Under Bethel

by Hubert L. Mullins

Hundreds have disappeared into the Hole, a passageway hidden under the Highlands of Scotland. After years of ignored recovery wishes, the Hole’s ownership has passed to disgraced heiress Elisabeth Wingate.

Despite her scandalous past, Elisabeth yearns for redemption. Determined to make amends, she offers to finance an expedition to recover the bodies lost within the Hole. But there's one she insists on joining the caving team.

But they’re not alone down there . . .

Everything goes wrong in the darkness. Elisabeth is split from her group, thrust into a labyrinth of caverns and inexplicable chambers of carved stone. With dwindling supplies and failing light, she must escape the creatures hiding in the dark.
Before they claim another victim Under Bethel . . .

Mullins returns to dreadful horror in this tense, creepy, and atmospheric tale of the shadowy things that linger in the deepest chasms of the world . . .

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Mythology, Mystery

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2021

About the author

Hubert L. Mullins writes gripping tales of horror and survival that blend history, folklore, and the supernatural. His novels, including Blood & Salt and Under Bethel, immerse readers in worlds where myth and terror collide. When he isn’t writing, he’s exploring the darker corners of history to unearth the next chilling story.

Reviews

[Bookaholic__Reviews]

This was such an enjoyable audiobook. It's a super cool concept that is perfect for horror lovers and lovers of mythology.

I hate spiders and caves kind of freak me out, too. If you're like me, this book just might be the perfect nightmare fuel for you! Content aside, I really enjoyed listening to this book. And I am eager to read the second book.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Gergana]

DNF:70%
Pretty good, just not in the mood for it. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a horror book with a claustrophobic setting, spiders and Greek mythology!

Who is it about:
We follow Elisabeth, a former child star and owner of several successful brands. When she was still young and at the peak of her popularity, she accidentally killed someone while driving and being under the influence of alcohol and drugs. She served her time in jail, but she is still unable to get over her guilt. Until....

The Plot thickens
Elisabeth's father dies and she inherits a piece of land famous for its caves. Not because they are pretty and popular among spelunkers, but because whoever enters them never gets out. Seeing the number of professional cavers who are ready to go inside and retrieve the bodies of their relatives and friends, Elisabeth decides to not only allow them into her property, but also to fund the whole expedition (and she wants to take part in it, to do some good and feel less like a horrible human being).

The Strangeness
Around 40% in, and the group is already in the cave (not to worry, we get plenty of POVs beforehand and hints of what's to come). Needless to say, the spelunkers and Elisabeth are not prepared for what they see inside - the Cave looks strange, as if someone from Ancient Greece took extra care of building pillars, sanding the floor and decorating it. Not to mention the weird silky fabric they find everywhere. But there are NO bodies anywhere! No trace of anyone ever entering and dying inside.

The Horror
Under Bethel is a book with creepy, massive spiders and something else that lurks inside the cave and hunts its visitors. You don't need to know more.

What I loved
The book and pacing reminds me of the Alien movies - the pacing is pretty good and it keeps you on your toes. Elisabeth felt like a real person, the whole idea of a horror inspired by Greek Mythology is perfect!

Why I didn't finish
It's not the book's fault - maybe I am experiencing a horror fatigue, maybe it's because I didn't find the spiders creepy enough (I actually like spiders XD ). The truth is: I've read so many amazing horror books recently that I started comparing...which isn't fair. We all have personal preferences.

Conclusion
Under Bethel is a wonderful, intense, original Horror book that found me at the wrong time. I highly recommend giving it a chance :)
And if you are looking for more books with people being ambushed by monsters, I also recommend:

Into the Drowning Deep and it's prequel - instead of spiders you have bloodthirsty creepy mermaids.

Happy reading!

[Rhonda Bobbitt]

5☆☆☆☆
It's such a great book... I listened to the audio, absolutely amazing. Thriller, horror mixed with Greek mythology. The creep factor is a 10.
Many people have just up and disappeared near the hole of the cave... but where are they going? Will the team make it out from the expedition, or will the creatures of the earth devor them ?
This is my second book of Mullins, and I'm hooked.

[Sarah B]

Tense, Dreadful and Full of Giant Spiders!

If you love those horror movies about giant bugs \ spiders than you'll love this! It starts out a bit slow but rapidly picks up speed - and tons of webbing too. Even better yet is this story is more original in the plot: there are no mad scientist, no nuclear waste and no they are not aliens either! By the end the whole crazy scenario is actually very well explained. That may sound a bit unlikely but its quite true...

So this book had many of the things I like in a story. It had a bunch of characters going deep into the earth, into a massive unknown cave system, to go find out where all of these missing people are going. Everyone had heard the rumors of the cave that is under the town of Bethel in Scotland but the thing is NO ONE has ever come back out alive. Even just a few steps inside is enough to seal your doom. So then one day this super rich woman who has a troubled past decides to help a few others to learn the truth.

And once she gets down there....well...its a fight to survive!

As I said earlier the beginning was a little slow as we learn about the main character and her various problems. That is sprinkled with short teaser scenes from the past of people vanishing into the cave. And those short scenes are very good! And then once you read enough the main expedition starts on its way down with tons of equipment. And what they are expecting to find they don't. Instead they find other things very dreadful.

Better yet this story was full of twists! There are actually several of them in here, including a few big ones at the end.

Its a fast moving adventure story. Lots of danger and excitement. Great descriptions of everything. The plot is well thought out.

I think the truth at the end will surprise you.

[Ali O]

This is a good and creepy story! Giant spiders will freak me out all day long! This book has a lot of thrills, excitement and suspense. Less of a horror vibe though. The story is well written and I definitely wanted to find out how it was going to end!

[Colette Leonard]

Definitely recommend. Read with lights on!


Loved it. This book was as so very creepy and itchy in all the right ways. I was thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last.

[Nicola Gray]

A fun read with giant spiders in a cave - my idea of hell!!! Liked the Greek mythology weaved into it as well although knowing the myths I did work out who ‘she’ was quite early on.
One thing that did bug me….. it’s set in the UK!!! When someone dies the estate goes through probate and we don’t use escrow…. Just a teeny stupid thing and could be edited very easily.

[Kassi's Library]

Fun, short read

I enjoyed this book.
As a big horror fan with an average fear of spiders, it didn't scare me much. That felt a little disappointing, but that's my usual horror experience. There was tension and intensity, and when I wasn't reading this, I wanted to be.

[Jessica]

4.5 !!!!

[Sarah]

(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)


The story about this book and me is very amusing.
In my naivety, I thought that the blurb sounded quite nice and thought the cover was super pretty (I didn’t realise that those were spider webs, for fucks sake) and then I just bought it. Yay, I thought, only to feel my heart sink seconds later when I read the dedication and the little info afterwards.
I HATE SPIDERS. I am SO AFRAID OF SPIDERS.
One of my best friends laughed at me when I sent her a half-crying voice memo.
Thank you.

And yes, I read the book AND IT WAS GREAT!
In my opinion, even people who are afraid of spiders can read it. (If you have a phobia, please just walk away) I don’t know, I actually didn’t find it that scary? (Maybe because it wasn’t a film or a photo)
The story was just exciting and I’m already looking forward to part two. The pacing was actually a bit too fast once our team was under Bethel. It was like an action film where someone gets shot every third second. (Maybe that also took some of the horror out of it for me).

Anyway, the story about the spiders is really exciting and I’m so looking forward to volume two!


(DEUTSCH)


Die Geschichte rund um dieses Buch und mich ist schon sehr amüsant.
Ich habe in meiner Naivität gedacht, dass der Klappentext ja ganz nett klingt und fand das Cover mega schön (hab halt nicht gecheckt, dass das Spinnenweben sind, for fucks sake) und habs dann einfach gekauft. Juhu, dachte ich mir, nur um dann Sekunden später zu spüren, wie mir beim Lesen der Widmung und der kleinen Info danach, das Herz in die Hose gerutscht ist.
ICH HASSE SPINNEN. Ich hab SOLCHE ANGST VOR SPINNEN.
Eine meiner besten Freundinnen hat mich ausgelacht, als ich ihr eine halb heulende Sprachmemo geschickt habe.
Danke.

Und ja, ich hab das Buch gelesen UND ES WAR TOLL!
Meiner Meinung nach können es auch Menschen lesen, die Angst vor Spinnen haben. (Wenn du eine Phobie hast, geh bitte einfach weiter) Ich weiß nicht, ich fand es tatsächlich so gar nicht schlimm? (Vielleicht weil es halt kein Film oder Foto war)
Die Story war einfach nur spannend und ich freue mich schon auf Teil zwei. Das Pacing war mit, sobald unser Team unter Bethel war, tatsächlich etwas zu schnell. Das war wie so ein Actionfilm, wo jede dritte Sekunde jemand erschossen wird. (Vielleicht hat mir auch das ein wenig den Horror genommen.)

Auf jeden Fall ist die Geschichte rund um die Spinnen richtig aufregend und ich bin so auf Band zwei gespannt!

[Lora]

This is our October book club pick. This is an excellent book to avoid if you have nyctophobia (fear of the dark), claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), entomophobia (fear of creepy crawly things) or arachnophobia (fear of spiders). 🕸️ 🕷️ I enjoyed this book right up until the ending unfortunately. The ending really pulled the scary out of it for me... Which I wasn't expecting. I was expecting and wanting to put the book down and never go near a cave or spider again. Lol.

[Alyssa]

Under Bethel is a pretty unique tale. It’s got magic, a redeemable character and monsters. Lizzy is somewhat likable, but she needed to grow on me.

The location she’s taken to, attempting to do a good thing, leads her and a group of men into darkness with an incredible beast with a legion of minions. It’s creepy, but most of all- it too way too long! I enjoyed the story but it could have been shortened.

I’m about to move on to Under Snake Island (book 2) now. Hope it’s better. Cheers!

[David Atkinson]

bonkers

I was intrigued for a chapter or two. But I live in Scotland and no way would two police officers be lost in a cave without a veritable army and probably THE army becoming involved; I get you are supposed to suspend belief but Scotland is a first world country with huge resources and this was just a step too far in terms of suspending belief I’m afraid.

[Reader]

Dreadful narration. Scots accent is abominal. Scots measure distance in miles not Kilometers. Never got past page 5 and if I could mark it zero I would.

[Beatrix Starling]

I loved the spider theme, and i absolutely love underground cave horror and the cosmic vibes.
I just didn't feel the atmosphere as a lot of the story relies on dialogue, and that made it a story told but not felt. Some parts were better and i enjoyed some of the exploration and their findings.
The audiobook narrator was fine but I'm not sure her voice was best for darker vibes.

[Sue]

Format: audiobook
Narrator: Madeleine Norton

Two of my biggest fears, spiders and tight dark places, these both helped create the panic inducing fear that gave this story horror vibes for me.

Narrator was with her delivery and portrayal of emotions.

[Tammla Price]

It’s not really my cup of tea as far as genre and plots. However it kept me intrigued and wasn’t a bad write.

[Theresa]

loved it! accidentally listened to book 2 before book 1 but now I can continue to book 3.

[Melissa Brooker]

Scary

I love creature features, whether it be in book form or movies. This book was scary. I'm fearful of spiders and this was an uncomfortable but fun read. I'll probably even read it again. I'll be looking for more books by the author

[Jamie]

Kst

Wow. I love this story. Takes you down into the ground and opens up a world. This was an awesome read

[Noir Book Edit (formerly Overly Enthusiastic Reader)]

SPOILER FREE REVIEW AHEAD
Horror with an unexpected and intelligent twist!
Hubert Mullins was a new author for me but after checking out the many titles under his belt, I was resigned that this was an author I had to read. Enter Under Bethel, the first in the Shattered Olympus Saga!

Triggers
Goes without saying that this is a horror book, so if you’re easily triggered you may wanna skip it. Always check trigger warnings on StoryGraph. That said some I remember :
De @ th
Spiders /Arachnaphonia trigger
G @r e
Claustrophobia

Tropes
Found Family
Antihero
Summoning Evil
Deep Dark

If you’re looking for a pick to kick off Spooky season, this series should be it! I have never really been very afraid of spiders, but this combines several fears into one book and it really puts the atmosphere there- it feels real enough to be truly scary! I enjoyed the pacing of this book and the cool addition of the newspaper articles to set the stage and mood. The plotting was great, the story was so inventive and clever, and the characters were fantastic. I found myself canvassing it in my head as I was reading. Near the end I couldn’t stop reading. You won’t see the ending coming! The next in the saga Under Snake Island is out soon and I cannot wait to grab this whole series and add it to my collection. This is an author I’ll revisit even after this series end- perhaps Blood and Salt next? HIGHLY RECOMMEND this series and author as one to read!

IF YOU ENJOYED THIS THIS REVIEW PLEASE FOLLOW ME HERE

[jenreadsbooks]

3.5 rounding up

[Dondalaya]

Just ok.

While this book was an okay read, and I appreciate the dept this author was willing to go to create a story on something he hates. Spiders! However this was just not my cup of tea, and it has nothing to do with the story being terrible, and more to do with me not liking the author's writing style. Because of that, this will probably be my one and only book I ever read by this author.

[Sean]

Having thoroughly enjoyed the author's vampire novel BLOOD AND SALT, I was looking forward to seeing what he might do with a different concept, and to put it mildly I was not disappointed. Whereas the aforementioned novel took place in the Atlantic Ocean on board the Titanic, this time around Mr. Mullins carries us under the dark hills of Scotland where people have been going missing for years. While the cover image is something of a spoiler right off the bat, Mullins still creates a sense of uneasy mystery and even after you think you know exactly what's going on, he throws a few unexpected twists at you. And in the unlikely event that the beings behind the various disappearances don't scare you--and they certainly did this reader--the dank, claustrophobic atmosphere the author creates as his cast of characters make their way through a vast network of uncharted caves probably will. Moreover, the writer seems to have a real knack for creating characters that are easy to identify with and root for, and our main protagonist--a woman who has made more than her share of mistakes and is desperately trying to do the right thing this time around--is eminently relatable. UNDER BETHEL is a fast-moving story of creeping terror that hits all the right notes for horror fans.

[Josette Thomas]

I hope that all the times I have placed a spider outside or left it alone in its web has given me good karma with spiders. I am not afraid of your everyday spider but these spiders were something else. I cannot imagine going on a search for missing people only to find there was something so terrifying below that the hunt for missing people is gone and now it is only a journey of survival. I can say that any stray web floating through the air will remind me of this book. I also loved the nod to Greek mythology. Learning about various Gods and Goddesses has always been a huge draw for me to read a book. This one did not disappoint because the author used the story of Arachne in such an intriguing way.

I could feel the claustrophobia begin to some to a head as the group moved through the tunnels and crevices. When Lizzy got stuck and needed help….i felt my heart race. Being stuck in the dark with these creatures also had me turning on my side lamp in hopes of chasing the dark away. This book was really terrifying in so many ways, none of which I will be forgetting any time soon. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[AsianBaddie]

It was a little silly but entertaining. While I loved the underground cave concept, it wasn’t very scary, especially the latter portion. I wasn’t quite expecting the mythology, but the overall feel good ending was not surprising.
A few nitpicks:
-I didn’t like how Nathan didn’t mention anything to the others about a possible threat in the cave and never seemed scared until the spiders arrival. He brought a weapon himself but never bothered to address that option for the others.
-I have no idea how the 3 of them (Malcom, Allister, and Duncan) originally survived on their own when they got separated. I understand Elizabeth surviving with Nathan because he had a weapon. How the others were unscathed that entire time is beyond me.
-I bought the paperback version and on the back it says Elisabeth is separated from the others in the synopsis (also says it on the GR synopsis) but that doesn’t happen until 2/3rds the way through and it made it seem like she got separated from the whole group at once which was not the case.

[Stephanie Westee]

Elisabeth Wingate is a privileged woman with a scandalous past. In an effort to help soothe her own guilty consciousness and atone for her sins, she uses her wealth and privilege to fund a caving expedition into “the Hole” which is a complex and terrifying underground cave system where people have been disappearing without a trace for as long as the town of Bethel can remember. Not only does she fund the trip, but she also decides to tag along herself to try to help find answers for the grieving families left behind. They will definitely find more than they bargained for.. 🕷️🕸️

This story feels fresh and interesting from beginning to end. It’s fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat searching for answers. When the true lore of these caves is revealed, Mullins makes a seamless transition from creepy survival thriller to mythology inspired fantasy horror and I think it would do a disservice to it not to mention that because wow, he did it so well and my jaw was basically on the floor. If you happen to be claustrophobic AND arachnophobic, you are in for a treat!

[Nick Scarbrough]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I finished Under Bethel by Hubert L. Mullins today and WOW! This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites. This is the 3rd book of his I've listened to and all 3 of them have been OUTSTANDING!

This book touches on several subjects. If you are scared of dark places, caves, spiders, (and Greek gods??) this book is for you!

I really enjoyed the story but the narration was first class. The narrator was easily understood even when she was hitting those heavy Scottish accents.

I literally can't praise this author or his work enough. This is very mild horror. Just enough to give you some slight unease and cringiness but don't be afraid to tackle this one even if you don't think you are a fan of horror. It has superb story telling and a pace fast enough to keep you wanting more the entire way through.

A very easy 5 stars.

[David]

Any book that includes giant spiders gets my immediate attention. As a recovering arachnophobe, I find these kinds of stories therapeutic. This one started out with hints of horrors to come but didn't really get into it until about halfway through. The heroine here is a very wealthy but very troubled young woman by the name of Elisabeth Wingate who has spent years trying to atone for the death of a man hit by her while driving drunk. We get a lot of insight into Elizabeth's earlier life. Interesting, but not necessarily germane to the story.
Back to the giant spiders. We get to meet them during an expedition into the caves under Bethel, in Scotland, and they weren't what I expected. I won't spoil it but suffice it to say that the reference to Olympus in the title says it all.
I stayed up late to read this book. It was compelling but not quite a five-star offering.

[Carrie O’Leary]

I love Greek mythology so had my suspicions about this book from quite early on, and not realising that it was book one of a series called ‘The Under a Shattered Olympus Saga’. I didn’t find the book particularly scary, but it was an interesting concept. My main niggle was that I would have thought far more investigation would have happened for the people who had gone missing previously. I made the mistake of listening to this on audiobook. For some reason it was read by an American when there were no American characters in the story and the Scottish accents were pretty painful. There were some strange word pronunciations too that were a little jarring. I will be reading the rest of the series, purely because of my love for Greek mythology!