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Fear of the Deep
In Fear of the Deep, Julie Hiner plunges readers into the dark, uncharted waters of terror and suspense.
Bailey, a lifeguard with a heavy metal heart and a Jack Daniel's addiction, has long avoided the deep sea since a haunting accident. San Diego's sunny shores provide a façade of normalcy, where her nights are drowned in music and whiskey, and her days are spent keeping a safe distance from the ocean's grasp.
But the sea has a way of claiming what it wants. The discovery of a woman's body, marked by peculiar and familiar bite marks, washes up on her beach, forcing Bailey to confront the fears she's been running from. Deep beneath the waves, something sinister lurks, a nightmare born from genetic engineering gone awry. As Bailey delves deeper into the mystery, she finds herself entangled in a web of horror and science fiction, where sea creatures of the darkest depths become terrifyingly real.
With each tide, the line between reality and nightmare blurs, pulling Bailey into a psychological maelstrom. Her journey is not just a battle against the horrors emerging from the deep but a fight to overcome the demons within herself.
Fear of the Deep is not just a novel—it's a voyage into the heart of terror and the human psyche. It navigates the treacherous waters of horror suspense, sea stories, and genetic engineering science fiction, making it a perfect storm for fans of psychological thrillers and deep-sea adventures.
Are you brave enough to dive into the depths of Fear of the Deep? Hold your breath and plunge into this sea of suspense, where the darkest fears lie waiting beneath the surface.
Proudly represented by Torrid Waters, a division of Crystal Lake Publishing—Where Stories Come Alive!
Bailey, a lifeguard with a heavy metal heart and a Jack Daniel's addiction, has long avoided the deep sea since a haunting accident. San Diego's sunny shores provide a façade of normalcy, where her nights are drowned in music and whiskey, and her days are spent keeping a safe distance from the ocean's grasp.
But the sea has a way of claiming what it wants. The discovery of a woman's body, marked by peculiar and familiar bite marks, washes up on her beach, forcing Bailey to confront the fears she's been running from. Deep beneath the waves, something sinister lurks, a nightmare born from genetic engineering gone awry. As Bailey delves deeper into the mystery, she finds herself entangled in a web of horror and science fiction, where sea creatures of the darkest depths become terrifyingly real.
With each tide, the line between reality and nightmare blurs, pulling Bailey into a psychological maelstrom. Her journey is not just a battle against the horrors emerging from the deep but a fight to overcome the demons within herself.
Fear of the Deep is not just a novel—it's a voyage into the heart of terror and the human psyche. It navigates the treacherous waters of horror suspense, sea stories, and genetic engineering science fiction, making it a perfect storm for fans of psychological thrillers and deep-sea adventures.
Are you brave enough to dive into the depths of Fear of the Deep? Hold your breath and plunge into this sea of suspense, where the darkest fears lie waiting beneath the surface.
Proudly represented by Torrid Waters, a division of Crystal Lake Publishing—Where Stories Come Alive!
185 pages, Paperback
Published February 10, 2025
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Julie Hiner
20 books72 followersJulie Hiner is an author, storyteller, and blogger. She loves classic horror movies, books, and live music. Her favorite album to this day is Appetite for Destruction. Her favorite movie is Jaws.
Julie has lived her entire life in Calgary. She loves the mountains. Her first writing project was a work of non-fiction about facing fear and doubt by cycling up big European mountains.
She now writes a unique blend of heavy metal and horror, weaving both psychological suspense and many types of rock and metal into a tapestry of musically infused storytelling.
She has published an 80s/90s metal murder detective vs serial killer series, a 90s nostalgic serial killer novella, a death metal demon possession novella, and co-curated a horror anthology. Several of Julie's horror short stories have been published in anthologies. Julie also had a deep sea horror novella published by Torrid Waters, a pulp and extreme horror imprint of Crystal Lake Publishing.
You can find her at KillersAndDemons.com serving up toxic cocktails of metal and murder.
Julie has lived her entire life in Calgary. She loves the mountains. Her first writing project was a work of non-fiction about facing fear and doubt by cycling up big European mountains.
She now writes a unique blend of heavy metal and horror, weaving both psychological suspense and many types of rock and metal into a tapestry of musically infused storytelling.
She has published an 80s/90s metal murder detective vs serial killer series, a 90s nostalgic serial killer novella, a death metal demon possession novella, and co-curated a horror anthology. Several of Julie's horror short stories have been published in anthologies. Julie also had a deep sea horror novella published by Torrid Waters, a pulp and extreme horror imprint of Crystal Lake Publishing.
You can find her at KillersAndDemons.com serving up toxic cocktails of metal and murder.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 8, 2025
"Fear of the Deep" reads more like a novella than a novel: it's an easy read, somewhat like Jaws, very suspenseful but more dense, full of emotion, metal music, an interesting sea horror mystery, and a touch of romance. It's so interesting and fast-paced I finished it in one sitting.
What stood out for me was the central character, Bailey, a strong female protagonist, deeply traumatized by past loss, yet acknowledging her flaws and living her life in her own way. Bailey is a lifeguard in San Diego, a heavy metal music lover who spends her free time in a bar enjoying new gigs, and new lovers. She's a down-to-earth kind of girl who knows what she likes, what she wants, and how to get it. She's neither a fearless, over-the-top Ripley, nor a wounded Sarah scorning male attention. She loves the ocean, she surfs (at least she did, until the incident that left her psychologically traumatized), and can handle her booze quite skilfully. She likes taking risks, yet she's not at all self-destructive or emotionally unstable. She's a character I really enjoyed following around, especially when she realizes she's up against something absolutely dangerous and unique. I found her thinking attractive, and her actions, even those toward the end, solidly anchored in her character.
This is my first book by this author, and it won't be my last. The opening of the book is very well-done, and it captures the attention immediately. As a creature feature, it's simply outstanding. But it's so much more. I recommend it highly.
What stood out for me was the central character, Bailey, a strong female protagonist, deeply traumatized by past loss, yet acknowledging her flaws and living her life in her own way. Bailey is a lifeguard in San Diego, a heavy metal music lover who spends her free time in a bar enjoying new gigs, and new lovers. She's a down-to-earth kind of girl who knows what she likes, what she wants, and how to get it. She's neither a fearless, over-the-top Ripley, nor a wounded Sarah scorning male attention. She loves the ocean, she surfs (at least she did, until the incident that left her psychologically traumatized), and can handle her booze quite skilfully. She likes taking risks, yet she's not at all self-destructive or emotionally unstable. She's a character I really enjoyed following around, especially when she realizes she's up against something absolutely dangerous and unique. I found her thinking attractive, and her actions, even those toward the end, solidly anchored in her character.
This is my first book by this author, and it won't be my last. The opening of the book is very well-done, and it captures the attention immediately. As a creature feature, it's simply outstanding. But it's so much more. I recommend it highly.
February 6, 2025
4.5 stars rounded to 5
A fun quirky oceanic creature feature, that evokes beautifully descriptive imagery to capture the readers imagination, this one kept me itching to know what happens next.
The story follows Bailey, a lifeguard with an obsession for heavy metal, booze and all that comes with it who is dragged back into her past after a dead body shows up with familiar puncture wounds. Wounds that she had seen on her boyfriend who had passed away 5 years prior when they were both surfing. At the same time, she meets Rhys, a lead singer from a new band who captures her attention in a way she hadn't felt since she lost her boyfriend.
The situation puts her in a head on collision with her fears and her past as she plots to put an end to the creature responsible.
Much more than a typical creature feature, this one delves into the psyche of Bailey and explores what it takes her to overcome and face fears that have been buried in the past.
The descriptive imagery of both the sea and what metal music means to her is captured perfectly and enhances Bailey as a character.
The pacing is spot on but there were a few minor questions that were unresolved about the creature and the gap between Bailey's boyfriends death and the first death in the book five years later. It doesn't stop the book from being one well worth reading though, especially if you're a fan of creature features and/or metal.
A fun quirky oceanic creature feature, that evokes beautifully descriptive imagery to capture the readers imagination, this one kept me itching to know what happens next.
The story follows Bailey, a lifeguard with an obsession for heavy metal, booze and all that comes with it who is dragged back into her past after a dead body shows up with familiar puncture wounds. Wounds that she had seen on her boyfriend who had passed away 5 years prior when they were both surfing. At the same time, she meets Rhys, a lead singer from a new band who captures her attention in a way she hadn't felt since she lost her boyfriend.
The situation puts her in a head on collision with her fears and her past as she plots to put an end to the creature responsible.
Much more than a typical creature feature, this one delves into the psyche of Bailey and explores what it takes her to overcome and face fears that have been buried in the past.
The descriptive imagery of both the sea and what metal music means to her is captured perfectly and enhances Bailey as a character.
The pacing is spot on but there were a few minor questions that were unresolved about the creature and the gap between Bailey's boyfriends death and the first death in the book five years later. It doesn't stop the book from being one well worth reading though, especially if you're a fan of creature features and/or metal.
February 5, 2025
I, like Bailey, love the ocean. Reading a book about a ferocious fish would never deter me from swimming in the ocean. I thought Bailey was possible the bravest person ever. She was attacked by some creature, lost someone she loved and was not believed. Yet, she never gave up. She was determined to overcome her fear of the creature and get back to what she loved. I admire that in a person and was glad she returned to the ocean. This book is not for the faint of heart. There were many heart pulsing moments and fear was well written.
February 15, 2025
Dope little sea monster novella. This was my first work by Hiner and she was an author I was completely unfamiliar with. I’m glad I picked this one up because it was a solid read and will definitely scratch that ocean horror itch.
Fear of the Deep follows self destructive lifeguard, Bailey, as she moves through life. It’s a shorter book so not overly heavy on world building or characterization, but Hiner does an excellent job at making Bailey likable and relatable. She was significantly impacted after seeing the death of a loved one a few years previous. Because of this, she leans on alcohol heavily to aid her trauma. When a woman’s body washes ashore featuring similar markings to the death she witnessed years prior, she pushes for answers.
The pacing is great in this one and I easily blew through it in a few sittings. I love me some deep sea horror and while this one isn’t necessarily about exploring the hadalpalagic zone (probably for the best tbh, as I’m still fucked from Cutter’s The Deep), it does feature a fun new friend that emerges from the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
The story never really dwells and Hiner tends to move fairly quickly from scene to scene and then fill in the gaps as she goes. Overall, the story worked for me and I enjoyed reading it. It’s a shorter novel so I think had it been longer and more fleshed out it would’ve only enhanced the book. We only really get the integral plot points and I would’ve loved to read more day to day life with Bailey. I definitely will keep an eye on Hiner’s catalog moving forward and I’d recommend this one to anyone who vibes with sea creature features that are well paced and blunt.
Fear of the Deep follows self destructive lifeguard, Bailey, as she moves through life. It’s a shorter book so not overly heavy on world building or characterization, but Hiner does an excellent job at making Bailey likable and relatable. She was significantly impacted after seeing the death of a loved one a few years previous. Because of this, she leans on alcohol heavily to aid her trauma. When a woman’s body washes ashore featuring similar markings to the death she witnessed years prior, she pushes for answers.
The pacing is great in this one and I easily blew through it in a few sittings. I love me some deep sea horror and while this one isn’t necessarily about exploring the hadalpalagic zone (probably for the best tbh, as I’m still fucked from Cutter’s The Deep), it does feature a fun new friend that emerges from the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
The story never really dwells and Hiner tends to move fairly quickly from scene to scene and then fill in the gaps as she goes. Overall, the story worked for me and I enjoyed reading it. It’s a shorter novel so I think had it been longer and more fleshed out it would’ve only enhanced the book. We only really get the integral plot points and I would’ve loved to read more day to day life with Bailey. I definitely will keep an eye on Hiner’s catalog moving forward and I’d recommend this one to anyone who vibes with sea creature features that are well paced and blunt.
May 14, 2025
absolutely loved the deep sea horror, Julie has such an incredible talent with words that makes you want to continuously devour the book and somehow she's made me fear the ocean even more!
April 13, 2025
Monsters and Metal!
A one-sitting read for me, and I absolutely loved it. Sea creatures and heavy metal go together like skulls and crossbones. Hiner just outright rocks, and you're gonna have a lot of fun with anything she releases. Highly recommended to all fans of horror and great fiction!
A one-sitting read for me, and I absolutely loved it. Sea creatures and heavy metal go together like skulls and crossbones. Hiner just outright rocks, and you're gonna have a lot of fun with anything she releases. Highly recommended to all fans of horror and great fiction!
Read
May 12, 2025DNF
February 20, 2025
Good little sea creature story. A plucky, damaged, metal loving girl goes up against a brutal new fishy monster. Lots of biting and partying. Easy and fast read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews