After loving The Last Passenger, I was very excited to read this one - I’m loving these books that are set at sea! It’s very clear that a lot of research went into writing this book, and things were explained very well. I don’t know much about diving, but all of the terms and equipment were explained very well so I wasn’t confused at all. The storyline was very tense, and it was hard to put this book down - I read it in less than 24 hours! I really liked the characters and the storyline, although I was a little bit confused by the ending. I highly recommend this book, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Will Dean in the future!

After finishing this book in the early hours of this morning because I absolutely could not put it down, what can I say but WOW!
Will Dean has created yet another masterpiece of a thriller, with an incredible atmosphere of claustrophobia and tension. This one has gone straight to the top of my recommendations for the year, just as his brilliant The Last Thing To Burn did when it came out. Bravo Will - and please, please keep writing!

Wow, Will Dean has done it again. After reading the highly addictive The Last Passenger, I was excited to be given an arc of his new book. A few pages in and I was feeling claustrophobic, expecting it to be a scenario where divers are trapped in a chamber under the sea with hours left to find a safe way out…..I was wrong!
Ellen works as part of a deep sea dive team, employed this time by an off shore oil rig to check pipelines at great depths. This involves 6 of them in a tiny chamber, lowered to the seabed where they take turns going out to do the maintenance. Every step every breath is monitored by the ship they are attached to and by the other crew members. There are strict rules they have to adhere to, to keep themselves safe and alive. When one of them dies for no apparent reason it shocks them all but when a second person dies it brings unanswered questions and irrational thoughts amongst the remaining 4.
Told through Ellen’s eyes, Will Dean has crafted a superbly suffocating premise, a locked room scenario that is as so awful that at times I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The rigorous procedures and the crews mantra add to the atmosphere of impending doom.
I highly recommend

#TheChamber. #NetGalley

Well ... talk about your locked room mystery. This couldn't be more locked if the evil doer had taken the key, thrown it in some concrete and shipped it out to sea over the deepest possible crevice in the seabed known to man. Not only are the (potential) murder victims stuck in said locked room, where any one of them could be a suspect, assuming that what comes to pass is as a result of foul play, but they cannot be released for four whole days. Why? Because they are in a pressurised vessel in preparation for work in the murky depths of the North Sea, and any attempt to open the vessel before it has been carefully decompressed will result in what is, for all intents and purposes, their blood boiling ... or worse. I won't look at raspberry jam in the same way again, put it that way. I also won't stop eating it, but still. Bleurgh.

What Will Dean has served us here really is a classy piece of writing. Six suspects, assuming that the first death on board is a dastardly deed and not just some unfortunate incident. And I say six as there is no way of knowing that the victim didn't take their own life. That is the problem facing the five remaining divers. Noone really knows anything. Not only are they trapped in a pressurised, all too teeny weeny, can like some sacrificial sardines, but the boat their vessel is attached too is out in the North Sea, miles from port, with little chance of any external help as they are slaves to the ever changing weather conditions. So it really is locked room, key, concrete, deep sea ... I wasn't lying. There is a vestige of hope - also teeny tiny - in that if they can survive the four days, they get their freedom. As we are soon to learn, that is a rather large ask. They haven't compared the book to 'And Then There Were None' for no reason.

This is a somewhat claustrophobic tale, for reasons that probably don't need explanation. As someone who isn't a particularly strong swimmer and didn't cope well just snorkeling to see Manatees, I can't think of anything worse than being miles beneath the sea working on pipes and such like, totally beholden to your crew mates for your life and safety. There has to be absolute, unerring trust. Shame that this is soon in short supply as suspicion falls from one crewmate to another in a case of what may, or may not, be murder. You can feel the tension leech from the page, see tempers flaring as swiftly as their temperatures, and it's not long before it's not just the metal of the vessel creaking at the seams. But, as with any intense situation, the divers need to remain calm which they do by recounting missions and times from their past, allowing us to learn more about them in turn and making what comes to pass all the more shocking.

We have one key narrator in this story, the only female diver on board - Ellen Brooke. She is relatively unique in her line of work, and is recording her time on board in a bid to try and encourage more women into the industry. That could be good, or bad, depending on who you are and how much evidence you want of what it going on. Ellen is a strong character and someone it was easy to spend time with, Will Dean using her observation and thoughts to help escalate the tension and sense of fear on board. It also allows us a very unique perspective as Ellen is the only person of the group to actually spend time on the ocean floor working on the North Sea oil lines they've been recruited to repair. Now I have no experience in this arens, but it certainly felt authentic, and the calm of the sea - not without the odd moment of jeopardy in it's own right - certainly serves as a contrast to what is to come. There is one moment, perhaps a portent that helps to elevate the sense of foreboding, where I wondered just where the author may take this story. A distraction for sure, but soon forgotten in the hell that Ellen and her job partner, André are soon to join.

It's really hard to say too much more about the book without spoilers, but Ic an say that the finger of suspicion points in many directions, including towards Ellen. The more we learn of each of them, the more plausible it is that any one of them could be responsible -assuming that it really is a case of foul play. There really is no way of knowing until very late in the novel. It keeps the tension and suspense high, and that constant, literal, ticking clock of a countdown to the vessel being fully decompressed adds another layer of intensity to an already fractious team and the atmosphere is stifling. Each page we move closer to the end, kicks the sense of dread up a notch, knowing we are moving to some impossible end game, but never quite knowing what it might be. There are plenty of surprises still to come and a lot of questions left to be answered. Whether we ever truly get answers to them all ... well, you'll have to read to find that out for yourselves.

With all the intensity of The Last Thing To Burn, albeit it with water and not fire, it's definitely recommended.

As I start writing this review, I’m struggling, as I’m having to resist the urge just to write, “YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!”. I feel I must do the author, Will Dean, and the book justice, so I will try to string some words together.

The Chamber is centred in a DSV, a deep sea vessel. A hyperbaric chamber, where 6 of the most experienced saturation divers are preparing for a dive. It is quite normal for them to spend a month in cramped, claustrophobic, oppressive conditions like these. They are highly trained, but nothing can prepare them for what lies ahead, on this particular dive. One of team, a rookie, dies, which would be awful in any circumstance. But being on the bed of The North Sea, with a 4 day decompression in front of them, makes for a very intense read.

As the hours and minutes to tick by, as the physical pressure in the chamber slowly decreases, the mental pressure ramps up exponentially.
Each of the divers has their own story, their personal baggage which weighs more heavily on them, than their diving helmet.

The Chamber is set in a world completely alien to me, before reading this book, it was beyond my imagination. The author’s very well researched words, etched this foreign landscape into my mind, where it will stay for a long while I suspect. The intensity, the pressure, the claustrophobia, the mistrust is fed to the reader through the wonderful writing.

I read the book so quickly, I couldn’t bear to put it down. The speed at which I read, further intensified the already fraught storyline. As soon as I had finished reading, I had to be outside. I’ve just spent nearly 2hrs gardening, as I needed to be in the light, to feel the sun on my face, breathing fresh air. I genuinely felt like I needed to mentally decompress.

I make no secret that The Last Thing to Burn is my favourite read from the last 3 years, I recommend it to anyone who asks for a recommendation, and many who don’t. I haven’t felt such intense claustrophobia and pressure while reading since, until I opened the pages of The Chamber. I felt like I was there, in that horrific chamber. I was completely immersed. Will Dean, you are the King of Claustrophobia for me.

The Chamber is the ultimate locked room thriller. If somehow you weren’t sure, it’s 5⭐️ from me without doubt or question. This book is good, so very good, buy the book, just do it.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC and Will Dean for another 5 star read.

I don't think there are enough expletives for this book! Stunning, gripping, claustrophobic, murky, tense. At some points I had to remember to breath. This is the ultimate locked room thriller and there's definitely no quick escape. The research Will has put into sat diving is extensive and second to none to the point where I thought sat diver, not author, was his job.

Six sat divers are about to be locked in a hyperbaric chamber under the North Sea for the next four weeks. We meet each character when they enter and get to know a bit of their background. Once submerged and at full pressure the crew start to die. With no quick escape decompression must begin it's long, slow process before the remaining crew can get help. That's when the mind games begin. Fuelled by no sleep and no food the crew must pit their wits to stay alive for the next four days and make it back to shore. Will anyone make it?

Just brilliant.

Wow. This was such an intelligent, highly researched, and gripping read. I was gripped from the first few pages. I was so immersed in this book that I was literally holding my breath throughout the book.

The story follows 6 saturation divers. They go on a job that is contracted for a month where they will live in a hyperbaric chamber, breathing helium. The Chamber is no bigger than a mini bus.

The procedure is for two saturation divers to work at a time. On the first shift, the two saturation divers come back to find one of the other divers is deceased on his bunk.

They then make the decision to decompress the chamber. However, to decompress safely, it will take 4 days. Will anyone make it out alive?

This was suspenseful, gripping, anxiety inducing, and made me feel claustrophobic throughout the book.

Will Dean did such an amazing job at researching this topic, and it was so cleverly written.

I would highly recommend it. Will Dean has now become an auto buy author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC, e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

When it comes to writing creepy, intense, claustrophobically terrifying stories, Will Dean is hard to beat!

When a group of divers tasked with repairing oil pipes on the sea bed sign up to spend a month in a hyperbaric chamber, they aren't prepared to find one of their number unresponsive early on in the assignment.

Nor is the 4 day wait for it to be safe to open the pressure locks any less stressful than this initial discovery! Here's a locked room thriller with a difference. Enjoy.

How on earth is Will Dean so prolific?! Maybe he is locked away somewhere remote/secluded with no escape and no distractions. That would go some way to explaining how he is such a master of suspense and tension-building sickness stories. Another one well done 👏🏻

Claustrophobic, Intense, Terrifying..
When a diver is discovered unresponsive within a hyperbaric chamber, the situation rapidly deteriorates. These divers are the elite, paid extremely well for the perilous work that they undertake in the North Sea, diving down to repair oil pipes on the sea bed. Now they are stuck in that chamber, unable to open the doors and leave, until four days of decompression has taken place. Claustrophobic, intense and terrifying suspense with a hugely atmospheric narrative heavily laced with a well done underlying vein of menace. A unique premise, well executed and with a propulsive plot populated by a deftly drawn and most credible cast.

One of the most compelling books I've read this year. The Chamber takes the locked room thriller to a whole other level. Six saturation divers are out working in the North Sea when one of their team unexpectedly dies, the remaining five have no choice but to remain in their hyperbaric chamber for the required decompression process to run its course.

Reliant on their support vessel staff for food, water and survival with each hour of the countdown that passes their paranoia, tension and mistrust of the crew and each other intensifies.

Very much a character driven novel this was an intense and enthralling read from start to finish. Like the divers in their chamber once I was in, I was in. I knew nothing about diving so this was a whole new world and the author made it a fascinating one.

After last year's nail-biting "The Last Passenger" by Will Dean, I couldn't wait to get my hands of "The Chamber". Talk about claustrophobic. Trapped in a diving chamber and then one of your fellow divers dies, how would you feel? To make it worse, you need to repressurise otherwise you'll end up strawberry jam. A very tense read, and the last chapters are literally a count down. Still undecided on who did it but I have my suspicions. 4.5 stars.

An intense, claustrophobic, fast moving thriller set in the confines of a North Sea diving chamber. Vivid and compelling, this novel deserves to be made into a cinematic film. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I love Will Dean's books and this was another one I flew through. I can't say I knew much (if anything) about the world of SAT diving but reading this it felt like it was truly written by an expert. The level of research put in was amazing but it didn't feel like those details were pushed at you, instead it felt like you were immersed in that world.

The first third set the world up so well and then began the locked door mystery. The second portion did slow down slightly, giving back story to the characters but this just emphasized the time the divers were stuck in the chamber. I didn't know how it was going to end but couldn't stop reading until I reached the end.

After reading "the last passenger" I have been waiting with baited breath for the next book from this author and I could not have had higher expectations..... safe to say this book surpassed then all! I was immediately hooked. I loved this completely new world I was introduced to and how much time and effort the author went to to make it all understandable and simple to follow. He perfectly captured the tension, the doubt, the fear, the claustrophobia, the isolation, the confusion and loneliness..... I was on the edge of tlmy seat the whole time and the ending blew my mind. This would easily be one of top books for the year

My thanks to Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for a copy of “ The Chamber “ for an honest review.

Until “ The last Passenger “ I hadn’t read anything by Will Dean , and I was totally blown away by it , as were all my colleagues .When I was given the chance to read his latest book I started reading it straight away, and I really couldn’t put it down!
The story was gripping , and the claustrophobic setting adds to the tension while reading it..I can’t wait for this to be published and my friends to read it because there are lots of things to discuss.
I’m sure this will be one of my favourite books of the year , as was Dean’s previous book.
5* + from me

Just wow! I was breathless, literally breathless reading this!! Being locked in in the middle of the ocean is my idea of hell!! Will Dean writes a claustrophobic thriller with such menace and fear!! I wanted to keep reading but not!

A locked room mystery in the unusual setting of a diving bell. After the first death, the other divers must remain in the confines of their chamber for six days to decompress before surfacing. Is there a killer among them who hasn't yet finished killing? Ideal for readers who like mysteries with lots of character backstory and technical information, in this case about diving.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

As a big fan of Will Dean I was looking forward to his new novel like so many people and he has certainly delivered again with this highly tense thriller.

There are locked room thrillers and then there is this locked room thriller where 6 people are trapped inside such a small underwater capsule relying on their colleagues both inside and out for their survival. The authors research is absolutely first class because he convinced me he must be a seasoned deep sea diver from all the incredible detail in such a believable story.

With the first dive to repair an oil pipe deep in the North Sea, Ellen Brooke returns to the vessel after a slight issue with a snagged line causing initial panic which she overcomes only to be hit by another problem. Once more she takes control with the help of André, her diving partner only to be met with an unconscious colleague with calls for a medic. Unable to open their chamber due to it needing to go through decompression, it’s going to be a whole 4 days before the 6 of them can resurface safely which is just the start of this truly, terrifying nightmare which unfolds over the rest of the book.

This was a real page turner for me that had me hooked from the start and as much as I never want a Will Dean book to end because they are just so good, I found myself reading faster and faster towards the end as if it was me gasping for air to escape such a small confined space in this excellent hyper claustrophobic story.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed other books I have read by Will Dean so I had high hopes for this one and it didn't disappoint. This was such an intense and thrilling read overall - one of my favourites of the year so far.