The Catacombs by Jeremy Bates

The Catacombs by Jeremy Bates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

They’re pulpy horror novels, but I’m enjoying the fare by Jeremy Bates so far! Set in real life scary locations, with the occasional supernatural twist.

In this instalment, a group of acquaintances venture into the Paris Catacombs after finding a video recording of a woman who appears to have been chased through the tunnels and possibly died there. Knowing that there already exists ossuaries of approximately two million dead people that are entombed down there, they attempt to locate this lost woman in the hope that she might still be alive.

There are areas of the Catacombs where tourists are allowed, but the group intend to go much much further. As they trek further and further into the darkness, they are beset by gangs of locals who prey on the unsuspecting tourists that dare to go into the off-limits areas; are split due to internal conflicts within the group, and ultimately run into deadly circumstances. Are there ghosts down there? Or is it something more tangible?

These stories often follow the thread of “tourists want an adventure off the map, make some stupid decisions, and end up running across evil locals who want to kill them” – but on the way, Bates sets up the scenes so that you can practically smell the dust of the tunnels, and find yourself alone in the dark. Always good for a scare.

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