of her own self-made prison, and become the capable, confident woman she has long desired to be. Her will to survive, she'll discover, is a lot stronger than she ever thought.

I won't tell you what happens on that deserted jungle island, but I'll say this: a lot can happen in the middle of nowhere. Read "The Depths," by Kirk Kjeldsen.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marah Lenaerts (NYU; art history, English) just had her 3rd miscarriage.
Eden Lenaerts (Belgian, husband) & her are going to Semporna, Malaysia for a well-deserved vacation.
Hish (driver) drove the couple to Kunak.
The villa wasn’t exactly a 4 * hotel.
It was down to the beach for a little smoozing, why not & sex.
Eden rented a boat & the 2 of them were going site-seeing.

A little deep-sea diving to top it off.
When they docked it was not a warm welcome.
They were taken hostage.
They both were told to get naked.
Taken to an island the jungle became alive with all kinds of new sights/sounds.
Wahab, Mustafa, Flaco (teen), & Abu Tuan were the kidnappers.
Abu Tuan was taking Marah somewhere else.
Back on land Abu Tuan shoved her into the car trunk.
Of course, they wanted ransom money.
Marah Matthews watched as Wahab, Mustafa, & Abu Tuan dragged Eden then cuffed & smashed his head into the tree again/again.
Sydney could not have children, so she adopted a Chinese girl.
What will happen to Marah or Eden?

Warning: This book contains extremely graphic adult content, violence, or expletive language &/or uncensored sexually explicit material which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive or have potential adverse psychological effects on the reader.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written thriller book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great thriller movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; DailyFreeBooks; Grenzland Press Amazon Digital Services LLC.; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes! I just finished this and I’m breathless....as if I’ve just survived a horrifying experience in an exotic locale...all from the comfort of my sofa. The suspense was so intense that I had to keep reminding myself to breathe. And my dog is peeved at me since I ignored his pawing at me for hours while I was glued to the pages.

If you like thrillers, you will love this. Set mostly in the wilds of Malaysia, the story taps into that universal fear of being lost and in trouble in a strange place. A young couple, Marah and Edan, sets out on an adventurous trip that takes an unexpected and frightening turn.

The pacing is fast and the plot tight and riveting. The descriptions are unbelievably realistic with all the senses involved. I saw the crystal clear blue water, heard the sound of a screwdriver rolling back and forth on the bottom of the boat, felt the ties cutting into my wrists, tasted blood on the hood over my head, endured the pain of being in a cramped position for days, smelled the dirty water sloshing around in the bottom of the boat, and experienced the terror of being hunted.

It’s obvious that the author has spent considerable time in this locale. The juxtaposition of the beauty of this area with the terrible things that happened there adds to the realism. The beauty of the warm turquoise water and blue sky, the many unusual sounds of jungle birds and animals, and the white sand beaches, are contrasted with the cruelty of some of the characters, the physical and emotional pain the couple endured, and the terror of being completely vulnerable.

Marah, The protagonist, a passive, timid person when they arrive in Malaysia, develops an appreciation of her true nature through this difficult ordeal. Her developing strength and courage is an underlying current throughout the book.

I highly recommend this extraordinary book and look forward to reading more from this talented author.

Note: I received an advance copy of the ebook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Jo | Booklover Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Having enjoyed Kirk Kjeldsen’s second novel, a taut historical thriller Land of Hidden Fires , I was keen to experience his latest offering The Depths .

What I find refreshing about Kjeldsen’s writing is his no-nonsense approach, the immediacy and directness of his prose. This is an author that really values a reader’s time and writes with their experience front of mind. That’s not to say The Depths prose is spare, quite the opposite in fact — the word selection simply judicious. Kjeldsen displays a real talent for swiftly encapsulating the mood between characters with evocative metaphor and simile. Read full review >>

[C.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title a bit deceiving - ok adventure

"The Depths" begins with a troubled couple set to enjoy a vacation in Malaysia going diving... so, you might assume that the story is about that. I suppose you could go the analytical route and say Kjeldsen meant, 'to what depths would a person go?' when confronted with being taken hostage and a myriad of fear-inducing incidents, however. For me, the third time one of the main characters was described as hitting their head as a boat hit a trough as they lay under a blue tarp was pretty much where I decided the book was worth three stars (it's not very long, either) and was glad I read it as a freebie. It just wasn't scary and was too predictable. Okay. Not great.

[Irene Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free advance e-copy of this book and have chosen to write an honest and unbiased review. I have no personal affiliation with the author. Wow! Couldn’t put it down. The action and suspense never quits. What starts out as a wonderful vacation in paradise suddenly goes awry as Marah and Eden are kidnapped for ransom and taken to a remote island in a Malaysia. Are these terrorists, pirates, or what? Marah finally senses that something isn’t quite right. Everything is a little off. Will anyone get out of there alive? Full of unexpected twists and turns. This book is well worth the read and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[Shannon Christner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. It started off with such promise. Marah and her husband Eden are going on a diving trip. To supppsedly heal after her latest miscarriage. I enjoyed that the story was written in this part of the world (Malaysia) and the one dive they went on before all hell breaks loose. After that it’s like the author asked his child to finish writing the story. So predictable and so thin. So very repetitive. And the ending? Of course.... I hate to leave bad reviews but this was not for me.