While this may be a predictable story, it was still well written and entertaining. I think a bit more time spent on some scenes, to add more oomph, would have benefited this story. The concept is solid, just mediocre in the presentation. I see the potential!

#NetGalley #Below

I was super interested to read this book, as I love found footage movies. I wanted to know how it would translate into a book. I enjoyed this read although I was little bored with it until you get into the last 20% or so. Either way, I enjoyed the way the end built up and I was satisfied with the conclusion.

This uses the claustrophobic element perfectly and had the horror element that I was looking for. It uses a real feel and was invested in what was going on, the characters had that feel that I was looking for and was glad everything worked in this. Kev Harrison has a strong writing style and enjoyed the characters and plot on how it worked overall.

Below by Kev Harrison is a short but creepy story full of tension and suspense. Dr Nick Jones is a geologist intent on discovering the secrets of an abandoned Californian gold mine where his grandfather died. Working with adventure influencer Jess and a camera crew, Nick starts his journey to follow in his grandfather's footsteps while filming everything for a documentary. As the team venture deeper into the mine a lurking presence awaits.
This was a quick claustrophobic story! The setting is intense and gave off major ominous vibes. The main characters were pretty much fully developed but they did lack a little something. I'm not sure what though. The horror pieces were well constructed, playing off the claustrophobic / subterranean mine trope very well.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kev Harrison, and Brigid's Gate Press for this ARC. Released May 27th 2022.

Below by Kev Harrison delivers a chilling slice of horror that will have readers up at night. The story follows Nick Jones, a miner whose life has been shaped by tales of his grandfather, who perished in a mining disaster. At 28, Nick is determined to reopen the mine where his grandfather died over sixty years ago, hoping to recover his remains. Accompanied by influencer Jess and camerawoman Sophia, Nick descends into the mine, only to realize they’re not alone.

Harrison excels in crafting a claustrophobic, dark setting that pulls readers into the tension of the underground. As the explorers venture deeper, the suspense builds, creating a visceral sense of unease. The oppressive atmosphere grips the reader, making it hard to shake the feeling of impending danger.

This most definitely should be a movie—no questions asked. The eerie found footage vibe, combined with the documentary-style narrative and the hauntingly abandoned mines, creates an atmosphere thick with dread. The constant threat of another collapse adds a spine-chilling layer of danger, leaving you unsure of who—or what—might be buried next. The writing amps up the tension with every page, pulling you deeper into the suffocating darkness. It's a book that gnaws at you, and the suspense builds with a slow, relentless grip. I’d recommend this to any horror fan looking for a story that will linger long after the lights go out. Below is a fast-paced, atmospheric read that will leave you uneasy—best enjoyed with the lights on.

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. Below is available now at major booksellers.

Below is a quick and entertaining read that will appeal to horror fans. Very well done and creepy.

Thanks to Netgalley.

Below by Kev Harrison
🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is an exciting and creepy shorter story.
This story follows Nick on a t.v. filming adventure down into an old mine. The same mine his grandfather had been in several years before, and he’s trying to follow the path his grandfather had taken.
The story is thrilling, intense and fast paced!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this entertaining book.

*thank you Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Uh, creature in a lost mine?? Yes please! You literally had me at the title! And just look at this beautiful cover work by Kealan Patrick Burke! How captivating.

Below is a very quick read. It doesn’t take long to set up the premise. It does take a bit for the creature to officially make an appearance though. I honestly didn’t mind the drawn out reveal too much because I was so caught up in the unraveling story of the 4 men who ended up being buried alive 50+ years ago.

That being said, it did feel like the creature didn’t get as much time to shine? Like, I kept waiting for more from it, you know? It felt like there were some real missed opportunities. It was a little odd feeling.

Overall, Below is a a quick and entertaining story. Very quick read. A fun cave creature story. I just wish the creature had a accomplished a little more.

Caves are one of the scariest things I know. This novel makes that trope into pure horror. Very good writing and the pacing is perfect. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Kev Harrison’s Below plunges readers into a claustrophobic descent into the unknown, blending adventure, horror, and family legacy in a gripping, fast-paced novella. The story follows Dr. Nick Jones, a geologist with a personal connection to the abandoned Californian gold mine where his grandfather met a chilling end. Teaming up with daring adventure influencer Jess, Nick embarks on a journey to uncover the truth behind his family’s tragic history and produce a documentary in the process.

What begins as an exciting venture quickly devolves into a heart-pounding nightmare. As the pair delves deeper underground, Harrison masterfully ratchets up the tension, transforming the mine’s dark, confining tunnels into a crucible of fear. The setting is vividly described, making every creak of timber and whisper of wind feel ominous, as if the mine itself is alive.

The novel’s strength lies in its atmosphere and pacing. Harrison weaves a tale that balances personal stakes with escalating dread. Nick’s quest is not just about unearthing his grandfather’s fate, but also about reconciling with the weight of familial history, adding an emotional core to the narrative. Jess, as a thrill-seeking influencer, brings modernity and a touch of levity, though her motivations occasionally feel secondary to the story’s central horror.

Harrison skillfully teases the lurking presence in the mine, keeping readers on edge as the line between man-made dangers and supernatural threats blurs. The mystery unfolds with just enough clues to keep the pages turning, culminating in a finale that is as shocking as it is satisfying.

Below is a tightly crafted tale that will appeal to fans of subterranean horror like The Descent and those who appreciate stories where the past refuses to stay buried. Kev Harrison expertly balances thrills with chills, delivering a story that lingers long after the final page. A must-read for horror fans looking for their next underground obsession.

This had really good bones (no pun intended but yeesh, accurate). The concept was really creepy, and there were elements that were utterly terrifying. The central core of the story was really interesting, and I liked how it unfolded.

I wish that the author had given everything more time to play out - the book is so short and the chapters so brief that it felt like it all went past in a whirlwind, and that weakened the horror elements for me. The plot would really benefit from slowing down and letting the horror of it dawn on the reader, I think. I also wish that the characters had been more well-developed - I liked them a lot, but their motivations and personalities were sort of vague, given the brevity of the story. I would happily read a series about them going on adventures and uncovering creepy stuff (especially with that surprising but delightfully welcome queer representation!) but I think that Nick will never be going anywhere even remotely creepy ever again. Which is fair, given what went down.

Overall, I enjoyed this, but it would have been better if there was more of it.

Thank you Brigids Gate Press, LLC Netgalley, and Kev Harrison for the eArc of Below.

Below is a fast paced story about Nick, who’s claustrophobic, going into a mine in search of what really happened to his grandfather after a cave in decades ago.
Accompanied by Jess and Sophia, they explore the cavern, finding tools and pages of a journal along the way.
For me, this story was more of a mystery instead of a horror. The “creature” wasn’t a surprise for me because I was fully expecting it to be exactly what it was.

Below by Kev Harrison follows a camera crew venturing down in the dark to tell the story of Nick's grandfather's heroic deeds decades ago. The set-up is great, the hook works, and they make it to the cave very quickly. The story moves fast from point to point - too fast, even.

I'm a huge fan of subterranean horror - the descent, as above so below & the luminous dead are some of my favorite pieces of media. So, I'm thrilled to see another book in the genre. However, I never felt immersed or had a clear vision of the setting other than 'big rock to scale'. To me, the scariest thing about this subgenre is the setting, and here the setting came second to the creature / the mystery behind the grandfather figure. I also felt the TV camera crew angle was very underdeveloped and underutilized. The cover is also . . . not great (a blinding white background for a novel that takes place mostly underground? mmmokay)

This one is more like the American remake of the REC than the Descent. More creature horror than atmospheric. I do see an audience for this, however, and it's a genre I'd like to see more of.

I’ll take a large order of claustrophobia with a side of sabotage and strange distant noises please. And I’ll wash it down with constant anxiety.
BELOW by Kev Harrison
Back in ‘57 Nick’s grandfather made a heroic sacrifice saving several miners from a cave in that trapped him and a couple others underground. Now Nick is going back into that cave with a camera crew to find what remains and dispel rumors that don’t paint as nice of a picture.
Tight and steep tunnels make you feel tense and vulnerable, while the near darkness of the setting mirrors the very dark plot.
The characters are young and mostly inexperienced with what they are doing but you quickly become enamored with them and hope they don’t end up getting themselves trapped.
My one gripe with the book was the cover. It is a gorgeous cover but it was misleading. If you see this cover you may expect to find a story with a gnarly creature that could rend the flesh from your bones with its powerful claws. This isn’t that story.
“Nick watched as the creature’s fingers flexed, flesh so tight to the bone they were almost indistinguishable from one another, fingernails missing altogether.”

Thank you Netgalley, Brigids Gate Press, LLC and Kev Harrison for the eArc of Below.

This is a fast paced, quick read from Kev Harrison and it my first book from this author. I pretty much read this book in a few sittings and the plot was gripping enough to keep you engaged. The main characters were fairly well fleshed out and felt sensible and level headed and were easy to follow and bond with. Saying that, I felt that more could have been given to these characters, a bit of recklessness maybe could have made them more interesting and added to the overall atmosphere of the book.

The horror elements were well executed and gave homage to the claustrophobic/ creature feature tropes very similar to The Cave/Descent films, which I love. Again though, I felt like there could have been a lot more to build the atmosphere and this I feel is where the Book falls slightly short for me. I loved the whole underlaying backstory and the little tipbits of foreshadowing as the plot goes exactly where you thing its gonna.

Overall, its a well formatted, well paced and a well written book in which I thoroughly enjoyed.

3.25 stars for StoryGraph rounded to 3 for other review sites.

Nick has revered his grandfather his entire life. The absent hero, his namesake, buried alive in his final act of courage an ocean and thousands of miles away. Jess has outgrown her status as an all-action social media celebrity and the endless demands that come with it.

Adventure Travel TV has thrown this unlikely duo together, promising Jess the launchpad she craves and Nick the chance to tell his grandfather’s story first-hand, in the newly uncovered mine that still holds his remains from the twilight days of the gold rush. Is it a dream come true or a nightmare as someone or something stirs…BELOW.

Awesome, fasst paced horror novel that reminded me of the amazing movie The Descent. If you;re looking for a thrilling book that will creep you out, check out this book and author!

If you liked the movies, The Descent or As Above So Below, you'll enjoy this quick subterranean horror story! The pacing was great and the characters were realistic. I loved the twists and really enjoyed the letters left behind from the Grandfather, it really helped piece together what was happening underground. I also enjoyed that one of the characters was a content creator! This was definitely a quick and easy read, absolutely recommend!

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Kev Harrison did an excellent job with characters and the story line. I couldn't put it down. I was on a roller coaster the entire time because this book makes you have all the feels. It was well written, dark and gritty. I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this novel. I can't wait to read more from this author. I definitely recommend this book to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley ARC, Brigids Gate Press LLC, and Kev Harrison

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters came to life in the story and the plot made you want to know what happened next. I thought the plot was going to go one way but the interesting twist took it another way. I also liked the subtle romantic interest in the book. I would definitely read more books by this author.

3.5 stars rounded up

This was a quick, claustrophobic, and scary read! I cannot imagine going into old mine shafts where people had died and exploring something that hasn’t been seen by man in 60 some years. So creepy!

The dialogue was a bit odd, but the story line was good. I liked the Wendigo vibes and the old letters the group found written by Nick’s grandfather. This story reminded me of the video game “Until Dawn”. Jess, Nick, and Sofia were all likeable characters who you wanted to see make it. The ending was bitter sweet, I wasn’t expecting it at all.

If you’re looking for a quick, creepy, and claustrophobic read, this book is for you!