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Below Deck: Hell or High Water
It costs more than some people's houses to charter one of these super yachts. The guests expect nothing but the The best service, the best food, the best excursions and the best time. They expect the trip of a life-time and Captain Lee and his team will do anything they can to ensure they get it too.
When the guests leave, they do so with a big smile on their faces and a promise that - one day - they will return and charter the yacht again. Better yet, they leave a big tip for the captain and his team... At no stage do they realise that, for most of the meals they've been eating, they have been feasting upon the crew's favourite snack, human meat...
If only they knew what really went on Below Deck!
When the guests leave, they do so with a big smile on their faces and a promise that - one day - they will return and charter the yacht again. Better yet, they leave a big tip for the captain and his team... At no stage do they realise that, for most of the meals they've been eating, they have been feasting upon the crew's favourite snack, human meat...
If only they knew what really went on Below Deck!
129 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2021
90 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Matt Shaw
529 books2,193 followersBiography
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
MATT SHAW was born, quite by accident (his mother tripped, he shot out) September 30th 1980 in Winchester hospital where he was immediately placed on the baby ward and EBay. Some twelve years later (wandering the corridors of the hospital and playing with road kill when he was on day release), the listing closed and he remained unsold, he was booted out of the hospital to start his life as a writer and hobbit – beginning with writing screenplays and short stories for his own amusement before finally getting published when he was twenty-seven years and forty-five seconds old.
Once Published weekly in a lad's magazine with his photography work, Matt Shaw is also a published author and cartoonist. Has to be said, can be a bit of a flirt and definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, somewhat of a klutz.
Favourite books
"Roald Dahl's Collection of Short Stories"
Tim Burton's Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy
Anything, really, written by himself. Because he is that good.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 21, 2025
Ok, so I finished this while I ate dinner. Somehow it made my dinner seem more appealing. Is that bad? Anyway, so I loved the concept for the book and thought everything had sufficient backstory and development. It does go back and forth from past to present fairly often, which broke up the story, but I understand why Shaw did this. I feel like it would have been better done as maybe a single elongated chapter before the finale to explain how things came to be. It would have just had a better flow to it. And on the finale, I didn’t feel like the sexual assault needed to happen. It just seemed really unnecessary and could have been strongly hinted at, having the desired effect, without anything physically occurring. The violence was all tastefully (Have you gotten the gist of this book yet?) done and it made me have a very frank conversation with my wife, too. I suggested that if chickens ruled the earth, how would they prepare human meat? Don’t tell me that you’ve never thought of it. She told me that I was strange and needed to keep ideas like that on paper, not for anniversary dinner conversation. I feel like she’s being shortsighted, but I’ll respect her boundaries. Otherwise, for all you meatlovers and gore hounds out there, you should read this book immediately, and on an empty stomach to get the full effect.
January 6, 2022
I would like to think, if stuck in this type of situation, I would not eat another human being. I would hope my moral compass would make me fling myself off the boat and drown first. Matt Shaw brings us a delicious book on the benefits of cannibalism while on a super yacht. Where the crew is the on the menu at any given moment. While the guests play, the cook is whipping up fresh kidneys in the gallery. I enjoyed my time at sea. Still claiming I wouldn't eat another human being....
😻😻😻😻
😻😻😻😻
September 18, 2022
I'm generally a fan of Matt Shaw but admit to being a little underwhelmed with this offering. Early on we're given the back story as to why the crew turned to cannibalism but the plot doesn't develop much from there. A lot of the writing felt repetitive, covering the same old ground. We're given a glimpse into Coleen's history but then nothing on the other characters, which felt odd as she doesn't really play much of a role. I would rather have learned more about Jamie's background. The ending promised to add a little spice but again took a direction I wasn't keen on. That being said, this wasn't terrible and helped distract me from the training I'm currently undergoing for the London Marathon which is far more horrific!
October 16, 2021
I am a reality TV junkie so I thought the plot of this story was pretty interesting, the show, however, has considerably less cannibalism. This was a really quick read and Matt Shaw’s stories are a little kooky, a little weird, with interesting plots. I think you’d enjoy this story even never having seen below deck the show, but having seen the show it definitely added to the reading experience.
September 17, 2021
When faced with the choice of either starving or eating human meat, what would I choose? In honestly can't answer that, but a part of me thinks that survival instinct would kick in and I'd eat human flesh. My next question is, how would a group of people react to the same question. Once again, I honestly just don't know. Cannibals are always fun reads. However, I really feel like I missed something. SPOIlERS BELOw
Was there some sort of supernatural presence that got them lost at sea? Why did they feel better eating the meat?
Was there some sort of supernatural presence that got them lost at sea? Why did they feel better eating the meat?
June 10, 2022
This was definitely a twisted, gross, and imaginative high seas tale! I was also left with a bit of a mystery at the end, and an end that could be a new beginning...hmm.
March 1, 2022
Exactly like the reality tv show but with slightly less cannibalism and horrific violence. I enjoyed myself
November 17, 2021
Cool story!!! Has a ton of story line for a Matt Shaw book and is long in comparison to his other short stories. Not as extreme S his other books but this one is a good solid read from him.
July 17, 2021
Chartered Cannibals!
As per usual, when you pick up a Matt Shaw title, this was a blast. I don’t know how he manages to be so prolific and entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, his books will never win awards, but they are totally a guilty pleasure. He always
finds a way to use the typical horror tropes, give them a unique spin, add some colourful characters, and take them to hell and back. There is always some dark humour intermixed with wickedly brutal and disgusting scenes. Matt Shaw certainly doesn’t write for the weak hearted. I am looking forward to reading the next chapter of Below Deck and what becomes of this cannibal crew of miscreants. I am also hoping that Matt gives us some back story on where the “Storm of the Century” came from.
As per usual, when you pick up a Matt Shaw title, this was a blast. I don’t know how he manages to be so prolific and entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, his books will never win awards, but they are totally a guilty pleasure. He always
finds a way to use the typical horror tropes, give them a unique spin, add some colourful characters, and take them to hell and back. There is always some dark humour intermixed with wickedly brutal and disgusting scenes. Matt Shaw certainly doesn’t write for the weak hearted. I am looking forward to reading the next chapter of Below Deck and what becomes of this cannibal crew of miscreants. I am also hoping that Matt gives us some back story on where the “Storm of the Century” came from.
October 17, 2021
A swift little gem of a book where we find ourselves on a yacht catering to the rich on short stay all inclusive pamper cruises. Guests are waited on hand and foot with some very special food on offer unbeknownst to the guests! A belter from Mr Shaw.
July 5, 2021
Good read
Matt Shaw always delivers a gory story. I've read several of his books, and they are enjoyably gross to read.
Matt Shaw always delivers a gory story. I've read several of his books, and they are enjoyably gross to read.
August 5, 2021
3.5
Considering the scathing review of the last (and I thought would be my only) Matt Shaw book, this one came up on recommended reading for Kindle Unlimited and sounded… okay.
And that’s all it really turned out to be. The story (and writing) was much much better than the last one. I honestly would have given it 4 stars if it weren’t for the stupid things the guests (the men) on the yacht kept saying. I’ve met some pretty insufferable men in my life, but these idiots just completely take the cake. They kept saying unrealistic things and all it did was detract from the story.
Considering the scathing review of the last (and I thought would be my only) Matt Shaw book, this one came up on recommended reading for Kindle Unlimited and sounded… okay.
And that’s all it really turned out to be. The story (and writing) was much much better than the last one. I honestly would have given it 4 stars if it weren’t for the stupid things the guests (the men) on the yacht kept saying. I’ve met some pretty insufferable men in my life, but these idiots just completely take the cake. They kept saying unrealistic things and all it did was detract from the story.
August 30, 2021
What can I say
But I'm never going on a cruise never ever ever
A Carter ship is stuck in a storm for a number of weeks and the crew turn to cannabileism to surive but turns out the storm wasn't what they thought
Do the crew stay flesh eaters and what about the passengers? Read and find out
But I'm never going on a cruise never ever ever
A Carter ship is stuck in a storm for a number of weeks and the crew turn to cannabileism to surive but turns out the storm wasn't what they thought
Do the crew stay flesh eaters and what about the passengers? Read and find out
October 10, 2022
lazyyy, no payoff
I’ve read quite a few of Matt Shaw’s books, so I already know that his characters are mostly 1 dimensional and are usually not even necessary. This one has a couple characters who were more fleshed out than usual, but not due to any effort on the author’s part.
I downloaded Shaw’s Mariana Trench and Below Deck. They happen to be related, which I didn’t know at first, I was just looking for ocean horror. With Below Deck I admit that I had a giggle and thought it was funny that it had the same name as the tv show. Little did I know that it’s just a lazily done fanfic of that show. And it’s not just the title— the characters are named after real life people, even a lot of the dialogue and boat dramas can be traced back to the show. So the characters are a little more dimensional than his usual, but only because it’s copied from the show. If you want the gist of the book without reading it, it’s Below Deck: Mediterranean, but make it cannibals. Which isn’t an inherently bad concept, but it really didn’t go anywhere. Claustrophobic spaces like those on a yacht? Great. Cannibals on said yacht? Even better. Getting caught in a storm that a) turned out to not be reported by anyone other than them, and that b) seemed to enclose them in some kind of rift where 2 days of real world time felt like weeks to the crew? Stunning. Why does the author never expand on anything though?
As some other reviewers already mentioned, there’s not really any explanation on why any of this is happening within this book. I think this was written before Mariana Trench, so I’m not sure if the author initially intended it to be explained by that novel or if the author forced it in there to give it some sort of explanation. Honestly I’m probably giving it more thought than the author ever did. But in Mariana Trench it’s shown that this yacht was caught up in demon juice that seeps out of hell. In Below Deck there’s a lot of references to the crew members having black eyes and being demonic, but they’re remarkably in control of themselves for being demon possessed. I get disappointed when something like demonic forces are included in a story and it barely makes a difference. It looks like most readers hadn’t a clue what was going on in this book, and that’s with the author saying the characters looked demonic. Why? Because he tells and doesn’t show, and there’s no indicators that it’s demons except him straight up telling us, but because there’s nothing remarkable happening I think it’s easy to assume he’s being metaphorical rather than literal about the demon thing. The crew just developed a taste for long pig, but other than that they’re fine and don’t seem very possessed.
Maybe I’m nitpicking here, but something else that bothered me was how much they threw away. For being always hungry for human and constantly talking about how hard it is to source that particular meat without going to jail (why are demons so afraid of earthly consequences?), they throw a lot of it overboard. Why aren’t they making soup with the bones? Or fancy roasted marrow? Come on, Chef Ben.
The gore in this is fine, not great or particularly detailed, plus it didn’t make sense a lot of the time. They’re trying not to get blood on the woodwork in the yacht so the owners don’t freak out, yet bashing heads in with a hammer is Ben’s preferred method of slaughter? Okay. There’s the usual sloppy writing in this, we get exposition about characters and situations that aren’t being followed at the time and aren’t even in the frame of the scene, so we’re just told a lot of information that we shouldn’t have known based on the perspective because the author is too lazy to write a full length novel or set up scenes and characters to actually build suspense and plot points. There are grammatical errors, quite a few unnecessary commas, missing words, incorrectly used words, etc. All his books that I’ve read are plagued by issues that a round or two of editing could have taken care of. I’m so keen on enjoying his books, and this one could have been much better, but he didn’t even try to present it as a polished, finished piece, much less a coherent one.
I’ve read quite a few of Matt Shaw’s books, so I already know that his characters are mostly 1 dimensional and are usually not even necessary. This one has a couple characters who were more fleshed out than usual, but not due to any effort on the author’s part.
I downloaded Shaw’s Mariana Trench and Below Deck. They happen to be related, which I didn’t know at first, I was just looking for ocean horror. With Below Deck I admit that I had a giggle and thought it was funny that it had the same name as the tv show. Little did I know that it’s just a lazily done fanfic of that show. And it’s not just the title— the characters are named after real life people, even a lot of the dialogue and boat dramas can be traced back to the show. So the characters are a little more dimensional than his usual, but only because it’s copied from the show. If you want the gist of the book without reading it, it’s Below Deck: Mediterranean, but make it cannibals. Which isn’t an inherently bad concept, but it really didn’t go anywhere. Claustrophobic spaces like those on a yacht? Great. Cannibals on said yacht? Even better. Getting caught in a storm that a) turned out to not be reported by anyone other than them, and that b) seemed to enclose them in some kind of rift where 2 days of real world time felt like weeks to the crew? Stunning. Why does the author never expand on anything though?
As some other reviewers already mentioned, there’s not really any explanation on why any of this is happening within this book. I think this was written before Mariana Trench, so I’m not sure if the author initially intended it to be explained by that novel or if the author forced it in there to give it some sort of explanation. Honestly I’m probably giving it more thought than the author ever did. But in Mariana Trench it’s shown that this yacht was caught up in demon juice that seeps out of hell. In Below Deck there’s a lot of references to the crew members having black eyes and being demonic, but they’re remarkably in control of themselves for being demon possessed. I get disappointed when something like demonic forces are included in a story and it barely makes a difference. It looks like most readers hadn’t a clue what was going on in this book, and that’s with the author saying the characters looked demonic. Why? Because he tells and doesn’t show, and there’s no indicators that it’s demons except him straight up telling us, but because there’s nothing remarkable happening I think it’s easy to assume he’s being metaphorical rather than literal about the demon thing. The crew just developed a taste for long pig, but other than that they’re fine and don’t seem very possessed.
Maybe I’m nitpicking here, but something else that bothered me was how much they threw away. For being always hungry for human and constantly talking about how hard it is to source that particular meat without going to jail (why are demons so afraid of earthly consequences?), they throw a lot of it overboard. Why aren’t they making soup with the bones? Or fancy roasted marrow? Come on, Chef Ben.
The gore in this is fine, not great or particularly detailed, plus it didn’t make sense a lot of the time. They’re trying not to get blood on the woodwork in the yacht so the owners don’t freak out, yet bashing heads in with a hammer is Ben’s preferred method of slaughter? Okay. There’s the usual sloppy writing in this, we get exposition about characters and situations that aren’t being followed at the time and aren’t even in the frame of the scene, so we’re just told a lot of information that we shouldn’t have known based on the perspective because the author is too lazy to write a full length novel or set up scenes and characters to actually build suspense and plot points. There are grammatical errors, quite a few unnecessary commas, missing words, incorrectly used words, etc. All his books that I’ve read are plagued by issues that a round or two of editing could have taken care of. I’m so keen on enjoying his books, and this one could have been much better, but he didn’t even try to present it as a polished, finished piece, much less a coherent one.
September 3, 2021
"Below Deck" by Matt Shaw
💥Proceed with caution in regards to this read as it is an extreme horror novella and NOT for the faint of heart💥
What a terribly delicious story! This ghoulish and disturbing read was a great way to kick off the start of this fall feeling weather here in my hometown.
If you're already a Shaw fan then you're in for a treat 😉 🤣 If you aren't, this is a great story to start with!
To describe the story the way I usually review would ruin the surprise so I recommend you trust me and go in blind but I will say I hope you enjoy the alternating points of view and time lines as much as I did! This story wasn't at all what I was expecting! 4 🌟's!
💥Proceed with caution in regards to this read as it is an extreme horror novella and NOT for the faint of heart💥
What a terribly delicious story! This ghoulish and disturbing read was a great way to kick off the start of this fall feeling weather here in my hometown.
If you're already a Shaw fan then you're in for a treat 😉 🤣 If you aren't, this is a great story to start with!
To describe the story the way I usually review would ruin the surprise so I recommend you trust me and go in blind but I will say I hope you enjoy the alternating points of view and time lines as much as I did! This story wasn't at all what I was expecting! 4 🌟's!
August 26, 2021
The story held my attention, though not in a good way, rather more of a trainwreck way. It was short enough that I didn't really wand to DNF it, and I wanted to see what the shocking end would be. Well, it wasn't shocking so much as baffling, and the fact that NONE of the lingering questions from the story were answered left a sour taste in my mouth. Added to the numerous editorial errors has not made me want to pick up another Shaw story. This one was MORE than enough.
August 26, 2021
That was one hell of a cruise ship
Literally, it was. What happens when your stranded in a storm out on the ocean for who knows how long without a source of food? You have to think about saving your crew and sometimes that means serving up a fellow shipmate. That's how it starts, but is that where it ends? Does that hunger ever go away after you've made taken that first bite?
Probably my favorite from Matt Shaw so far.
Literally, it was. What happens when your stranded in a storm out on the ocean for who knows how long without a source of food? You have to think about saving your crew and sometimes that means serving up a fellow shipmate. That's how it starts, but is that where it ends? Does that hunger ever go away after you've made taken that first bite?
Probably my favorite from Matt Shaw so far.
October 16, 2021
Books about cannibalism are hard because once you get past the basic taboo, there’s not a lot of places to go. The characters in this book were not particularly interesting, and there weren’t a lot of reasons to care about anyone. There’s a lot of talk about eating human flesh, but the descriptions of the food lack any sort of specificity so that the reader is neither enticed or disgusted. Skip this and read “the happy man” by Eric Higgs.
March 5, 2023
strange
Super strange & at times a bit slow adaption of the reality show Below Deck. I could imagine that a version like this could exist but the story was so slow in parts and despite only being 129 pages, I found myself dragging through it hoping for more action which didn’t eventuate.
Super strange & at times a bit slow adaption of the reality show Below Deck. I could imagine that a version like this could exist but the story was so slow in parts and despite only being 129 pages, I found myself dragging through it hoping for more action which didn’t eventuate.
July 5, 2021
I almost never post ratings and reviews but this was everything I hoped it would be and more. I'm hoping for more or a sequel. Personally, I wasnt ready for it to end. If cannibals are your thing, this is 100% for you.
Read
July 7, 2021Matt does it again!!!!
This story was WILD but not unexpected coming from the mind of Shaw!!! As ALWAYS Matt doesn't disappoint!!! I DEFINITELY recommend this book to anyone who doesn't have a weak stomach!!!
This story was WILD but not unexpected coming from the mind of Shaw!!! As ALWAYS Matt doesn't disappoint!!! I DEFINITELY recommend this book to anyone who doesn't have a weak stomach!!!
July 29, 2021
Loved It
I chose this book because of the ratings and reviews. Very detailed descriptions of characters and acts. I pictured the cast from the series "Below Deck" as I was reading.
I chose this book because of the ratings and reviews. Very detailed descriptions of characters and acts. I pictured the cast from the series "Below Deck" as I was reading.
August 15, 2021
I watch the show
I absolutely loved this, so entertaining and could u just imagine this as a show. Anyways love Matt Shaw and all his books definitely worth a read anytime you won’t regret it
I absolutely loved this, so entertaining and could u just imagine this as a show. Anyways love Matt Shaw and all his books definitely worth a read anytime you won’t regret it
September 4, 2021
Great Book!
This book seemed a little different from the others. I love them all and this one did not disappoint. The characters were terrific and the ending, I did not expect. I loved it.
This book seemed a little different from the others. I love them all and this one did not disappoint. The characters were terrific and the ending, I did not expect. I loved it.
October 2, 2021
Good story idea but..
Too pulp trashy to be suspense not hardcore enough to be splatter punk. Not for those offended by every crude sexual slang term possible. Also not for those who hate a cool idea that goes no where.
Too pulp trashy to be suspense not hardcore enough to be splatter punk. Not for those offended by every crude sexual slang term possible. Also not for those who hate a cool idea that goes no where.
October 3, 2021
Never did I ever...
I have never read anything like this in my life. I don't think ill come back for more, but ill have to say, it was a real interesting concept. I'm rather speechless at the moment I don't know whether to congratulate or chastise myself for reading it lol.
I have never read anything like this in my life. I don't think ill come back for more, but ill have to say, it was a real interesting concept. I'm rather speechless at the moment I don't know whether to congratulate or chastise myself for reading it lol.
March 27, 2023
Below Deck: Hell Or High Water
One can certainly say this is an original. Not what I was expecting at all. You think you’ve sussed the story line out until it dramatically turns the other way! All I can say is if I wasn’t already a vegetarian, I would be now!!
One can certainly say this is an original. Not what I was expecting at all. You think you’ve sussed the story line out until it dramatically turns the other way! All I can say is if I wasn’t already a vegetarian, I would be now!!
November 12, 2024
What even was this?
The ending was truly something else.
0/10 wtf so bad ):
The ending was truly something else.
0/10 wtf so bad ):
July 3, 2021
BELOW DECK
I can’t get over the fact that the characters are “coincidently” named after people on a tv show. Wonderful idea and nicely done!
I can’t get over the fact that the characters are “coincidently” named after people on a tv show. Wonderful idea and nicely done!
August 7, 2021
Ghoulish but good
Wow I was not prepared for that.
This book was great.
The plot went to dark places and the characters fit in perfectly!
Wow I was not prepared for that.
This book was great.
The plot went to dark places and the characters fit in perfectly!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews