Apologies again for my late posting of my review of From The Deep by Kateri Stanley on behalf of Rachel’s Random Resources. Thanks to Rachel Gilbey and Kateri Stanley for the copy of the book.
Julian Finch, widower and fisherman, awakes to learn that the bodies of two colleagues have washed up on the beach of Drake Cove. The close-knit community is under fierce public scrutiny due to a long-standing tradition called “The Culling”, the annual slaughter of pilot whales for consumption. An act which divides the nation.
The suspects are the extreme animal rights group, the Fighters Against Animal Cruelty (FAAC) who go wherever the politics is trending. They’ve been harassing the small fishing town for many years, smashing up their boats and sending vicious hate mail.
Tensions mount after a viral video, uploaded by the FAAC of Julian killing a pregnant whale, causes uproar online and in real life. In the aftermath, Julian becomes the victim of hate crime. In order to avoid further life-threatening attacks, Julian and his daughter take refuge in the home of Frank Blothio: ex-fisherman turned writer and political activist who does not have the best history with the animal rights movement, or Drake Cove as a whole.
As Julian integrates into the Blothio way of life, he discovers heinous secrets and disturbing truths lurking beneath the skin of his hometown that will change his life forever.
This is the second book I have read by Kateri Stanley and I wondered if this book would be as good as the previous one. I was eager to settle down and start reading.
Jules is a fisherman,struggling to raise his daughter after his wife’s death. He lives in a small English whaling community called Drake’s Cove. After two fishermen are found washed up on the beach, a group of anti whaling activists are the prime suspects. When Jules gets caught on camera killing a pregnant whale, everything comes to a head and he finds that both himself and his daughter become targets in more ways that he could imagine.
They move in with his friend an ex fisherman, Frank who is now a writer and political activist. Jules becomes intrigued by a mysterious green eyed woman as the story unfolds.
The story makes you feel like it’s going in one direction and the narrative changes and it goes of in a way that I never expected. Again the author made me totally believe in Jules. Everything he does makes him relatable and I loved his feelings for his daughter, his wife and the mysterious woman, Shy. This added to his authenticity and made the story as captivating as it was for me.
I loved that it turned out to be a dark fantasy and this had me hooked. The world building Kateri Stanley has done definitely convinced me. I believed I was by Jules side totally. The story thread of Shy was totally absorbing and added layers to the story.
Kateri Stanley writes stories that I find so readable. Both books are page turners and I would read any books she has written, for sure. Read this book If you enjoy fantasy, blended with romance, mystery with a dark edge and folklore too.
Purchase Links
Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09WG2GVV5
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/from-the-deep-kateri-stanley/1141255926
Book Depository https://www.bookdepository.com/From-Deep-Kateri-Stanley/9781838345945
Waterstones https://www.waterstones.com/book/from-the-deep/kateri-stanley/9781838345945
Author Bio
Kateri Stanley is a pseudonym for the multi-genre fiction writer. Since being a child, Kateri has been inspired by the wondrous mediums of books, music, TV and film. After working in the healthcare industry for eight years and studying for an Arts and Humanities degree, she made the decision to move cities in the West Midlands and live with her ever-suffering partner and their felines. Her debut novel Forgive Me was published by indie press house, DarkStroke Books in 2021 and it reached #1 in the US Horror Fiction charts on Amazon. She is currently working on her third novel, Bittersweet Injuries and would love to pursue a full-time career in writing.
Social Media Links
Kateri can be found across social media and her website: http://www.kateristanley.com
Instagram https://instagram.com/sal_writes
Twitter https://twitter.com/sal_writes
Facebook http://facebook.com/salwrites2
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21272876.Kateri_Stanley
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