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The Catacombs: A psychological horror thriller (World's Scariest Places Book 2) by [Jeremy Bates]

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Jeremy Bates

The Catacombs: A psychological horror thriller (World's Scariest Places Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Jeremy Bates (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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Book 2 of 6: World's Scariest Places

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OVER ONE MILLION READERS HAVE TAKEN THE JOURNEY TO THE WORLD'S SCARIEST PLACES. NOW IT'S YOUR TURN.

From USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author Jeremy Bates comes a bone-chilling descent into the tunnels beneath Paris where an unknown evil awaits. AHWA winner for horror. For fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

Paris, France, is known as the City of Lights, a metropolis renowned for romance and beauty. Beneath the bustling streets and cafés, however, exists The Catacombs, a labyrinth of crumbling tunnels filled with six million dead.

When a video camera containing mysterious footage is discovered deep within their depths, a group of friends venture into the tunnels to investigate. But what starts out as a lighthearted adventure takes a turn for the worse when they reach their destination—and stumble upon the evil lurking there.

Praise for Jeremy Bates:

"Old-school horror story reminiscent of Stephen King" ★★★★★

"Best book I've read to date" ★★★★★

"Perfect for Laymon fans!" ★★★★★

"Definitely recommend to all fans of modern horror" ★★★★★

"A master storyteller!" ★★★★★

"I sort of fell into Jeremy Bates by accident, and I'm so glad I did. He's one of my new favorite writers, and I urge everyone to check him out" ★★★★★

"The most chilling book I’ve ever read!" ★★★★★

"Absolutely loved this book" ★★★★★

"Non-stop adrenaline rush from beginning to end" ★★★★★

"Any Stephen King or Dean Koontz fan will love it" ★★★★★

"I was hooked from the first page!" ★★★★★

"Binge worthy!" ★★★★★

"This is one of the best books I have ever read!" ★★★★★

"A very juicy, scary ride" ★★★★★

"Suicide Forest is up there with Joe Hill's Heart Shaped Box" ★★★★★

"Scariest book I've ever read" ★★★★★

"Huge fan of Mr Bates! You won't be disappointed" ★★★★★

"Edge-of-my-seat experience! I felt I was indeed living the horror" ★★★★★

"Page-turner with a twist! I was hanging on to every word!" ★★★★★

"One of the greatest suspense-filled books I have ever read" ★★★★★

"If you enjoy Richard Laymon, you'll love reading Jeremy Bates" ★★★★★

"A true edge-of-your-seat thriller...I couldn't put it down!" ★★★★★

"Startlingly Spooky!" ★★★★★

"A non-stop page-turner!" ★★★★★

"Early Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Jeremy Bates is a must read!" ★★★★★

"As usual Jeremy Bates has done it again... Give him a try, you'll not regret it" ★★★★★

Although in a series, this is a STAND-ALONE novel. For fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Richard Laymon, Bentley Little, as well as other horror and mystery authors such as Dan Simmons, Jack Ketchum, Robert McCammon, Brian Keene, Darcy Coates, Amy Cross, Jeff Strand, Ambrose Ibsen, Jeremy Robinson, Nick Cutter, Blake Crouch, Joe Hill, Iain Rob Wright, Jeff Menapace, Matt Shaw, Heather Graham, Jack Kilborn, James Herbert. We hope you enjoy!

Enjoy this horror thriller in audiobook, paperback, hardcover, and eBook. When you purchase the book in paperback or hardcover from Amazon, you can immediately start reading this best seller free on any computer via Kindle Cloud Reader, on Amazon Kindle Fire, or on any smartphone or tablet with the free Kindle reading app. Hear your favorite characters come to life in the bestselling audio book now available through Audible. Watch for new releases and many other best seller thriller books from Jeremy Bates.

Print length

369 pages
Language

English
Publication date

February 26, 2015
File size

2080 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bates brings the atmosphere" ‒ Publishers Weekly on Hotel Chelsea

"Creatively creepy and sure to scare" ‒ The Japan Times on Suicide Forest

"Jeremy Bates writes like a deviant angel I'm glad doesn't live on my shoulder" ‒ Christian Galacar, author of GILCHRIST

"Jeremy Bates knows scary. You're going to have a good time with whatever he writes" ‒ Jeff Menapace, author of BAD GAMES

"[Bates] is the real deal. He is a bit of a mix of Stephen King and Richard Laymon. You won't regret your purchase" ‒ Amazon Top Contributor

"I keep hearing this author being compared to the likes of Stephen King or Dean Koontz. I think [he] should be known for his OWN style of writing" ‒ Amazon Reviewer

"Will remind readers what chattering teeth sound like" ‒ Kirkus Reviews on Suicide Forest

"Voracious readers of horror will delightfully consume the contents of Bates's World's Scariest Places books" ‒ BookLife Prize on The Catacombs

"A short, sharp shocker" ‒ Publishers Weekly on Black Canyon

"The perfect antidote to a restful night's sleep, The Sleep Experiment is a fast-paced thriller that will keep the pages turning late into the night" ‒ Steven Sayers, author of THE SOUL DWELLER

"Thriller fans and readers of Stephen King, Joe Lansdale, and other masters of the art will find much to love in highly recommended, action-packed read" ‒ Midwest Book Review on Island of the Dolls

"Reads like a combination of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Clive Barker" ‒ Midwest Book Review on Mountain of the Dead

"A page-turner in the true sense of the word" ‒ HorrorAddicts on Mountain of the Dead

"Will make your skin crawl" ‒ Scream Magazine on Island of the Dolls

"Shocking" ‒ Booklist on White Lies

"Told with an authoritative voice full of heart and insight" ‒ Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker nominated author on The Catacombs

"I have long been a fan of Dean Koontz, Stephen King, and Frank Peretti and I feel confident that I can now add Jeremy Bates to that list" ‒ Reader Views on Mountain of the Dead

"A blistering rustic tale that takes the reader outdoors and to the deepest inner recesses of the human heart" ‒ Writer's Digest on Black Canyon
"A horror writer to watch" ‒ True Review

"Bates offers a truly chilling tale that reminds readers that humans can be the worst type of monster to fear, after all" ‒ BookLife Prize on Helltown

"An ice-cold thriller full of mystery, suspense, fear" ‒ David Moody, author of HATER and AUTUMN on Mountain of the Dead

"Would make a great screenplay!" ‒ Suspense Magazine on The Taste of Fear

"Bates doesn't miss a trick" ‒ Glenn Kleier, New York Times bestselling author on White Lies

"Bates knows how to creep into his reader's mind and toy around" ‒ Horror Palace on Island of the Dolls

"Something to give you chills before you go to bed" ‒ San Francisco Book Review on The Catacombs

"Excellent!" ‒ Andrew Peterson, international bestselling author of FIRST TO KILL on Suicide Forest

"Jeremy Bates is a skilled weaver of nightmares" ‒ Ambrose Ibsen, author of THE HAUNTING OF BEACON HILL

"Spellbinding" ‒ Bestsellersworld on White Lies

"Will delight horror fans who want their novels steeped in psychological suspense as well as action" ‒ Midwest Book Review on The Catacombs

"Invites you to read it in one sitting" ‒ Hellnotes on Suicide Forest

From the Author

Winner, "Reader Views Literary Awards" Horror Novel Award, 2018-2019, for "Mountain of the Dead."Finalist, "Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction" Horror Novella Award, 2017, for "The Mailman."Finalist, "Australian Horror Writers Association" Shadows Award, 2017, for "The Mailman."Winner, "Foreword INDIES" Horror Book of the Year Award Gold Medal, 2016, for "Island of the Dolls."Finalist, "Next Generation Indie Book Awards" Horror Novel Award, 2017, for "Island of the Dolls."Finalist, "The Skoutz Award" German Horror Award, 2017, for "Suicide Forest."Finalist, "Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction" Horror Novella Award, 2016, for "Box of Bones."Finalist, "Australian Horror Writers Association" Shadows Award, 2016, for "Box of Bones."Winner, "Crime Writers of Canada" Arthur Ellis Award/The Lou Allen Memorial Award, 2016, for "Black Canyon."Winner, "Australian Horror Writers Association" Shadows Award, 2015, for "The Catacombs."Winner, "IPPY (Independent Publisher Book Awards)" Bronze Medal/Horror, 2016, for "The Catacombs."Finalist, "Next Generation Indie Book Awards" Horror Novella Award, 2016, for "Black Canyon."Winner, "Reader Views Literary Award" Global Award, 2014-2015, for "Suicide Forest."Honorable Mention, "Reader Views Literary Award" Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Horror Award, 2014-2015, for "Suicide Forest."Finalist, "Goodreads" Choice Awards 2015, for "Suicide Forest."Finalist, "Australian Horror Writers Association" Shadows Award, 2014, for "Suicide Forest."Finalist, "Foreword INDIES" Horror Book of the Year Award, 2014, for "Suicide Forest."Finalist, "Foreword INDIES" Thriller & Suspense Book of the Year Award, 2012, for "White Lies."
The World's Scariest Places Series:

Suicide Forest - The bad news is they're lost. There is no good news.
The Catacombs - As close to hell as you're likely ever going to get.
Helltown - The luckiest die first and fast. The others, well...
Island of the Dolls - Come and see the dolls, but don't expect to leave alive.
Mountain of the Dead - Freezing to death is the least of their worries.
Hotel Chelsea - The most haunted hotel in America.

The World's Scariest Legends Series:

Mosquito Man - Are you afraid of the dark? You should be.
The Sleep Experiment - You'll never think about sleep the same way again.
The Man from Taured - Where did he come from? Where will he go?

The New America Series: *

New America: Utopia Calling - A brave new world.

Stand-alone Novels:

White Lies - You never know where a lie may lead...
The Taste of Fear - In the jungle, no one can hear you scream.

Short Novels:

Black Canyon - The new face of evil.
Run - You can run but you can't hide.
Rewind - Nothing is what it seems.
Neighbors - You never know what kind of psycho may be living next door.
Six Bullets - When there's no reason left to live, what would you do with your last six bullets?
Box of Bones - Time is running out.
The Mailman - Be careful what you wish for.
Re-Roll - Life can be a bitch.

Collections:

Dark Hearts - Four critically acclaimed short novels.
Bad People - Four critically acclaimed short novels.

Box Sets:

World's Scariest Places: Volume One - This omnibus edition includes books one and two in the bestselling World's Scariest Places series.
World's Scariest Places: Volume Two - This omnibus edition includes books three and four in the bestselling World's Scariest Places series.
World's Scariest Places: Volume Three - This omnibus edition includes books five and six in the bestselling World's Scariest Places series.
World's Scariest Legends: Volume One - This omnibus edition includes books one and two in the bestselling World's Scariest Legends series.
The Midnight Club Super Box Set - The complete collection of the award-winning Midnight Book Club short novels.

*The New America Series is comprised of short episodes intended for Kindle Unlimited customers who can read the episodes for free.

ASIN : B00U30WSG6
Publisher : Ghillinnein Books; 1st edition (February 26, 2015)
Publication date : February 26, 2015
Language : English
File size : 2080 KB
Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 369 pages
Lending : Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #49,254 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #20 in Movies & Video Genres
- #67 in Horror Fiction Classics
- #129 in Movie Tie-In Fiction

Customer Reviews:
1,007 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		65%
4 star		22%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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D. Safir

A well-written horror story that takes too long in its development, with less horror than I had hoped.

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a book that I would really have liked to give at least 4 stars to. I just can't. The premise was great and the prologue gave real promise to the story. The characters were well developed, but the problem is that there was just too slow a development to the story. You know that there is something horrible and scary that they will encounter, but it takes just too darn long to get there. I don't recall exactly how long, but it takes more than half of the book, maybe two thirds, to get to the real action. So much of the book is just getting through the catacombs and the interaction between the characters, including some flashbacks. I was waiting and waiting to get to the real horror. It just dragged too much. And finally when you get to the actual danger, I found it to be somewhat disappointing. I won't reveal what it was (as one reviewer already has), but it wasn't as horrifying as I had hoped. Nevertheless, the book was well written and deserved the three stars that says it was okay. I'm not sorry I read it, but was just hoping for something faster-paced and more horrifying.

33 people found this helpful

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Annabele

Definitely Not A Horror Story, Thriller Maybe, But Still Pretty Good.

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2018

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Like the first book in this series, this isn't a horror filled scarefest of chills & thrills. Yet even though it wasn't, it definitely kept my attention to the very end. I really enjoyed the author's different take on the urban legend type mystique of the Catacombs.

The characters were well developed, the storyline well fleshed out, not any typos or errors in sentence structure (that I noticed anyway & I usually notice everything).

While I prefer my Horror with more of a splattered gorefest, the storyline definitely had just enough so I could enjoy it, yet not too much that would turn off the average reader.

I especially love how you don't need to read previous books in this series to know what is going on, or even having to read each book in order. Each book stands on it's own without the dreaded cliffhanger that forces you to buy the next book (and the next, and the next, etc.) just to know what's happening or understand what happens next.

I will definitely be reading this ebook again as well as continuing on with the rest of this series.

12 people found this helpful

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Danielle Caruso

Great book, minus a few things

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2019

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I really enjoyed this book, it's really easy to get through quickly. I only have a few criticisms, but it's just based on personal preference, not writing style. There were some sections that dove pretty deep into the main character's past, and I didn't really see the significance of it and felt as if it kind of distracted from the events taking place at that time. It seems the author tries to tie it into things, but in all honesty I didn't find any enjoyment in it - but hey, personal preference I guess. Other readers may really enjoy the main character's history snippets. I also wasn't too fond of the ending. It felt rushed, lacking details, and honestly pretty impractical. Overall though I've enjoyed Jeremy Bate's books and haven't found any other authors like him - he really puts you into the adventure and helps you to feel the sensations the characters feel. But as I had said, those snippets into the past, although brief and infrequent, really took away from the adventure.

7 people found this helpful

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Dez N

I would LOVE to go to Paris' catacombs one day

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

This is my third of the World's Scariest Places series, and probably the one for which I was most excited. I would LOVE to go to Paris' catacombs one day. So perhaps my views are skewed in favor of a book set down there.

Will is an American living in Paris, taking language lessons from Daniele. Daniele and her friend Pascal are both cataphiles - urban explorers who frequent the catacombs. Pascal found a video camera far off the usual paths, and believes the owner to be dead. So naturally, they want to search for her. The three meet up with Pascal's friend and Daniele's brother-in-law, Robert.

Apparently, the catacombs attract some interesting people. Not surprisingly, people wanting to spend long periods of time wandering around underground are odd. Right before they reach their entrance, Will gets into a fistfight with another cataphile about to enter the tunnels with scuba gear. Then after wandering around for awhile, they meet The Painted Devil, one of three idiots in Nazi SS uniforms (yes, you are reading that correctly). And then the real trouble begins.

I couldn't help but thinking of the movie The Descent when reading this. And that movie freaked me out. Crawling through those tiny spaces that are barely more than the width of your body just gives me the willies. At one point, Will observes: "It was as if we were wandering an Escher drawing where the rules of physics no longer applied." Oh good grief!

The things awaiting the 4 explorers were not quite what I was expecting. Overall the story was entertaining and satisfying. Yes, this series is formulaic, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

7 people found this helpful

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A scary journey to the horror underworld

Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

In the Prologue, the reader is exposed to a picture of acute fear: someone running to escape horror and death. The novel then reverts to almost two days earlier. The story begins to unfold, drawing the reader willingly toward the Catacombs. From the Prologue, the reader wonders what monstrosities inhabit the underearth. Parts of the novel are edge of your seat action and suspense, but the story is more than that. There are insights into human nature. We see it in the contrasting personalities of the explorers and in the contrast between evil that becomes pervasive and accepted as normal in the Catacombs and the un-evil and at times good within the explorers. The characters are colorful, engaging, and believable with contrasting personalities that adds interest. The writing is polished -- descriptive narrative that pulls the reader along. Reviewed by the author of The Children's Story, About Good and Evil.

40 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Ecowitch

Now this is far more like it. Having read and been a let down ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2018

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Now this is far more like it. Having read and been a let down by Bates first helping in the series I wasn't sure about this but I figured he deserved another shot and he pulled it back brilliantly. This isn't a faultless read by any means but at least this time the characters actually try to use their brains and weigh up options rather than charging in all gun-ho and the female characters have a bit of nounce about them and don't just do what they are told, in fact they end up doing a lot of the telling (much more realistic!). I'm not sure I totally liked the ending as it as a little too neat for me but then I do prefer not so happy endings in my horror genre (feel free to all me morbid) but the story was again brilliantly written, fast paced and gripping. I've never favoured an e-book over a proper book so much in my life (and I am both slightly ashamed and slightly proud). I'm looking forward to reading the next installment now.

2 people found this helpful

Stephen Clynes

A regular urban legend of a hidden community.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2018

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The Catacombs are a network of tunnels beneath Paris which are said to extend more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) and reach depths of 30 meters (100), too deep for phone coverage. Follow 4 characters who go on an underground adventure to explore hidden treasures etc in this hidden world beneath the streets of Paris.

I thought this thriller from Jeremy Bates was okay. The structure of this novel is similar to his previous book, the Suicide Forest and offers the same huge vocabulary that helps make this story such an adult read. Jeremy manages to capture the atmosphere of the catacombs very well indeed when he writes…

I tried to imagine what it would be like to walk alone in utter blackness, with only your hand on the wall to guide you, your mouth dry from dehydration, your throat and lungs burning from the rank air and the countless hours of screaming for help, your feet weeping with blisters, your legs jellied with exhaustion, nothing around you but tunnels and more tunnels, ad infinitum.

Yes, it is clearly very scary being lost in complete darkness within 300 km of tunnels below Paris knowing that nobody can hear you scream. I felt Jeremy explained these fears very well indeed as our 4 characters tried to exit the nightmare they had become trapped within.

The plot of The Catacombs was okay and was a regular urban legend of a hidden community. The main problem I had with The Catacombs was that I read it straight after Suicide Forest. I thought that Suicide Forest was a GOOD 4 star read and in comparison The Catacombs was simply not as good. For me The Catacombs was an okay 3 stars read because it lacked the wonder threaded within the script of the Suicide Forest.

One person found this helpful

Caroline Broderick

Horribly and brilliantly claustrophobic!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

After downloading the freebie 'A Taste of Fear' I thought that Jeremy Bates was a pretty good writer. Fast paced, relatively believable situations and characters, gripping and a good read so I decided to buy this one next and it changed my mind from a pretty good writer to very rapidly becoming my favourite.

The story primarily takes place in the Paris catacombs where the characters are battling the terrain, the fear and occasionally each other. The description of the catacombs is uncomfortable and how he describes a 6'4" man trying to push himself through tiny crevices is horribly claustrophobic. Yes it takes a bit of a strange turn towards the end but, having read other books by Jeremy Bates, I think that's just his style and it definitely works.

One of the best stories I've read in a long time.

2 people found this helpful

Amberoo1

Brilliant, Creepy nail-biting story.....

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great book! Keep me hooked from the start. Kept me wanting to know if they would escape alive- fast paced and excting. It reminded me of the film As above so below- very similar in places.
Ive read both books in the series so far and found this one a easier read and although the Japan spooky forest was a good read I preferred this one. What make these stories fascinating to me is that they based in real places! Are the newspaper exerts real?
Keep up the good work Mr Bates and look forward to reading your next book in the series...

3 people found this helpful

corrine g

Great chilling story

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 3, 2019

Verified Purchase

Finished late last night because I couldn't put it down. Great story very well written i really could feel the cold dark damp tunnels,very chilling and claustrophobic. Definitely going to read more from this very talented author.

One person found this helpful

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