There will be no skipping parts—and no putting this book down until it has finished.

What can be scarier than wandering the catacombs under Paris in darkness? You will discover how horrific it can be below the city. The story plunges you underground with the four explorers, as they journey through the catacombs, pursuing a quest inspired by a mysterious video Pascal had found during a previous trip below.

Pascal and Daniele are both experienced cataphiles—the colloquial term for underground urban explorers of the catacombs. They guide Rob and Will through some treacherous terrain and tight conditions. The setting is described fully, and you will feel as if you are there in the tunnels as well, inching through every fissure crack. You want suspense and horror—look no further. The surprise will be not only whom they meet below, but also the shadows they each carry within themselves. As they trek, the characters naturally unfold their own stories.

The bizarre and shocking encounters underground trigger their reveries and innermost thoughts. The reader has a front row seat and glimpses into the past of Will, the main protagonist, as he reveals his nightmare while trying to come to terms with his own ghosts. The author does this with a smooth and compassionate brush.

This brings us right back to their horrendous situation that they are dealing with. We travel beside them, sharing their troubles; the deeper into the tunnels and the story, the bigger the shock becomes. Twists and turns are found not only through the catacombs, but the with each action decision the characters opt as well.

No more details told. I do not want to give anything away. Nevertheless, I have to disclose that I never expected the end as it unfolded. Not a fairy-tale ending but it is very much acceptable. Well done—suspenseful to the end!

This is book two in the series “A World’s Scariest Places”. The first “Suicide Forest” was also a great suspense thriller. For both of these stories, the series name is not enough to prepare you for what you will experience as a reader. You will learn new things about our world, and survive through our worst fears as well.

I have read both books in the series so far, and both are intense. These books have become my favorites, a modern writer surpassing King and Koontz. Jeremy Bates not only delivers maximum suspense and horror, but you are right there with the characters. The style of writing is honest, vivid, compelling and never a dull moment.

About The Reviewer

Elisabeth Zguta is an advocate for Independent authors and publishers and encourages all writers to learn the skills needed for today’s book markets and to keep in touch with the new technologies.

​She is curious ​and always wants to know more about everything, and her attention goes to many places and topics. She considers herself a life learner, not only because of the courses she takes but also from the knowledge gained through life experiences. Nothing brings her more satisfaction than reading something new that sparks her imagination or connecting with other people regarding a topic. She is an Indie Author of supernatural, thriller suspense novels and writes blog posts.

Learn more about Elisabeth and her work at http://ezindiepublishing.com/

Heart pounding suspense!

I strongly recommend this book for suspense seekers, you will definitely be entertained. Revealed through the eyes and voice of Ethan, who deals with the strange and gruesome occurrences that he, and six other companions, experience in Aokigahara Jukai – the Sea of Trees, or better known in Japan as the place to go, to commit suicide.

Suicide Forest -It’s an intriguing title and it only gets better-Jeremy Bates wrote a vivid novel, and pulls the reader into the world under the trees, a woven canopy of twisted boughs and an imaginative macabre forest.

The protagonist’s back story unfolds nicely with bits and pieces of his experiences as an English teacher in Japan. The tension picks up quick, and the companions roll from one ordeal to another, in a well-paced sequence of events, responding to each tribulation in creative ways. They all react with their own voice and tone, bringing an added dimension to the storyline. Throughout the book there is a true sense of place, and of cultural backgrounds with the descriptions of the music, food and drinking customs, and boundaries in relationships-all defining our humanity. The differences between the characters, as well as their common threads, are exposed.

The cast of characters begins with Ethan and his girlfriend Melinda, both English teachers in a foreign country. Her friend John Scott, an American soldier, tags along. Also another teacher and Ethan’s co-worker Neil, and Tomo a young Psychology major-they then meet up with two new acquaintances, Ben and Nina, who are Israeli. All of them are from different backgrounds and cultures, and they each have their own personal struggles. A common theme they do share-thoughts about suicide, or at least about death, for various individual reasons. The seven companions hike into the woods following lifelines of ribbons, and set out to camp for a night. Not everyone comes out.
They deal with the situations that arise, until you are led to think there is no place to turn-or hope left. But Ethan finds a way. I don’t want to give anything away but an unexpected turn leads the reader into a shocking end…

I never saw it coming. I believe, humans are the worst monsters. You have to read the book to understand… As a reader, I finished the story satisfied, with lingering thoughts about the situation the book presented. I am always happy reading a story that makes me think and learn new things, and Jeremy Bates did an excellent job of sharing his added flavor to the story, with his own experiences in travel, and obvious research. I strongly recommend this book for suspense seekers, you will definitely be entertained.

About The Reviewer

Elisabeth Zguta is an advocate for Independent authors and publishers and encourages all writers to learn the skills needed for today’s book markets and to keep in touch with the new technologies.

​She is curious ​and always wants to know more about everything, and her attention goes to many places and topics. She considers herself a life learner, not only because of the courses she takes but also from the knowledge gained through life experiences. Nothing brings her more satisfaction than reading something new that sparks her imagination or connecting with other people regarding a topic. She is an Indie Author of supernatural, thriller suspense novels and writes blog posts.

Learn more about Elisabeth and her work at http://ezindiepublishing.com/