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The Chamber
And Then There Were None meets The Last Breath in this tense and suspenseful locked-room thriller that takes place inside a hyperbaric chamber from the author of the “brilliant, twisted, and oh so clever” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author) novel The Last Thing to Burn.
Six experienced saturation divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber. Calm and professional, they know that rapid decompression would be fatal and so they work in shifts, breathing helium, and surviving in hot, close quarters.
Then one of them is found dead in his bunk.
With four days of decompression to go before the locked hatch to the chamber can be safely opened, the group must watch one another’s backs at all times. And when another diver is discovered unresponsive, everyone is on edge. What…or who…is taking them out one by one? And will any of them still be alive by the time the four days is up or will paranoia, exhaustion, suspicion, and pressure destroy them all?
Six experienced saturation divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber. Calm and professional, they know that rapid decompression would be fatal and so they work in shifts, breathing helium, and surviving in hot, close quarters.
Then one of them is found dead in his bunk.
With four days of decompression to go before the locked hatch to the chamber can be safely opened, the group must watch one another’s backs at all times. And when another diver is discovered unresponsive, everyone is on edge. What…or who…is taking them out one by one? And will any of them still be alive by the time the four days is up or will paranoia, exhaustion, suspicion, and pressure destroy them all?
352 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2024
280 people are currently reading
21292 people want to read
About the author
Will Dean
22 books1,606 followersWill Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. He was a bookish, daydreaming kid who found comfort in stories and nature (and he still does). After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden. He built a wooden house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it's from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. He is the author of Dark Pines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,105 reviews
April 16, 2024
I’m sure you’re all aware of that oft mentioned sentence used recently in many novels, “ She released the breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding “, Well yes, such was the feeling of claustrophobia in ‘The Chamber’ in this case, that’s exactly what happened!
Ellen Brooke is about to enter a hyperbaric chamber with five other Saturation divers. They will spend a month beneath the ocean, where each day they will take it in turns to be placed in a diving bell which takes them down to the sea bed in order to repair oil pipes. This is a close knit team, let’s face it, it would be disastrous if they weren’t, because no one can leave the chamber in a hurry due to the need for decompression - not decompressing correctly will cause the bends, with its myriad of medical problems, and possibly death.
Things are going well until one of the divers is found dead in his bunk. No one has any idea what caused it, so the powers that be decide to bring the team back to the surface, and begin decompression. This will take four long days, all the while giving the divers minds time to suspect their colleagues, either that or something within the chamber is poisoning them.
Imagine being locked in a tiny chamber miles out in the North Sea if you suspect one of your teammates of murder, or indeed that there’s some harmful bacteria/substance that’s caused the death of your colleague. You can’t open the door or you will all die! The finger of suspicion gets a real workout in this excellent locked room thriller. As the hours tick down, the psychological pressure builds, as does the claustrophobia, leaving the reader breathless with anticipation! Another winner from the talent that is Will Dean. And breathe!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
Ellen Brooke is about to enter a hyperbaric chamber with five other Saturation divers. They will spend a month beneath the ocean, where each day they will take it in turns to be placed in a diving bell which takes them down to the sea bed in order to repair oil pipes. This is a close knit team, let’s face it, it would be disastrous if they weren’t, because no one can leave the chamber in a hurry due to the need for decompression - not decompressing correctly will cause the bends, with its myriad of medical problems, and possibly death.
Things are going well until one of the divers is found dead in his bunk. No one has any idea what caused it, so the powers that be decide to bring the team back to the surface, and begin decompression. This will take four long days, all the while giving the divers minds time to suspect their colleagues, either that or something within the chamber is poisoning them.
Imagine being locked in a tiny chamber miles out in the North Sea if you suspect one of your teammates of murder, or indeed that there’s some harmful bacteria/substance that’s caused the death of your colleague. You can’t open the door or you will all die! The finger of suspicion gets a real workout in this excellent locked room thriller. As the hours tick down, the psychological pressure builds, as does the claustrophobia, leaving the reader breathless with anticipation! Another winner from the talent that is Will Dean. And breathe!!
*Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *
November 27, 2024
Wow this was slow. Drawn out. Confusing.
I did finish, but it was a slog to get there. This story is narrated by Ellen Brooke, who is a saturation diver in a pressurized chamber with five other divers. Shortly after starting their latest job, one of them is found dead, and they have to wait four days for the chamber to be depressurized so they can get out. Then another diver is unresponsive--what is happening? Is it environmental causes or murder?
I had a very difficult time picturing what was going on. Although there is a diagram and a glossary at the beginning, I had to watch a YouTube video to really get a sense of the claustrophobic environment. And that would have been all right had the narrative itself not been so incredibly boring. Since they are confined to this tiny little chamber, the only thing they can do is talk about their lives and their experiences in the military, etc. There was nothing propelling the story forward. There's very little character development, we barely get to know anything about any of them. What we do hear a lot about is the humidity, the environment they are in, the wiping and the cleaning and the wiping....
And to keep with the confusion, each of these divers has both an actual name and a diver nickname (Ellen is occasionally referred to as Ellen, mostly as Brooke, which is confusing in itself because they are both first names), which are occasionally used interchangeably. Combine this with the people outside the chamber which are sometimes referred to by their job titles and sometimes referred to by their names, the entire thing was a muddled mess to me. And being that this is such a highly specialized field with jobs that are not well known to the regular person, it got more confusing.
Then we get to the mystery. I basically called it from the beginning of the book. It wasn't particularly surprising, but even so, the solution was ambiguous, leaving some of it to the reader to piece together what happened. When all was said and done, I found the time after the chamber opened to be totally anti-climactic and not worth the long and tedious hours I spend in the chamber.
Here's a spoiler if anyone wants to chime in with better theories because I'm very lost
I love a good locked room mystery, and I have enjoyed other books by this author in the past. Maybe I'm an outlier here but I found this to be slow and overall a disappointment.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I did finish, but it was a slog to get there. This story is narrated by Ellen Brooke, who is a saturation diver in a pressurized chamber with five other divers. Shortly after starting their latest job, one of them is found dead, and they have to wait four days for the chamber to be depressurized so they can get out. Then another diver is unresponsive--what is happening? Is it environmental causes or murder?
I had a very difficult time picturing what was going on. Although there is a diagram and a glossary at the beginning, I had to watch a YouTube video to really get a sense of the claustrophobic environment. And that would have been all right had the narrative itself not been so incredibly boring. Since they are confined to this tiny little chamber, the only thing they can do is talk about their lives and their experiences in the military, etc. There was nothing propelling the story forward. There's very little character development, we barely get to know anything about any of them. What we do hear a lot about is the humidity, the environment they are in, the wiping and the cleaning and the wiping....
And to keep with the confusion, each of these divers has both an actual name and a diver nickname (Ellen is occasionally referred to as Ellen, mostly as Brooke, which is confusing in itself because they are both first names), which are occasionally used interchangeably. Combine this with the people outside the chamber which are sometimes referred to by their job titles and sometimes referred to by their names, the entire thing was a muddled mess to me. And being that this is such a highly specialized field with jobs that are not well known to the regular person, it got more confusing.
Then we get to the mystery. I basically called it from the beginning of the book. It wasn't particularly surprising, but even so, the solution was ambiguous, leaving some of it to the reader to piece together what happened. When all was said and done, I found the time after the chamber opened to be totally anti-climactic and not worth the long and tedious hours I spend in the chamber.
Here's a spoiler if anyone wants to chime in with better theories because I'm very lost
I love a good locked room mystery, and I have enjoyed other books by this author in the past. Maybe I'm an outlier here but I found this to be slow and overall a disappointment.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 7, 2024
After diving into this book, I’m convinced I’ll never be comfortable in tight spaces again! This story leans heavily into the mystery side, keeping you on the edge of your seat with suspense. Imagine a tiny crew stuck in a super cramped space—things are bound to get wild, but not in the way you’d expect! While it’s not the most heart-pounding thriller out there, it still delivers a fantastic, suspenseful ride.
April 9, 2024
Six divers are to be locked into a pressurised chamber resembling a mini submarine, they will be lowered to the bottom of the North Sea and work there for a month. They breathe a mixture of oxygen and helium so their bloodstream becomes saturated with it so the pressure is the same as the surrounding waters. They’re lowered, twenty metres, fifty metres, a hundred metres below sea level. All ready Mike, Jumbo, Andre, Spock, Tea-bag and our narrator Brooke??? Affirmative. The mother ship, Deep Topaz will see you all in a month ….. or will they?
Wow. This is an absolute must read for fans of the locked room mystery thriller genre. Right from the start it gives me chills and goosebumps, just the very thought of being trapped in the chamber makes me want to risk the bends to escape. The six divers are submerged and confined in a very small space making this a creative and original setting for a locked room mystery and they don’t get much more claustrophobic than this. They resemble tinned sardines so the feeling of being closed in is off the scale intense. It’s physically and mentally challenging at the best of times without the And Then There Were None premise.
It’s very well written, the pace is fast, its an exciting and gripping edge of the seat read with off the SonarChart tension. Will Dean chucks little info bombs into the mix with jaw dropping effect. As they’re submerged in a hidden seabed world in a darkly mysterious setting, a terrific atmosphere to accompany the tale is a given. At times the setting provides a dreamlike quality, a hypnotic tone to the storytelling or maybe that should be nightmarish as the dangers are obvious and it becomes terrifying. The toll it takes on the original six is exhausting and that doubles down as their fear levels rise. Who to trust is the big conundrum.
It’s hard to explain how an already tension fuelled atmosphere can escalate but the last part is a countdown and it sure does. Dread builds as suspicion flits hither and thither. Can they stay alive to exit the chamber?
Overall, I love this latest novel from this talented author who has nailed the locked room mystery. It’s apparent he’s done a great deal of research so it feels authentic and is conveyed clearly so it’s easy to visualise the scenarios. It creates a heart pounding reading experience, I feel the need to take great gulps of fresh air! It’s an addictive clever page turner with a terrific enigmatic ending. So well played Mr D, I’m eagerly anticipating what you come up with next. We’ve been on the sea, under the sea - in the air next time????
Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Wow. This is an absolute must read for fans of the locked room mystery thriller genre. Right from the start it gives me chills and goosebumps, just the very thought of being trapped in the chamber makes me want to risk the bends to escape. The six divers are submerged and confined in a very small space making this a creative and original setting for a locked room mystery and they don’t get much more claustrophobic than this. They resemble tinned sardines so the feeling of being closed in is off the scale intense. It’s physically and mentally challenging at the best of times without the And Then There Were None premise.
It’s very well written, the pace is fast, its an exciting and gripping edge of the seat read with off the SonarChart tension. Will Dean chucks little info bombs into the mix with jaw dropping effect. As they’re submerged in a hidden seabed world in a darkly mysterious setting, a terrific atmosphere to accompany the tale is a given. At times the setting provides a dreamlike quality, a hypnotic tone to the storytelling or maybe that should be nightmarish as the dangers are obvious and it becomes terrifying. The toll it takes on the original six is exhausting and that doubles down as their fear levels rise. Who to trust is the big conundrum.
It’s hard to explain how an already tension fuelled atmosphere can escalate but the last part is a countdown and it sure does. Dread builds as suspicion flits hither and thither. Can they stay alive to exit the chamber?
Overall, I love this latest novel from this talented author who has nailed the locked room mystery. It’s apparent he’s done a great deal of research so it feels authentic and is conveyed clearly so it’s easy to visualise the scenarios. It creates a heart pounding reading experience, I feel the need to take great gulps of fresh air! It’s an addictive clever page turner with a terrific enigmatic ending. So well played Mr D, I’m eagerly anticipating what you come up with next. We’ve been on the sea, under the sea - in the air next time????
Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
August 4, 2024
Chamber" takes your breath away! It sends shivers down your spine, makes every hair on your body stand up! It makes you feel trapped, paranoid, delirious, sweaty, dizzy, helpless! You feel like one of the six people caged in the chamber, forming conspiracy theories about who wants to kill you, who the main villain is: somebody inside or anyone working in the corporation sending your food, your drinks, equipment you use. Who? Even writing these sentences made me hyperventilate.
One thing I’m sure of is you’re going to feel exactly the same as soon as you flip the pages of this book. You're going to feel like you’re suffocating. You will barely restrain your screams and feel an urge to throw the book and run aimlessly without direction, but the book is too addictive to leave. You're going to want to know what’s going to happen. And with each chapter, the pressure builds more and more. You feel like the walls are closing in on you and you will be squeezed like an insect. Especially in the last chapters, as the countdown continues, you will feel the sweat appear on your forehead, dripping down from your hair, and curse loudly, even scream, because you are about to explode with suspicion, pressure, praying the hatch door opens without more incidents like more dead people! And that ending! Oh boy! What the heck did I just read? Yes, you’re going to steal this line because as your jaw hits the floor, the only thing you can say is these words or something similar to them!
Well! This book is a roller coaster and the best locked room/chamber mystery that gives readers every kind of worst claustrophobic feeling and one of the most realistic, effective thrillers that I've read! It’s not only a well-written whodunit mystery that takes place in a hyperbaric chamber (for the readers it seems like a barbaric chamber), it is also a well-executed psychological thriller that questions the sanity of people who suffer from PTSD, tragic events that ruin their entire perspective and ability to think clearly. Especially the war stories the divers share from their pasts, the things they’ve seen, left behind, and regretted in remorse are so heart-wrenching that they leave a mark on your soul.
Let’s give a quick recap of the plot that revolves around six experienced saturation divers who find themselves locked inside a hyperbaric chamber, and as the clock ticks, each of them starts dying. Ellen Brooke, 38, leaving behind her husband and two kids for this mission, has no idea what’s going on and if she’s going to leave the chamber alive as her colleagues start dying in front of her eyes. Could someone inside be the perpetrator or are they guinea pigs of the company sent to die in this chamber? What’s really going on? Why do the detectives who force them to take fluids from the corpses and send them talk vaguely about the reasons for death? Why can't they have any WiFi? What are they trying to prevent them from knowing?
The best thing is, until the last page, you keep questioning what really happened in the chamber, and you will realize nothing is as it seems.
I loved this thriller, and if I had a chance to give more than five stars, I would do it without hesitation! It’s so good!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for sharing this amazing thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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One thing I’m sure of is you’re going to feel exactly the same as soon as you flip the pages of this book. You're going to feel like you’re suffocating. You will barely restrain your screams and feel an urge to throw the book and run aimlessly without direction, but the book is too addictive to leave. You're going to want to know what’s going to happen. And with each chapter, the pressure builds more and more. You feel like the walls are closing in on you and you will be squeezed like an insect. Especially in the last chapters, as the countdown continues, you will feel the sweat appear on your forehead, dripping down from your hair, and curse loudly, even scream, because you are about to explode with suspicion, pressure, praying the hatch door opens without more incidents like more dead people! And that ending! Oh boy! What the heck did I just read? Yes, you’re going to steal this line because as your jaw hits the floor, the only thing you can say is these words or something similar to them!
Well! This book is a roller coaster and the best locked room/chamber mystery that gives readers every kind of worst claustrophobic feeling and one of the most realistic, effective thrillers that I've read! It’s not only a well-written whodunit mystery that takes place in a hyperbaric chamber (for the readers it seems like a barbaric chamber), it is also a well-executed psychological thriller that questions the sanity of people who suffer from PTSD, tragic events that ruin their entire perspective and ability to think clearly. Especially the war stories the divers share from their pasts, the things they’ve seen, left behind, and regretted in remorse are so heart-wrenching that they leave a mark on your soul.
Let’s give a quick recap of the plot that revolves around six experienced saturation divers who find themselves locked inside a hyperbaric chamber, and as the clock ticks, each of them starts dying. Ellen Brooke, 38, leaving behind her husband and two kids for this mission, has no idea what’s going on and if she’s going to leave the chamber alive as her colleagues start dying in front of her eyes. Could someone inside be the perpetrator or are they guinea pigs of the company sent to die in this chamber? What’s really going on? Why do the detectives who force them to take fluids from the corpses and send them talk vaguely about the reasons for death? Why can't they have any WiFi? What are they trying to prevent them from knowing?
The best thing is, until the last page, you keep questioning what really happened in the chamber, and you will realize nothing is as it seems.
I loved this thriller, and if I had a chance to give more than five stars, I would do it without hesitation! It’s so good!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for sharing this amazing thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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May 24, 2024
Are you ready for a to-die-for locked room thriller?
Todays venue: an underwater chamber for a deep sea diving crew. Six divers will descend but not all will make it back up to the surface. One by one the divers are being picked off.
All the usual questions: how? Why? And most importantly, who is behind it all?
I enjoyed this latest thriller from one of my new go to authors. He kept me guessing all the way. I was doing the usual finger pointing at everyone involved in the dive.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more tension and fear and a little less cleaning!😂 (but maybe that’s just a me thing).
This is the fourth book I’ve read from Will Dean. All his books have a bit of a different feel to them which I love. His ideas are always unique and fresh. You just never know what he will come up with next. What more could us readers ask for!?
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books
Todays venue: an underwater chamber for a deep sea diving crew. Six divers will descend but not all will make it back up to the surface. One by one the divers are being picked off.
All the usual questions: how? Why? And most importantly, who is behind it all?
I enjoyed this latest thriller from one of my new go to authors. He kept me guessing all the way. I was doing the usual finger pointing at everyone involved in the dive.
I would have liked to have seen a bit more tension and fear and a little less cleaning!😂 (but maybe that’s just a me thing).
This is the fourth book I’ve read from Will Dean. All his books have a bit of a different feel to them which I love. His ideas are always unique and fresh. You just never know what he will come up with next. What more could us readers ask for!?
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books
October 26, 2024
I knew absolutely nothing about deep sea/saturation diving prior to reading this. Fascinating! And, hello, people actually choose to do this for a living?
Felt like I was living in a 10x10 capsule, at pressure, with them. Throw a chilling mystery into the mix, and I was sucked right in.
Eeek! 😳
Felt like I was living in a 10x10 capsule, at pressure, with them. Throw a chilling mystery into the mix, and I was sucked right in.
Eeek! 😳
June 23, 2024
Claustrophobic
The Chamber is a unique take on the closed-room murder-mystery theme, best characterised by “And Then There Were None” by the incomparable Agatha Christie. What makes this story unique is the environment in which the deaths occur. Six deep sea divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber as it has descended to the bottom of the North Sea, where they will work for the next month.
Will Dean gives an authentic insight into the conditions felt by saturation divers, the consequences of the compression chamber breaking its airtight seal (ending up like “strawberry jam”), the fears they live with should a mistake happen, and the toll taken on their bodies both physically and mentally. The feelings of claustrophobia, vulnerability, anxiety, and danger create an atmospheric foothold that the story is deeply rooted in.
The claustrophobic conditions and loss of personal space generate a special bond between divers as strong as a family. Your life and well-being are literally in the hands of your colleagues as they partner on dives to the seabed or work to keep each other positive and focused.
After a death in the chamber, the submersible is raised to the surface, but the divers must remain locked in during the decompression process, which will take four days to complete. During those four days, other members of the crew start dying, and their bodies literally and metaphorically start piling up. The anxiety and mental turmoil trying to rationalise the events and causes of the deaths are very well depicted and create an engrossing pace. Imagine in this environment of trust when the unthinkable reality sets in that maybe one of their unique family could be a murderer.
The story gave me great insight and admiration for deep-sea divers who spend weeks submerged in high atmospheric pressure conditions, breathing a mixture of oxygen and helium. For most of the book, I appreciated gaining this knowledge, but it kept coming and coming and coming—too much already!! Often, I felt this detracted from the murder mystery side of the narrative.
My wonderful buddy Ceecee encouraged me to read this book, and you should check out her review. I recommend reading this book as it is unique and cleverly plotted, but it goes on too much on the technical side. I also want to thank Hodder and Stoughton, and NetGalley for providing a free ARC in return for an honest review.
The Chamber is a unique take on the closed-room murder-mystery theme, best characterised by “And Then There Were None” by the incomparable Agatha Christie. What makes this story unique is the environment in which the deaths occur. Six deep sea divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber as it has descended to the bottom of the North Sea, where they will work for the next month.
Will Dean gives an authentic insight into the conditions felt by saturation divers, the consequences of the compression chamber breaking its airtight seal (ending up like “strawberry jam”), the fears they live with should a mistake happen, and the toll taken on their bodies both physically and mentally. The feelings of claustrophobia, vulnerability, anxiety, and danger create an atmospheric foothold that the story is deeply rooted in.
The claustrophobic conditions and loss of personal space generate a special bond between divers as strong as a family. Your life and well-being are literally in the hands of your colleagues as they partner on dives to the seabed or work to keep each other positive and focused.
After a death in the chamber, the submersible is raised to the surface, but the divers must remain locked in during the decompression process, which will take four days to complete. During those four days, other members of the crew start dying, and their bodies literally and metaphorically start piling up. The anxiety and mental turmoil trying to rationalise the events and causes of the deaths are very well depicted and create an engrossing pace. Imagine in this environment of trust when the unthinkable reality sets in that maybe one of their unique family could be a murderer.
The story gave me great insight and admiration for deep-sea divers who spend weeks submerged in high atmospheric pressure conditions, breathing a mixture of oxygen and helium. For most of the book, I appreciated gaining this knowledge, but it kept coming and coming and coming—too much already!! Often, I felt this detracted from the murder mystery side of the narrative.
My wonderful buddy Ceecee encouraged me to read this book, and you should check out her review. I recommend reading this book as it is unique and cleverly plotted, but it goes on too much on the technical side. I also want to thank Hodder and Stoughton, and NetGalley for providing a free ARC in return for an honest review.
June 1, 2024
Atmospheric, claustrophobic, unsettling, and captivating! Will Dean has delivered another thrilling and chilling mystery thriller that kept me on my toes and turning the pages.
Divers are a rare breed. They are willing to enter a small hyperbaric chamber with other divers, breathing helium, away from friends and family, to dive deep down in the ocean. Decompression, if done fast, is deadly. This is an uncomfortable job where many things can go wrong with horrible consequences.
When one of them is found dead, the divers are left reeling, anxious, and suspicious of their fellow divers in the tight, hot, chamber. Ellen Brooke is one of the divers and readers are given her POV. When another dies, things get even more dire. What is happening? Is someone amongst them to blame? Is it someone on the outside to blame? Is there contamination? Questions swirled though not only the characters minds but swirled through my mind as well.
I loved the mounting sense of unease, the tension, the dread, the suspicion, and the danger. Alone with each other and their thoughts, they have nowhere to go, and nowhere to hide. Plus, they must finish decompression while trying to stay alive against an unknown threat. They clean, clean, clean while watching what they consume, keeping a suspicious eye on each other. But will that be enough to survive?????
In the beginning, I found myself boggled down with a lot of technical terms which made the book feel very authentic but took some time for me to wrap my mind around. As I mentioned, this book was very atmospheric, and Will Dean nailed the trapped room mystery vibe.
Claustrophobic, unsettling, well written, well thought out, and atmospheric.
*Buddy read with DeAnn and Carolyn. Please read their reviews as well to read their thoughts on The Chamber
Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Divers are a rare breed. They are willing to enter a small hyperbaric chamber with other divers, breathing helium, away from friends and family, to dive deep down in the ocean. Decompression, if done fast, is deadly. This is an uncomfortable job where many things can go wrong with horrible consequences.
When one of them is found dead, the divers are left reeling, anxious, and suspicious of their fellow divers in the tight, hot, chamber. Ellen Brooke is one of the divers and readers are given her POV. When another dies, things get even more dire. What is happening? Is someone amongst them to blame? Is it someone on the outside to blame? Is there contamination? Questions swirled though not only the characters minds but swirled through my mind as well.
I loved the mounting sense of unease, the tension, the dread, the suspicion, and the danger. Alone with each other and their thoughts, they have nowhere to go, and nowhere to hide. Plus, they must finish decompression while trying to stay alive against an unknown threat. They clean, clean, clean while watching what they consume, keeping a suspicious eye on each other. But will that be enough to survive?????
In the beginning, I found myself boggled down with a lot of technical terms which made the book feel very authentic but took some time for me to wrap my mind around. As I mentioned, this book was very atmospheric, and Will Dean nailed the trapped room mystery vibe.
Claustrophobic, unsettling, well written, well thought out, and atmospheric.
*Buddy read with DeAnn and Carolyn. Please read their reviews as well to read their thoughts on The Chamber
Thank you to Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
August 8, 2024
“If you panic, you perish.”
Claustrophobic and terrifying!
I can always count on Will Dean’s thrillers to make me anxious and uncomfortable. The Chamber takes place in The North Sea, where six saturation divers descend on an oil mission to keep the oil flowing. These six well-paid “sat rats” will spend a month in the hyperbaric chamber in small quarters. When the divers are killed off one by one, the mission is aborted. It now becomes a race to figure out who is murdering the divers. Is it one of them? Or someone from above? They must ascend and decompress in order to get the remaining divers out safely. Who will survive the chamber?
The Chamber will have readers gasping for air as they furiously turn the pages! I was nervous to read this book, as I did not know anything about sat diving and feared that it would be too technical for me. However, my love for this author’s previous thrillers compelled me to give it a try. Dean does spend an enormous amount of time explaining the intricacies of sat diving, so I found myself wondering whether I would ever settle into the plot of the book.
However, halfway through Dean really ramps up the tension! I felt as if I was actually locked in the chamber with the divers and the short chapters kept me invested in uncovering the mystery.
Who is the murderer? I’m still not 100% certain that I figured it out. Please DM me with your thoughts!
Recommended to those who enjoy reading Agatha Christie and locked room thrillers.
Note: If you are claustrophobic, this might not be the book for you.
4/5 stars
Expected publication day: 8/6/24
Thank you to Edelweiss and Atria books for the ARC of The Chamber in exchange for an honest review.
Claustrophobic and terrifying!
I can always count on Will Dean’s thrillers to make me anxious and uncomfortable. The Chamber takes place in The North Sea, where six saturation divers descend on an oil mission to keep the oil flowing. These six well-paid “sat rats” will spend a month in the hyperbaric chamber in small quarters. When the divers are killed off one by one, the mission is aborted. It now becomes a race to figure out who is murdering the divers. Is it one of them? Or someone from above? They must ascend and decompress in order to get the remaining divers out safely. Who will survive the chamber?
The Chamber will have readers gasping for air as they furiously turn the pages! I was nervous to read this book, as I did not know anything about sat diving and feared that it would be too technical for me. However, my love for this author’s previous thrillers compelled me to give it a try. Dean does spend an enormous amount of time explaining the intricacies of sat diving, so I found myself wondering whether I would ever settle into the plot of the book.
However, halfway through Dean really ramps up the tension! I felt as if I was actually locked in the chamber with the divers and the short chapters kept me invested in uncovering the mystery.
Who is the murderer? I’m still not 100% certain that I figured it out. Please DM me with your thoughts!
Recommended to those who enjoy reading Agatha Christie and locked room thrillers.
Note: If you are claustrophobic, this might not be the book for you.
4/5 stars
Expected publication day: 8/6/24
Thank you to Edelweiss and Atria books for the ARC of The Chamber in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2024
Our narrator Ellen Brooke is the only women on a saturation dive team of six. After their first day of work way down under the surface, Brooke and her coworker return to find a dead team member. The supervisors order decompression -- which takes four days.
Four days in a chamber with a dead body above in the lifeboat. What else can go wrong? Too many things. While I found this to be a thrilling read, the small quarters got a bit redundant. For me, the cast and their interactions and speculation on what is happening were not enough for 5 stars. Will she or won't she? Did she or didn't she? You will have to read this one and find out.
Not my favorite from Will Dean, but that bar is set very high with my first read from him: The Last Thing to Burn.
A big thank you to Atria and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy publication week!
Four days in a chamber with a dead body above in the lifeboat. What else can go wrong? Too many things. While I found this to be a thrilling read, the small quarters got a bit redundant. For me, the cast and their interactions and speculation on what is happening were not enough for 5 stars. Will she or won't she? Did she or didn't she? You will have to read this one and find out.
Not my favorite from Will Dean, but that bar is set very high with my first read from him: The Last Thing to Burn.
A big thank you to Atria and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy publication week!
August 15, 2024
the premise of this book had me thinking i would feel claustrophobic and anxious.. instead all i felt was bored. nothing happens in this book until the last 10% and by then i just wanted it to be over. the main character is so bland that i don’t even remember her name 😭.
September 23, 2024
the setup…
Ellen Brooke is a saturation diver and her current job is aboard the Deep Topaz, 28 days in the depths of the North Sea with five other divers in a small pressurized chamber. She’s the only woman on the dive, one of the few in this business, and she’s gained the respect in that community. Shortly after they begin the current mission, one of the divers is found dead in his bunk. Despite their efforts to revive him, he’s gone and his death is inexplicable. It takes four days to decompress before the chamber can be opened. But then another diver dies. And then another. What is killing them? Who’s behind it and how? Is it another diver or someone above responsible for their supplies and lifelines?
the heart of the story…
It’s Ellen’s point of view and I wasn’t even sure if she was a reliable narrator, which made this even more challenging. At first I thought the killer had to be another diver but there are others outside that chamber who could have been responsible….the doctor, the food preparers, dive operations management. It was truly puzzling and the psychological states of the divers in the chamber are precarious on a good day and this was enough to bring them to madness.
the narration…
If ever a story could benefit from multiple narrators, this would certainly qualify but Helen Keeley was amazing in her ability to provide voice distinctions, including many accents. Her storytelling skills were superb.
the bottom line…
I knew little about this kind of diving before this story and was in awe of the protocols for this kind of exploration. The research was impeccable and I decided to not try to absorb it all. It was enough to understand what these divers were experiencing and the plausibility of various scenarios. This was the ultimate in locked room mysteries, confounding me at every juncture. There’s also a pretty big twist that I figured out. But….that ending!!??!! 4.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
Ellen Brooke is a saturation diver and her current job is aboard the Deep Topaz, 28 days in the depths of the North Sea with five other divers in a small pressurized chamber. She’s the only woman on the dive, one of the few in this business, and she’s gained the respect in that community. Shortly after they begin the current mission, one of the divers is found dead in his bunk. Despite their efforts to revive him, he’s gone and his death is inexplicable. It takes four days to decompress before the chamber can be opened. But then another diver dies. And then another. What is killing them? Who’s behind it and how? Is it another diver or someone above responsible for their supplies and lifelines?
the heart of the story…
It’s Ellen’s point of view and I wasn’t even sure if she was a reliable narrator, which made this even more challenging. At first I thought the killer had to be another diver but there are others outside that chamber who could have been responsible….the doctor, the food preparers, dive operations management. It was truly puzzling and the psychological states of the divers in the chamber are precarious on a good day and this was enough to bring them to madness.
the narration…
If ever a story could benefit from multiple narrators, this would certainly qualify but Helen Keeley was amazing in her ability to provide voice distinctions, including many accents. Her storytelling skills were superb.
the bottom line…
I knew little about this kind of diving before this story and was in awe of the protocols for this kind of exploration. The research was impeccable and I decided to not try to absorb it all. It was enough to understand what these divers were experiencing and the plausibility of various scenarios. This was the ultimate in locked room mysteries, confounding me at every juncture. There’s also a pretty big twist that I figured out. But….that ending!!??!! 4.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
August 17, 2024
From the superb setting to the rising claustrophobia, The Chamber offered glimpses of pure, unadulterated fear. I mean, just imagine being stuck in a small room as your friends and colleagues start dropping like flies one after the other. The strongest piece to this one, though, was the mood that Dean managed to invoke. I could feel the thick “air” and stifling heat. The panic of who to trust and who to try and avoid in a room the size of a small SUV. Even the brief look inside of the what has to be one of the worst of the worst jobs was hard to imagine. All told, it was an enticing premise to be sure.
Due to all of the above, I tried to love this book. I really, really did. After all, the premise of a pressure-packed locked room mystery was utterly intoxicating. Unfortunately, though, the plot just didn’t live up to my expectations. A long slow burn from beginning to end, the exciting moments were few and far between. From the dense, detailed info about saturation diving to the many stories about disastrous prior jobs, it all simply took away from the whodunnit plot. What clinched it for me, though, was the conclusion. Or, rather, the lack of one as I’m still not entirely sure what happened in that compression chamber all said and done.
Despite my frustrations with this supposed psychological thriller, there was still plenty of gripping paranoia and dread. And the exploration of the psychological ramifications of trauma for these six damaged characters was also exceptionally well done. Sadly, though, that just didn’t make up for the dawdling plot or the lack of any hard and fast answers. Perhaps, though, you should take my opinion with a large grain of salt. After all, plenty of people loved this novel far more than I. So if you enjoy a book with a strong psychological edge and a gradually unfurling plot, give this one a try. It definitely fit that bill to a T. Rating of 3.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Six experienced saturation divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber. Calm and professional, they know that rapid decompression would be fatal and so they work in shifts, breathing helium, and surviving in hot, close quarters.
Then one of them is found dead in his bunk.
With four days of decompression to go before the locked hatch to the chamber can be safely opened, the group must watch one another’s backs at all times. And when another diver is discovered unresponsive, everyone is on edge. What…or who…is taking them out one by one? And will any of them still be alive by the time the four days is up or will paranoia, exhaustion, suspicion, and pressure destroy them all?
Thank you to Will Dean and Emily Bestler/Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 6, 2024
Trigger warning: death of friends and family, intrusive thoughts
Due to all of the above, I tried to love this book. I really, really did. After all, the premise of a pressure-packed locked room mystery was utterly intoxicating. Unfortunately, though, the plot just didn’t live up to my expectations. A long slow burn from beginning to end, the exciting moments were few and far between. From the dense, detailed info about saturation diving to the many stories about disastrous prior jobs, it all simply took away from the whodunnit plot. What clinched it for me, though, was the conclusion. Or, rather, the lack of one as I’m still not entirely sure what happened in that compression chamber all said and done.
Despite my frustrations with this supposed psychological thriller, there was still plenty of gripping paranoia and dread. And the exploration of the psychological ramifications of trauma for these six damaged characters was also exceptionally well done. Sadly, though, that just didn’t make up for the dawdling plot or the lack of any hard and fast answers. Perhaps, though, you should take my opinion with a large grain of salt. After all, plenty of people loved this novel far more than I. So if you enjoy a book with a strong psychological edge and a gradually unfurling plot, give this one a try. It definitely fit that bill to a T. Rating of 3.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Six experienced saturation divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber. Calm and professional, they know that rapid decompression would be fatal and so they work in shifts, breathing helium, and surviving in hot, close quarters.
Then one of them is found dead in his bunk.
With four days of decompression to go before the locked hatch to the chamber can be safely opened, the group must watch one another’s backs at all times. And when another diver is discovered unresponsive, everyone is on edge. What…or who…is taking them out one by one? And will any of them still be alive by the time the four days is up or will paranoia, exhaustion, suspicion, and pressure destroy them all?
Thank you to Will Dean and Emily Bestler/Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 6, 2024
Trigger warning: death of friends and family, intrusive thoughts
June 21, 2024
My thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler, Will Dean and Netgalley. I've no idea where Mr. Dean comes up with his stories. Truth be told, I'm not even sure if I like his stories or not.
The thing is that I can read a book by him and it just seems to rip right along...but man oh man do his endings suck!
I had an idea from the beginning of how this book would end, and it turns out that I was right. I mostly hate that!
Will Dean is someone I'm keeping my eye on. His stories are really very good. I somehow manage to plow right through them. Love the story and people, but I hate bleak endings, and that seems to be the deal with this author.
Yes, I did enjoy this very funked up tale.
The thing is that I can read a book by him and it just seems to rip right along...but man oh man do his endings suck!
I had an idea from the beginning of how this book would end, and it turns out that I was right. I mostly hate that!
Will Dean is someone I'm keeping my eye on. His stories are really very good. I somehow manage to plow right through them. Love the story and people, but I hate bleak endings, and that seems to be the deal with this author.
Yes, I did enjoy this very funked up tale.
July 24, 2025
**3.5-stars**
The Chamber follows six deep sea divers as they head out on a new assignment in the North Sea, where they'll be working for the next month. The world of saturation diving is small, and unsurprisingly, the team has worked together before.
Thus, they've built up a certain level of trust and camaraderie amongst them. The dynamics feel like a family. We're told the story via the perspective of Ellen, a rare woman worker in a mostly male industry.
Everything seems to be going as planned, until one of the team is found dead in his bunk. The remaining crew members are shook. How did he die? What are they supposed to do with his body?
With four days of decompression required before they can open the hatch back to the regular world, they need to watch each other's back. What if he didn't die of natural causes? What if one of them did it?
They could be trapped in the smallest, most panic-inducing living quarters, with an actual killer? This isn't good.
A short-time later, when another diver is discovered unresponsive in much the same way, everyone puts their guard up. It's becoming increasingly possible that these events aren't a natural occurrence.
As suspicions run rampant, and tensions rise, everyone wonders, who is going to make it out of this dive alive?
While this sounds like an electrifying set-up, and it did keep me guessing, there was something about it that I didn't quite vibe with. I've been thinking about it, and I think maybe it had to do with the delivery of Ellen's perspective. I found it a bit choppy and hard to connect with.
I've had this book since it's release, but finally decided to make time for it after recently watching the Netflix documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster. I've always been interested in these types of deep sea diving careers, and this was definitely a fun read after watching that unsettling doc.
I feel like Dean captured the details of the saturation divers' challenges and lifestyle, as well as the setting of the hyperbaric chamber, really well. In fact, those details on the profession itself, and the environment the divers were in, was my favorite aspects of this book.
It's also a very quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook on a Saturday while doing my housework. I was entertained, but I didn't find it truly gripping.
I wasn't at the edge of my seat, but honestly, that's okay. Not every book is going to blow your hair back. This is still a fun Locked Room Mystery, with a unique concept. I just wish I could have connected a little more with the writing style, and the way Ellen's perspective was delivered.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend this if you enjoy Locked Room Mysteries, and very much so if you are interested in deep sea diving, and the aspects of a career in that field. I feel that was a success here.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoy Will Dean's creativity and willingness to take some risks with his stories. I'm looking forward to more!
The Chamber follows six deep sea divers as they head out on a new assignment in the North Sea, where they'll be working for the next month. The world of saturation diving is small, and unsurprisingly, the team has worked together before.
Thus, they've built up a certain level of trust and camaraderie amongst them. The dynamics feel like a family. We're told the story via the perspective of Ellen, a rare woman worker in a mostly male industry.
Everything seems to be going as planned, until one of the team is found dead in his bunk. The remaining crew members are shook. How did he die? What are they supposed to do with his body?
With four days of decompression required before they can open the hatch back to the regular world, they need to watch each other's back. What if he didn't die of natural causes? What if one of them did it?
They could be trapped in the smallest, most panic-inducing living quarters, with an actual killer? This isn't good.
A short-time later, when another diver is discovered unresponsive in much the same way, everyone puts their guard up. It's becoming increasingly possible that these events aren't a natural occurrence.
As suspicions run rampant, and tensions rise, everyone wonders, who is going to make it out of this dive alive?
While this sounds like an electrifying set-up, and it did keep me guessing, there was something about it that I didn't quite vibe with. I've been thinking about it, and I think maybe it had to do with the delivery of Ellen's perspective. I found it a bit choppy and hard to connect with.
I've had this book since it's release, but finally decided to make time for it after recently watching the Netflix documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster. I've always been interested in these types of deep sea diving careers, and this was definitely a fun read after watching that unsettling doc.
I feel like Dean captured the details of the saturation divers' challenges and lifestyle, as well as the setting of the hyperbaric chamber, really well. In fact, those details on the profession itself, and the environment the divers were in, was my favorite aspects of this book.
It's also a very quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook on a Saturday while doing my housework. I was entertained, but I didn't find it truly gripping.
I wasn't at the edge of my seat, but honestly, that's okay. Not every book is going to blow your hair back. This is still a fun Locked Room Mystery, with a unique concept. I just wish I could have connected a little more with the writing style, and the way Ellen's perspective was delivered.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend this if you enjoy Locked Room Mysteries, and very much so if you are interested in deep sea diving, and the aspects of a career in that field. I feel that was a success here.
Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoy Will Dean's creativity and willingness to take some risks with his stories. I'm looking forward to more!
April 26, 2024
My most anticipated read of 2024 and what I think will be the most disappointing? The Last Passenger by this author was one of my favorite books of 2023 so my expectations were sky high for The Chamber.
The premise of this book sounded SO fun albeit claustrophobic, the perfect setting for a thriller? The descriptions the author provided did not provide a clear enough picture to me as a reader. I had to go and google to actually be able to 'envisage' what was going on.
All of the character had a nickname as well as a 'christian' name which was confusing and unnecessary as all would be used at random times.
We were told 18 TIMES (yes I searched) that they wiped down the sides of the chamber along with that they would be turned into raspberry jam 6 TIMES throughout the book.
Pacing was all over the place. The BIG (questionable) reveal still had not taken place with only 8% left of the book. The ending left me like ?!?! what actually happened.
Overall a big fat disappointment, but the first 30% was OK!
The premise of this book sounded SO fun albeit claustrophobic, the perfect setting for a thriller? The descriptions the author provided did not provide a clear enough picture to me as a reader. I had to go and google to actually be able to 'envisage' what was going on.
All of the character had a nickname as well as a 'christian' name which was confusing and unnecessary as all would be used at random times.
We were told 18 TIMES (yes I searched) that they wiped down the sides of the chamber along with that they would be turned into raspberry jam 6 TIMES throughout the book.
Pacing was all over the place. The BIG (questionable) reveal still had not taken place with only 8% left of the book. The ending left me like ?!?! what actually happened.
Overall a big fat disappointment, but the first 30% was OK!
June 7, 2024
If I could have, I would have read this book in one sitting. By coincidence I started reading the moment our tv was on, showing the launch of the Starliner. Images from the capsule showed two astronauts, all suited up, eagerly waiting to be on their way. Astronauts are very fit, very brave people who need to be kept alive with a great deal of instruments, people and most of all oxygen. The sat divers in Chamber are also very fit, very brave people who have to be kept alive, but not by oxygen, but by a mixture of gasses. Should anything happen to either the space capsule or the diving bell, the people in it are doomed.
Main character in this thrilling story is Ellen Brooke; she’s in her early forties and a very experienced diver. Stat divers start out as oxygen divers, but when they want to go sat diving – because they really like the work and the pay – they have to have more extensive training and a whole lot more experience. Just like astronauts, they form strong bonds with each other and the people that are there to keep them alive.
The astronauts in the Starliner experienced some problems but are, the day I’m writing this review, safely aboard ISS.
Ellen Brooke and her crew are not so lucky. Before long, one of the six crew members dies and instead of happy working on the seabed, the other five have to take care his body makes it safely to the mother ship.
From then on, the tension really sets in. While the author explains to the readers a lot of the technical and very interesting ins and outs of sat diving, the now five people abord have nothing else to do than sit and wait. They spend a lot of time thinking back about the start of their careers and the other dives they made. It is fascinating reading material – although I knew some basic facts about the material, physical and mental side of deep diving, I learned a lot from this book. And then a second crew member dies and the story suddenly is not about material, physical or mental issues, but all about the question: is there a murderer among the four crew members still alive?
Expect revelations, some of them rather sudden, and expect to learn about life and loss of life. Even if you think it is all a bit too technical for you, just read the book – all will be explained.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this review copy.
Main character in this thrilling story is Ellen Brooke; she’s in her early forties and a very experienced diver. Stat divers start out as oxygen divers, but when they want to go sat diving – because they really like the work and the pay – they have to have more extensive training and a whole lot more experience. Just like astronauts, they form strong bonds with each other and the people that are there to keep them alive.
The astronauts in the Starliner experienced some problems but are, the day I’m writing this review, safely aboard ISS.
Ellen Brooke and her crew are not so lucky. Before long, one of the six crew members dies and instead of happy working on the seabed, the other five have to take care his body makes it safely to the mother ship.
From then on, the tension really sets in. While the author explains to the readers a lot of the technical and very interesting ins and outs of sat diving, the now five people abord have nothing else to do than sit and wait. They spend a lot of time thinking back about the start of their careers and the other dives they made. It is fascinating reading material – although I knew some basic facts about the material, physical and mental side of deep diving, I learned a lot from this book. And then a second crew member dies and the story suddenly is not about material, physical or mental issues, but all about the question: is there a murderer among the four crew members still alive?
Expect revelations, some of them rather sudden, and expect to learn about life and loss of life. Even if you think it is all a bit too technical for you, just read the book – all will be explained.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for this review copy.
August 6, 2024
If you don't like being confined in small spaces or have claustrophobia or germaphobia, this book may not be for you! I will admit that when I first started this one I thought it was going to be a DNF but I stuck with it and the pages started flying by. This will keep you on the edge of your seat and you will feel compelled to read until the end to find out what the heck is going on. I kept thinking of the movie "The Abyss" when I was reading this just for the pure fact that it takes place undersea. The raspberry jam reference was one I could have lived without but now I cannot unsee it so thanks for that Will.
This is a quick, edge of the seat thriller that I could not put down. Wonderful work by Will Dean. I loved another novel from this author and I'm excited to read more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 8/6/24
This is a quick, edge of the seat thriller that I could not put down. Wonderful work by Will Dean. I loved another novel from this author and I'm excited to read more from this author.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Emily Bestler Books for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: 8/6/24
August 2, 2024
I had to come back and change my review the more I thought about it.
This one was another locked room mystery. There was a lot of technical information given about submarines. All in all it was still a Will Dean novel, and I just love him. He always writes something different.
Divers in a submarine are coming up dead. Who is doing it and why? Claustrophobic is the best word to describe this one. His writing is always top tier! However, this wasn’t my favorite of his. I will still continue to read his work.
Thank you Atria books, Will Dean and NetGalley for the opportunity!
Release date August 6th
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was another locked room mystery. There was a lot of technical information given about submarines. All in all it was still a Will Dean novel, and I just love him. He always writes something different.
Divers in a submarine are coming up dead. Who is doing it and why? Claustrophobic is the best word to describe this one. His writing is always top tier! However, this wasn’t my favorite of his. I will still continue to read his work.
Thank you Atria books, Will Dean and NetGalley for the opportunity!
Release date August 6th
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 3, 2024
If you suffer from claustrophobia, maybe check the trigger warnings...
This was quite the setting. I'd never even heard of divers working in these pressurisdd chambers, repairing underwater fixtures like bridges. It fascinated me, and Will Dean has done an incredible amount of research to make the intense and rather horrifying experience (but in a good way) it gives the readers. There is a lot of jargon to get to grips with, but the author has provided the readers with a glossary at the start.
Some scenes still stick in my mind days after reading, they are utterly unforgettable.
This was quite the setting. I'd never even heard of divers working in these pressurisdd chambers, repairing underwater fixtures like bridges. It fascinated me, and Will Dean has done an incredible amount of research to make the intense and rather horrifying experience (but in a good way) it gives the readers. There is a lot of jargon to get to grips with, but the author has provided the readers with a glossary at the start.
Some scenes still stick in my mind days after reading, they are utterly unforgettable.
August 11, 2024
Ever wondered what it’s like to be trapped miles underwater, knowing that any mistake could be your last? Oh--and someone may be murdering those around you one by one. The Chamber dives into that terrifying reality.
The Chamber by Will Dean is a gripping and claustrophobic locked-room mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Set in the unique and nerve-wracking environment of a hyperbaric chamber, the story follows six experienced saturation divers who are trapped, knowing that rapid decompression would be fatal. As they work in shifts, enduring the oppressive heat and confined space, one diver is found dead and another becomes unresponsive, setting off a tense and fast-paced sequence of events.
The mystery leans heavily into suspense, with the tension building from the very first page until the last. You’ll find yourself constantly questioning what really happening in the chamber, as fear, exhaustion, and suspicion grow among the remaining divers. The sense of being trapped, both physically and mentally, is palpable, making you feel as paranoid and helpless as the characters.
What makes *The Chamber* particularly engaging is its deep dive into the world of saturation diving—a job I didn’t even know existed before reading. While it can be a bit technical and jargon-heavy at times, it adds to the story's authenticity. The more you learn about the dangers these divers face, the more you’ll ask yourself, “What else can go wrong?”—and the answer is usually more.
In the end, nothing is as it seems, and until the last page, you’ll be guessing whether anyone will make it out alive. This well-written, fast-paced read is as educational as it is entertaining. Saturated with tension and suspense, The Chamber by Will Dean is a claustrophobic thriller you won’t want to miss.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy for review.
The Chamber by Will Dean is a gripping and claustrophobic locked-room mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Set in the unique and nerve-wracking environment of a hyperbaric chamber, the story follows six experienced saturation divers who are trapped, knowing that rapid decompression would be fatal. As they work in shifts, enduring the oppressive heat and confined space, one diver is found dead and another becomes unresponsive, setting off a tense and fast-paced sequence of events.
The mystery leans heavily into suspense, with the tension building from the very first page until the last. You’ll find yourself constantly questioning what really happening in the chamber, as fear, exhaustion, and suspicion grow among the remaining divers. The sense of being trapped, both physically and mentally, is palpable, making you feel as paranoid and helpless as the characters.
What makes *The Chamber* particularly engaging is its deep dive into the world of saturation diving—a job I didn’t even know existed before reading. While it can be a bit technical and jargon-heavy at times, it adds to the story's authenticity. The more you learn about the dangers these divers face, the more you’ll ask yourself, “What else can go wrong?”—and the answer is usually more.
In the end, nothing is as it seems, and until the last page, you’ll be guessing whether anyone will make it out alive. This well-written, fast-paced read is as educational as it is entertaining. Saturated with tension and suspense, The Chamber by Will Dean is a claustrophobic thriller you won’t want to miss.
Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy for review.
May 30, 2024
4.75 stars rounded up
"Trust is built over many years. And it can be destroyed in minutes"
Six experienced saturation divers embark on a what was supposed to be a four-week job at unspeakable depths in the ocean. What initially begins as a standard and routine operation, takes a turn for the worse when one diver suddenly dies. One dead body is certainly tragic: however, what does it mean when one body becomes, two, then three, the four? Is someone on the outside taking them out one by one? Or is the killer much closer to home?
When I first saw the blurb for this on netgalley I was so intrigued and could not hit the request button fast enough. After devouring this book in twenty-four hours, I can say I was not disappointed at all.
I am a huge fan of the locked door/room trope, and this book delivers on that remarkably. First the setting- um yes please! The mere thought of these divers being trapped at those depths, not being able to escape an almost certain death. Having to rely on the word of outside sources and colleagues, having to place a certain level of trust in each other. All the while not knowing who is next or who or what is killing them, made for the most ominous and terror inducing read.
The narrator becoming increasingly unhinged as the story progressed only adds to the trepidation and unease of the book. The author skillfully conveys the horrors that sat divers face and just how dangerous their job truly is. I mean something as simple as a carbonated beverage can cause significant damage at those depths. He didn't just make it about the mystery but, he also uses the setting of the book to create an atmosphere of raw fear and paranoia.
I liked how he incorporates real life sat diving tragedies such as the Byford Dolphin accident- a true horrific tragedy that depicts just how deadly and precarious a sat divers job is. I also loved the subtle foreshadowing of doom when he used the line "and then they were four." If you've read this book, then you know what I mean.
The final 80% of the book was filled with revelations about our narrator, ones that I did see coming but was still done well, nonetheless. Though predictable I still really enjoyed the ending, especially the final chapter. It was a lot darker than I could've anticipated and I loved that.
Overall, a wonderfully crafted locked door thriller that you will not be able to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Will Dean for my eARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.
"Trust is built over many years. And it can be destroyed in minutes"
Six experienced saturation divers embark on a what was supposed to be a four-week job at unspeakable depths in the ocean. What initially begins as a standard and routine operation, takes a turn for the worse when one diver suddenly dies. One dead body is certainly tragic: however, what does it mean when one body becomes, two, then three, the four? Is someone on the outside taking them out one by one? Or is the killer much closer to home?
When I first saw the blurb for this on netgalley I was so intrigued and could not hit the request button fast enough. After devouring this book in twenty-four hours, I can say I was not disappointed at all.
I am a huge fan of the locked door/room trope, and this book delivers on that remarkably. First the setting- um yes please! The mere thought of these divers being trapped at those depths, not being able to escape an almost certain death. Having to rely on the word of outside sources and colleagues, having to place a certain level of trust in each other. All the while not knowing who is next or who or what is killing them, made for the most ominous and terror inducing read.
The narrator becoming increasingly unhinged as the story progressed only adds to the trepidation and unease of the book. The author skillfully conveys the horrors that sat divers face and just how dangerous their job truly is. I mean something as simple as a carbonated beverage can cause significant damage at those depths. He didn't just make it about the mystery but, he also uses the setting of the book to create an atmosphere of raw fear and paranoia.
I liked how he incorporates real life sat diving tragedies such as the Byford Dolphin accident- a true horrific tragedy that depicts just how deadly and precarious a sat divers job is. I also loved the subtle foreshadowing of doom when he used the line "and then they were four." If you've read this book, then you know what I mean.
The final 80% of the book was filled with revelations about our narrator, ones that I did see coming but was still done well, nonetheless. Though predictable I still really enjoyed the ending, especially the final chapter. It was a lot darker than I could've anticipated and I loved that.
Overall, a wonderfully crafted locked door thriller that you will not be able to put down.
Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Will Dean for my eARC of this book. All opinions are 100% my own.
April 21, 2024
aaaaagh. This was a hard one to rate. The concept was wild: a team of six deep-sea saturation divers are in their hyperbaric chamber, and then they start dying off. No one can figure out wtf is happening, and no one can leave the chamber until decompression is complete (or they will basically explode and look like raspberry jam, which is mentioned 1,000 times). Is it someone from the support team killing them off or is it someone locked inside with them or ????
There was a diagram at the beginning of the book, but I still had a hard time understanding how the chamber/ship/diving bell situation worked which was very distracting to me while I was reading, so I had to do a bunch of googling to figure it out (while avoiding seeing any actual pictures of this situation because I am scared to death of the stupid ocean and the creepy shit that lives in it, so thank you random scuba diving message board for providing the answers).
Here's how it works (I think - if I'm wrong, I don't really care because I want to forget any of this even exists as soon as I'm done writing this review): the divers go into the hyperbaric chamber, which is attached to a big boat, and the chamber is pressurized to match the pressure at the bottom of the ocean. The divers stay in the chamber for the entire duration of the job, other than when it's their turn to work, at which point they get in a diving bell which takes them up and down from the surface to the deep ocean to do their oil pipe welding or whatever without having to do a lengthy decompression every time. They get their supplies and whatnot passed to them through an airlock or something from the big ship.
Could there be a worse job than this? I think not. Being locked in a tiny, hot, metal box for weeks at a time, with your only outlet being WALKING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN WHILE TERRIFYING THINGS SWIM AROUND YOU? No fucking thank you. Also, I have had an irrational fear of The Bends ever since I died from them in a Choose Your Own Adventure book at age 8. (Also quicksand, but that, fortunately, is like the one thing that won’t kill you in this environment. Whew.)
Anyway. Amazing setup, horrifying situation, interesting characters (which also took me a bit to sort out because everyone has a name and a nickname)... and then there's mostly a lot of wiping surfaces and sweating, and it's all very repetitious? But then also terrifying? It definitely kept me reading, and there was a very upsetting reveal that I enjoyed, but I really, really hated the ending - like throw the kindle on the floor hated it.
I think fans of Dean's other books will like this one -- I can't say I didn't enjoy reading it, but I was super furious by the end, which kind of ruined it for me.
* thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the NetGalley review copy. The Chamber publishes August 6, 2024.
And thanks to @jkennedy_author for buddy reading this with me!
There was a diagram at the beginning of the book, but I still had a hard time understanding how the chamber/ship/diving bell situation worked which was very distracting to me while I was reading, so I had to do a bunch of googling to figure it out (while avoiding seeing any actual pictures of this situation because I am scared to death of the stupid ocean and the creepy shit that lives in it, so thank you random scuba diving message board for providing the answers).
Here's how it works (I think - if I'm wrong, I don't really care because I want to forget any of this even exists as soon as I'm done writing this review): the divers go into the hyperbaric chamber, which is attached to a big boat, and the chamber is pressurized to match the pressure at the bottom of the ocean. The divers stay in the chamber for the entire duration of the job, other than when it's their turn to work, at which point they get in a diving bell which takes them up and down from the surface to the deep ocean to do their oil pipe welding or whatever without having to do a lengthy decompression every time. They get their supplies and whatnot passed to them through an airlock or something from the big ship.
Could there be a worse job than this? I think not. Being locked in a tiny, hot, metal box for weeks at a time, with your only outlet being WALKING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN WHILE TERRIFYING THINGS SWIM AROUND YOU? No fucking thank you. Also, I have had an irrational fear of The Bends ever since I died from them in a Choose Your Own Adventure book at age 8. (Also quicksand, but that, fortunately, is like the one thing that won’t kill you in this environment. Whew.)
Anyway. Amazing setup, horrifying situation, interesting characters (which also took me a bit to sort out because everyone has a name and a nickname)... and then there's mostly a lot of wiping surfaces and sweating, and it's all very repetitious? But then also terrifying? It definitely kept me reading, and there was a very upsetting reveal that I enjoyed, but I really, really hated the ending - like throw the kindle on the floor hated it.
I think fans of Dean's other books will like this one -- I can't say I didn't enjoy reading it, but I was super furious by the end, which kind of ruined it for me.
* thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the NetGalley review copy. The Chamber publishes August 6, 2024.
And thanks to @jkennedy_author for buddy reading this with me!
May 29, 2024
3.5 stars
If you are anything like me, you would never want to be confined into a small enclosed space, nor would you want to be a saturation diver, being deep within the ocean fixing that which needs to be fixed.
For the intrepid saturation divers, living within the confines of a hyperbaric chamber, they know the risks, the dangers, breathing helium, and being in quite close quarters. However, never did they dream of death caused by something unreal, something unknown, something that is stealing lives one by one.
They have four more days until the chamber can be brought up bit by bit, but will anyone of them survive, as another perishes in this what could be called a chamber of death.
Will Dean has created a frightening story, that is clever and filled with suspicion and danger. He includes many ideas and paints a vivid picture of what it is like to live and work in such an environment.
Thank you to Will Dean, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out in August of this year.
If you are anything like me, you would never want to be confined into a small enclosed space, nor would you want to be a saturation diver, being deep within the ocean fixing that which needs to be fixed.
For the intrepid saturation divers, living within the confines of a hyperbaric chamber, they know the risks, the dangers, breathing helium, and being in quite close quarters. However, never did they dream of death caused by something unreal, something unknown, something that is stealing lives one by one.
They have four more days until the chamber can be brought up bit by bit, but will anyone of them survive, as another perishes in this what could be called a chamber of death.
Will Dean has created a frightening story, that is clever and filled with suspicion and danger. He includes many ideas and paints a vivid picture of what it is like to live and work in such an environment.
Thank you to Will Dean, Atria Books, and NetGalley for a copy of this story due out in August of this year.
August 10, 2024
I was back and forth on my rating for this one and I think ultimately, the pacing is what took me down to a 2. It just didn’t have any suspense or enough twists along the way to keep me tethered. I didn’t mind the thorough diving explanations or chatter, but the author kept the cast very unorganized with their real name vs nicknames using the interchangeably and it got very confusing. I didn’t feel connected with anyone and frankly, didn’t care about anyone’s fates.
April 24, 2024
Last summer, Will Dean blew my mind with “The Last One”, so I was very excited to also get this ARC. Instead of being trapped on a cruise ship, in this book we have people locked in a hyperbaric chamber. These six people have been working deep in the North Sea, and now will need a few days to slowly ascend to the surface. They will eat, shower, sleep and work in very close quarters, but the money is worth the risk of claustrophobia and the potential for injury.
Then, one of them ends up dead. The group doesn’t know how a healthy man can just die, seemingly for no reason, but they must continue on. They get his body into a lifeboat…and then there were five. As the days go on, they are dropping like flies until there are only two of them left. They ran out of body bags, so the remaining two are stuck in this tiny vessel with their friends decomposing in the hot, helium-filled atmosphere of the chamber. Tensions rise as the two each believe that the other is a murderer.
I liked “The Last One” better, but this was still a great book that teaches the reader about this career and the risks that go with it. The characters were written well, the murder mystery was done well, and the whole thing was very suspenseful. Four stars!
(Thank you to Atria, Emily Bestler Books, Will Dean and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 6, 2024.)
Then, one of them ends up dead. The group doesn’t know how a healthy man can just die, seemingly for no reason, but they must continue on. They get his body into a lifeboat…and then there were five. As the days go on, they are dropping like flies until there are only two of them left. They ran out of body bags, so the remaining two are stuck in this tiny vessel with their friends decomposing in the hot, helium-filled atmosphere of the chamber. Tensions rise as the two each believe that the other is a murderer.
I liked “The Last One” better, but this was still a great book that teaches the reader about this career and the risks that go with it. The characters were written well, the murder mystery was done well, and the whole thing was very suspenseful. Four stars!
(Thank you to Atria, Emily Bestler Books, Will Dean and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 6, 2024.)
August 24, 2024
Okay, first off, this is super informative. I've never heard of any of the jobs or details in the book, so it was truly an intriguing learning experience for me. At first, I was truly enjoying the FMC, and then after some bits, I got a weird feeling. Even after reading it all, I'm left shocked, confused, and intrigued. Like I still am not 100% certain who did it. Lol, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. I'm just still.... confused. I even reread the last 3 chapters and letters, which didn't help my confusion. Truly gripped me and had some interesting twists that kept me engaged, so I give this a solid 4 stars!
I received this ARC to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this ARC to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
May 29, 2024
Oh my goodness gracious. If you don’t have an acute case of both claustrophobia and thalassophobia by the time you’re halfway through this book, you’re better than I.
Six divers enter a hyperbaric chamber. Then they start dying, one by one. Even though those outside start the decompression process immediately after the first deceased person is found, the rest of the divers have to wait for four interminably long days before they can exit the chamber safely. Who’s responsible? Who can you trust?
Will Dean has definitely done his homework here, and it shows. You will get intimately acquainted with what it takes to become a saturation diver, the best of the best of the best. You’re locked in a small chamber for a month, and if you freak out and try to open the door…not only will you die, but all of your fellow divers will also perish in an exceedingly gruesome manner. You need to be extremely cool under pressure. If you have thoughts come into your head about getting out of the chamber, you need to banish those immediately.
Those pesky, intrusive thoughts. They could really get in the way of a successful dive for everyone. You better hope they go away. You better hope no one snaps.
All aboard!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the eARC. All opinions are mine.
(Side note: I don’t care what kind of money you throw at me, I will never be a diver. Not commercially and not even for recreation. The sheer fact that you can’t just rise immediately to the surface if there’s a problem….yeah, no. Not for me. My proverbial hat is off for those who can and do these dangerous jobs.)
Six divers enter a hyperbaric chamber. Then they start dying, one by one. Even though those outside start the decompression process immediately after the first deceased person is found, the rest of the divers have to wait for four interminably long days before they can exit the chamber safely. Who’s responsible? Who can you trust?
Will Dean has definitely done his homework here, and it shows. You will get intimately acquainted with what it takes to become a saturation diver, the best of the best of the best. You’re locked in a small chamber for a month, and if you freak out and try to open the door…not only will you die, but all of your fellow divers will also perish in an exceedingly gruesome manner. You need to be extremely cool under pressure. If you have thoughts come into your head about getting out of the chamber, you need to banish those immediately.
Those pesky, intrusive thoughts. They could really get in the way of a successful dive for everyone. You better hope they go away. You better hope no one snaps.
All aboard!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the eARC. All opinions are mine.
(Side note: I don’t care what kind of money you throw at me, I will never be a diver. Not commercially and not even for recreation. The sheer fact that you can’t just rise immediately to the surface if there’s a problem….yeah, no. Not for me. My proverbial hat is off for those who can and do these dangerous jobs.)
July 6, 2024
Well that was intense!! I felt the fear, cannot imagine what it must be like in that situation and job.
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