4.5 rounded up to 5

It has been a while since a book has literally made the hair on my neck stand up, but this one did it! There were several scenes that literally terrified me. A horror novel infused with a thriller/crime vibe this was a great hybrid, complete with interesting characters. Thoroughly enjoyed and really liked the pace and jump between the main storyline and the terrifying episodes experienced by the dark’s unsuspecting victims.

Personally, I felt the pace was off for me and this affectede liking the book. However, I did like the banter of the main characters.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ebook.

This was an amazing read. The author did a spellbinding job of ratcheting up the terror and suspense. I was afraid to sleep with the lights off! Great read

Paranormal books are right up my alley and this book was no exception to the rule. A mysterious British Island where spooky things are happening leaving the towns only police man and a paranormal investigator to try get to the bottom of it all.

Ian uses a style of writing that pushes the story forward so well. It never seems to drag at all and the views of the characters is something beautiful.

I'm looking forwatrd to reading more work by Ian.

Nice 4.2/5

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me. It was a little too slow and I didn't really like the writing style. I didn't finish it. Thank you for the opportunity to read it in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love horror books, and this one did not disappoint!
Some humour breaks up the chilling story, and i loved the suspense building and characters.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a taste for creepy horror!

Congratulations and happy publication day to @ibhorrorauthor (it’s still March 29th in the US)!

I am admittedly only a little over half through Beneath the Dark but it is good! It’s paranormal, it’s spooky, there’s creepy-ass dolls at the beginning…what more do you want? I am seriously contemplating taking a partial day off tomorrow to finish it.

#bookstagram #bookcommunity #bookrecommendations #bookworm #reading #candlelight #horror #readmorehorror

Update: have now finished it and it was good! Recommended if you like paranormal mysteries and learning unique British lingo.

Scary and Satisfying

This author has a wicked but dry sense of humor and his witty gems are scattered throughout the text. But, the horror is deadly serious. It's original and believable, despite the more fantastic elements.

The book is well-written and the suspense grows steadily. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, especially Sgt. Jon Pearce. I'd gladly read another book featuring him.

I'd like to thank Ian Backhouse, Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a free advanced reader's copy of Beneath the Dark. My opinions are unencumbered by obligation because of this gift, however.

I heartily recommend this book because it's an excellent read and thoroughly satisfied my horror appetite!

A fascinating and gripping horror that kept me hooked and on the edge till the end.
Good world building and character development, a well crafted and fast paced plot.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve been reading horror for decades, but I admit in the last few years, I’ve hardly read the genre like I used to. I saw this, and I liked the blurb and requested it. At first, I had a little trouble with some of the words that were used because it took place in England with unfamiliar words. I normally don’t have a problem with that, but for some reason I did in this one. However, it didn’t take long to get in the swing of things. This was a well-written atmospheric book filled with chilling moments, but there isn’t as much as I’d like especially when bad things happened to people I didn’t care about. However, this was a pretty good book. 3 ½ stars rounded up to 4. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I loved this book! First, the blend of a detective story with a paranormal twist was so clever (and really well done).

The pace was just right. Keeping me turning the pages because I was excited about where the story was going, and not too fast I couldn’t absorb and enjoy the story. The author did well at showing me the events happening, so I felt like I was right there with the characters. It also added a layer of eeriness to the atmosphere, planting me in the story world and having me looking over my shoulder.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author, for a chance to read and review this book. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next!

On an English island, a horror is stalking the residents who all have a secret to hide. Local police officer Jon Pearce calls in paranormal investigator Ed Thorn and Dr Dina Melnyk, a lecturer in the Occult, to help.
This is a fast-paced book with elements of Stephen King and James Herbert. The horror parts are at the forefront during the first few chapters, becoming more suspenseful as a small team consisting of locals and the two investigators race against time to find the cause of the encroaching evil.
It is a quick read and there were parts I was hoping could be fleshed out and some further character development but these are minor gripes. Hopefully there are plans to revisit the island and some of these characters, especially Dr Dina Melnyk who has an interesting backstory via her father's work. Overall this is a really good read and is well recommended.

Received arc from Cranthorpe Millner Publishers and Netgalley for honest read and review.
Thank you for the chance to read this one.This was a very interesting and enjoyable read that had me hooked from the beginning.
Centres around a policeman Jon Pearce as he tried to unravel some strange goings on in a remote setting.It goes around the island with strange things happening to unrelated people.
It falls to Jon and his friends to figure out what is happening. I really enjoyed this book as it flowed really well and all the characters were very well written.
A thoroughly enjoyable read.

This horror mystery is built around the loves and fears of the characters in it. Even better, it gives you enough insight into the characters for you to be able to puzzle out the mystery yourself.

In this book, in 1995 a secluded British island is being haunted. People are being attacked by ghosts, strange mold is appearing, and no one understands what is causing it. Our story centers on Jon (the single police officer on the island) and Ed (a paranormal debunker called in to help). However, the story spans much wider than just the two of them as other people on the island get pulled into the action.

WHAT I LOVED:
This story follows many different characters, and has to set each of them up thoroughly. Within a few pages of following a character, you know their loves and fears and emotional state. Most of the time, this is accomplished by just telling you this information and backstory. I think this is one of those times where the writing advice, "show, don't tell," is wrong. We are mostly just told about these characters, and it's an efficient way to get us on board with them without sacrificing the fast pace in the process. This efficient dictation fits the straightforward tone of the novel.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
While reading, I kept getting the feeling that this book wasn't exactly written for me. It takes place before I was even born and is filled with slang terms that I had to look up. This isn't a flaw (it's not like the world revolves around me), but just an observation. If you were a person nostalgic for isolated-British-island-in-the-90's, you would probably like this book a lot more than I did. For me, the sense of place was so strong in this story that it left me behind and confused fairly often.

A review of this book will be appearing on my youtube channel in the coming weeks. https://www.youtube.com/chloefrizzle

Thank you to Cranthorpe Millner and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I felt like maybe this was, at first at least, trying to be an atmospheric book but what it ended up being was disjointed, confusing, and it ran overtime unnecessarily. I hate when writers go on and on with purple prose. I expect that from nineteenth century authors but modern stories need to get to the point. They also need to give me a well grounded view of both characters and pertaining back story. I didn't get either of those until very far in which left me not caring as much as I could have and confused.

I enjoyed the premise and the creation of all the complex characters, but for me, it felt like something was missing or detached in the storyline. I would've enjoyed more of a backstory to some of the main characters. I really enjoyed Jon and Ed, but felt like if I knew more of their history it would've endeared them more to me. The ending is left with an opening for more books with these characters, so I'm sure we'll see more in the future.

The first sixteen chapters don't flow as smoothly into each other as much as I would've liked. I found myself being confused on characters names and the situations they were in because they were separate from each other until midway through the book. Once the creepy occult happenings started to become more clear and the characters relied on each other the story felt more connected.

The main characters banter and the relationships they form was probably my favorite part of the book. I enjoy being able to see the characters interacting in my head while I read. It makes the book feel more like a movie for me. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the destruction and the tormenting from the creature wreaking havoc on the island. The situations the unlucky victims found themselves in were always genuinely creepy.

All in all I enjoyed this book and I'm thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me have a chance to read and review the book!

Beneath the Dark begins strong and scary with something stalking people. It eventually becomes a horror story that relies on belief from a group as it takes a religious turn. Unfortunately, that weakened the story for me, bringing my review down from 5 stars to 4. Still, it was a good read, and those who are interested in a religious element in their horror should love it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

A paranormal debunker is called to a small island to investigate bizarre events affecting many random residents. A perfect novel for fans of The Conjuring, Insidious, and Paranormal Activity.

Edits:
Location 78: 'Gate' is supposed to be 'gait'
Loc 216: recceing?
Loc 295: 'sight' is supposed to be 'site'
Loc 507: 'You'd' is supposed to be 'you'
Loc 603: fix 'at looked at'
Loc 1212 'Waste' should be 'waist'
Loc 1319 "Harriot' should be 'Harriet'
Loc 1670: 'Cannular' should be 'cannula'

Perhaps the lid of a Ouija Board should have the warning, "Beware all who enter here." Beneath the Dark was a cautionary tale of dappling in things to reach "the other side". It turns our, there's the other side, and then the middle side-so to speak and the "below" and nothing from below is ever, ever supposed to reach our plane. The things from below aren't souls or demons, but worse. Now someone on the island has dabbled and little by little a crack has formed and a strain has risen to the human plan to torment the living and search for the one who let it in. The creepy description of this thing from below was nailed home to me by the description, "it was never human, but if it could smile-it would".
Fortunately, a few humans figure out what is happening and find the means to fight back. You have to read the book to find out if, and how, successful this was. Finally, there is the last lesson....even smart people can be so stupid and you want to grab a certain character by the collar and say "did you learn nothing, you idiot?"

A great book. I had been in a bit of a slump and missed that "Oh, boy, I get to get up and read my book" feeling. This book brought that back for me.
Thank you #netgalley for the ARC of #BeneathTheDark and to #IanBlackhouse for the great storytelling.

I decided not long ago take advantage of @netgalley and apply for some Advanced Reader Copies. My focus was on lesser-known or first-time authors in genres I typically enjoy. That's how I came across this novel, Beneath the Dark by Ian Backhouse.

The blurb read as a detective novel with a paranormal twist which immediately piqued my interest. I just wish I could have enjoyed this book more. For me there were just some fundamental issues with the author's writing style that I found difficult to overlook.

Likes: For the most part, I enjoyed the first 1/2-2/3 of this novel. It was very Stephen King-esque in it's character development and depictions of the supernatural without feeling like a cheap knock-off. I also loved the 'big bad' of this story. It's so easy these days for novels involving the paranormal to feel cliche and unimaginative, but this author managed to create something that felt quite fresh. While I do think the way the characters overcame this evil seemed a bit easy, and a little cheap considering the circumstances, there was a twist in the second last chapter that I did not expect and made up a little for the disappointment I felt in the climax.

Dislikes: Being an ARC, there are certain issues I have with this novel which I am more than happy to overlook, e.g. spelling and punctuation errors, Kyle suddenly becoming Kylie, etc. What I couldn't get past was the way the author structured some of his writing. At times the sentences felt too long and convoluted, like the author was trying to tell me he's a good writer rather than show me. The choice of phrasing was also confusing in some places, e.g. a 'Scenes of Crime Investigator' as opposed to a 'Crime Scene Investigator'. Things like this ruin the flow of the story for me and drag me out of my reading experience in a way that I find quite jarring. If it only happened once or twice I probably wouldn't think anything of it, but it just seemed to happen over and over again.

Those negatives aside, I did enjoy the story. If you like paranormal thrillers by lesser-known authors I would still recommend this. I just think there needs to be a lot more editing done before the release on March 29.