kblincoln's review
5.0
The spare, emotion-loaded beauty of Coates' terse dialogue and South Dakota rancher milieu started in "Wide Open" continues here in Deep Down.
Hallie Michaels is hanging around on her father's ranch, no longer able to return to her former life as a normal, army grunt in Afghanistan.
Her run in with the supernatural in the prior book has left her a bit at a loss for a life path. She's staying in town, but plans to leave both the town and her new romantic interest, boyish, strait-laced Boyd Davies.
She's not ready to commit to anything.
But then she goes to check on an elderly neighbor and finds black dogs, harbingers of Death, circling the property. At last, here's something Hallie has no problem committing to: figuring out how to solve both the puzzle of the dogs, as well as mysterious disappearances of solid citizens and mysterious reappearnces of victimless car crashes.
I am beginning to think of Deborah Coates and Alex Bledsoe's "Tufa" series along the same lines: something like urban fantasy set in rural American areas. There is wide open spaces, nature as a scene setter/mood influencer and sometimes character, as well as the rural sensibilities of people separated by space who yet have known eachother all their lives and who you can rely on in a pinch. Maybe "rural" fantasy? Whatever its called, I still love the way Hallie, Boyd, Death, and her father have that brusque, loaded-with-unsaid-things style of communication, as well as the details of ranch life.
As an added bonus, we not only get deeper into Boyd's backstory as his past holds clues to the current supernatural happenings in Prairie City , but also get the addition of a new character, Maker, who provides a perfect foil for Hallie as a source of irritation and information.
Hope to see more in this series.
This Book's Snack Rating: still Salt-and-Pepper Kettle chips for the no-nonsense flavor of Hallie's South Dakota world and the satisfying crunch of well-laid plot and fantastic elements
Hallie Michaels is hanging around on her father's ranch, no longer able to return to her former life as a normal, army grunt in Afghanistan.
Her run in with the supernatural in the prior book has left her a bit at a loss for a life path. She's staying in town, but plans to leave both the town and her new romantic interest, boyish, strait-laced Boyd Davies.
She's not ready to commit to anything.
But then she goes to check on an elderly neighbor and finds black dogs, harbingers of Death, circling the property. At last, here's something Hallie has no problem committing to: figuring out how to solve both the puzzle of the dogs, as well as mysterious disappearances of solid citizens and mysterious reappearnces of victimless car crashes.
I am beginning to think of Deborah Coates and Alex Bledsoe's "Tufa" series along the same lines: something like urban fantasy set in rural American areas. There is wide open spaces, nature as a scene setter/mood influencer and sometimes character, as well as the rural sensibilities of people separated by space who yet have known eachother all their lives and who you can rely on in a pinch. Maybe "rural" fantasy? Whatever its called, I still love the way Hallie, Boyd, Death, and her father have that brusque, loaded-with-unsaid-things style of communication, as well as the details of ranch life.
As an added bonus, we not only get deeper into Boyd's backstory as his past holds clues to the current supernatural happenings in Prairie City , but also get the addition of a new character, Maker, who provides a perfect foil for Hallie as a source of irritation and information.
Hope to see more in this series.
This Book's Snack Rating: still Salt-and-Pepper Kettle chips for the no-nonsense flavor of Hallie's South Dakota world and the satisfying crunch of well-laid plot and fantastic elements
jonmhansen's review
4.0
I think I liked this one more than the first one. Nice to see this particular world/setting/universe/whatever-you-want-to-call-it get explored a bit more.
roguesquid0's review
3.0
Deep Down - There was all sorts of reviews on the cover/inside cover of Deep Down for a book written before this by the author, which was apparently a pre-story to this. It sort of didn't matter, whether or not you read it? There was some references but it seemed as though the author told you what was of importance each time it happened. Anyways...
Deep Down was a story about Hallie, Boyd, Death and Hollowell. Hallie lives on a ranch with her father, alone, because they lost their sister and mom. Her father and her don't really talk all that much because she left for four years once to join the military and it looks like they never really worked out their feelings. Now that she is back, she is trying to find a job and figure out what is going on between her and Boyd/her dad. Eventually bizarre things start to happen like Pabby, an older woman on a nearby ranch, is starting to see black dogs everywhere on her property. Pabby is also being visited by a white reaper, telling her it is her time to go. Hallie can see the dogs too, but no one else can. Turns out only people who are going to die or have died can see the black dogs, which are harbingers of death. One dog takes a liking to Hallie because as he puts it she is 'interesting', so he follows her around through 2/3rd of the story. So Hallie is trying to stop Pabby from dying right now because she claims it's not her time to go, but then this man Hollowell shows up and is trying to mess up her life and Boyds - so Hallie being her tough, independent-self tries to take on this man using her knowledge of death, Death himself, Boyd and a friend of hers that can speak to ghosts (occasionally). It is an interesting story and the writing style is not something I'm used to - the quick blips, short thoughts, etc - but it was good for this story.
Deep Down was a story about Hallie, Boyd, Death and Hollowell. Hallie lives on a ranch with her father, alone, because they lost their sister and mom. Her father and her don't really talk all that much because she left for four years once to join the military and it looks like they never really worked out their feelings. Now that she is back, she is trying to find a job and figure out what is going on between her and Boyd/her dad. Eventually bizarre things start to happen like Pabby, an older woman on a nearby ranch, is starting to see black dogs everywhere on her property. Pabby is also being visited by a white reaper, telling her it is her time to go. Hallie can see the dogs too, but no one else can. Turns out only people who are going to die or have died can see the black dogs, which are harbingers of death. One dog takes a liking to Hallie because as he puts it she is 'interesting', so he follows her around through 2/3rd of the story. So Hallie is trying to stop Pabby from dying right now because she claims it's not her time to go, but then this man Hollowell shows up and is trying to mess up her life and Boyds - so Hallie being her tough, independent-self tries to take on this man using her knowledge of death, Death himself, Boyd and a friend of hers that can speak to ghosts (occasionally). It is an interesting story and the writing style is not something I'm used to - the quick blips, short thoughts, etc - but it was good for this story.
stewie's review
5.0
[a:Deborah Coates|123835|Deborah Coates|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1384228155p2/123835.jpg]' novel Deep Down has the storytelling style of Joe Lansdale and the snarky wit of Janet Evanovich. This was the first I've read of her work, and she easily has a new fan. You can read my full review over at Horror DNA.
colls's review
4.0
Hallie is becoming one of my favorite heroines: she's practical, no-nonsense and ready to get things done. She also has a refreshing amount of maturity. I'm unsure if that's the rancher's daughter or the war veteran in her, but for someone who's barely twenty-three, she goes about things like reapers and hell with more wisdom and common sense than one might expect. Of course, she still lacks hard intel and dives right into things, it would hardly be a supernatural genre novel if she didn't. But she's got a health dose of pragmatism that I really like. Even when it comes to Boyd, she doesn't flare into jealousy or gnash her teeth (much).
I'm surprised that this series isn't more well-known, it's incredibly entertaining and the stories are well-paced. The characters have some depth and the setting is vivid.
I'm surprised that this series isn't more well-known, it's incredibly entertaining and the stories are well-paced. The characters have some depth and the setting is vivid.
drey72's review
4.0
Published on drey's library: http://www.dreyslibrary.com/2013/04/23/review-deep-down-by-deborah-coates/
Well, Hallie’s figured out what happened to her sister, and barely survived it. Now maybe she’ll have the opportunity to figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life… Hopefully without all that otherworldly stuff that’s been dogging her.
Too bad what Hallie wants doesn’t matter. Because no sooner does she gets a job proposition than she starts seeing black dogs. Dogs nobody else can see, except for a select few. Dogs who appear and disappear on a whim. Dogs who hop into her truck – through the door – and talk to her. In riddles, mostly. Because plain talk is apparently to much to ask for…
It doesn’t take long before Hallie feels lost again, out of her depth with the unexplained occurrences. She wishes they’d stop happening, but well, if wishes were fishes… Oh, whatever. Things aren’t going to stop being weird just because that’s what Hallie wants. But is a supernatural-guidebook-for-dummies too much to ask for?
Deep Down gives us a story more mystery than supernatural – similar to Wide Open. We learn more about Hallie’s backstory as well as Boyd’s, and meet some new characters with pivotal roles to play. The ending gives us a revelation that’ll surely play out in the next book.
As with Wide Open, Deep Down is dark and solemn. There’s not a lot to laugh at or about, and yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. Deborah Coates’ storytelling is compelling and keeps your interest with its revelations, and while I’m impatient and want to know what’s going on now, I cannot wait to see where it all goes from here.
drey’s rating: Excellent!
Well, Hallie’s figured out what happened to her sister, and barely survived it. Now maybe she’ll have the opportunity to figure out what she wants to do with the rest of her life… Hopefully without all that otherworldly stuff that’s been dogging her.
Too bad what Hallie wants doesn’t matter. Because no sooner does she gets a job proposition than she starts seeing black dogs. Dogs nobody else can see, except for a select few. Dogs who appear and disappear on a whim. Dogs who hop into her truck – through the door – and talk to her. In riddles, mostly. Because plain talk is apparently to much to ask for…
It doesn’t take long before Hallie feels lost again, out of her depth with the unexplained occurrences. She wishes they’d stop happening, but well, if wishes were fishes… Oh, whatever. Things aren’t going to stop being weird just because that’s what Hallie wants. But is a supernatural-guidebook-for-dummies too much to ask for?
Deep Down gives us a story more mystery than supernatural – similar to Wide Open. We learn more about Hallie’s backstory as well as Boyd’s, and meet some new characters with pivotal roles to play. The ending gives us a revelation that’ll surely play out in the next book.
As with Wide Open, Deep Down is dark and solemn. There’s not a lot to laugh at or about, and yet I thoroughly enjoyed it. Deborah Coates’ storytelling is compelling and keeps your interest with its revelations, and while I’m impatient and want to know what’s going on now, I cannot wait to see where it all goes from here.
drey’s rating: Excellent!
nakedgreyhound's review
4.0
This series of books are really different from so many other fantasies I've read. They take place in rural South Dakota, though they are set in present-day, mixing the real with the fantasy. This type of blending is often seen more in "urban fantasy" books. I really love how the setting/place is as much as a character as the main characters.
seeingnight's review
5.0
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Romance, Supernatural, Ghost
RECEIVED: Received from Tor
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
Loved this! Deep Down was pretty much just as good as Wide Open, but I felt had more eerie paranormal goodness that I liked it that much more. Hallie is really getting deeper into her supernatural side and the ghost aren’t her only problem this time.
Hallie is done with the Army and is back on her father’s farm trying to figure out her next step. She also is still trying to figure out her relationship with deputy Boyd and find out the story behind this ghost that’s been following him around. But once she finds out the truth, death appears, along with black dogs that follow death and the reapers. Hallie is about to get up close and personal with “real” Death and find out what he wants from her.
Hallie is one of those characters you just connect to right off. In Wide Open she was heart broken and angry after her sisters death, but now all she wants is to move on and protect those closest to her, she is ready to fight back hard. Hallie learns a lot about her gift, she sees things know one else can and that means she can see Harbringers (black dogs) that go wherever death is. Coates really digs in deep with the supernatural this time around, I loved having Hallie work with Maker one of the Harbingers to stop this evil reaper that’s trying to hurt Boyd. I know it may sound strange but Id totally love having my own Harbinger as my back up. Hallie is one tough girl and I think with each book she's just going to keep getting stronger.
Boyd is highly focused on this time around, where in Wide Open he just shows up to help Hallie, this time he’s the one stuck in the middle. His wife’s ghost is following him, bringing along the person who killed her. The problem is the man who killed her isn’t exactly dead or alive and he’s ready to make Boyd’s life miserable by using Hallie. Though Hallie wont back down for anyone and helps Boyd however she can. I liked digging in deep into Boyd’s past; we get to see what kind of man he was before and how much he changed.
Overall Hallie is dealt a lot of questions and she gets help from a very interesting “psychic” through out the book along with Maker. She’s starting to handle all the ghost, death and reaper situations quite well and becoming more comfortable with what she is. At the end she is giving an interesting choice and I’m so curious on how things are going to pan out for her now. Coates once again wrote a story that kept me guessing and not once did I put this book down. I applaud Coates for creating such a strong group of characters, a supernatural world with a touch of humor and eeriness that kept me on my toes. The supernatural characters and world almost feel “real” it gave me chills and I can’t imagine seeing what Hallie sees everyday. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Hallie and Boyd.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a series that you don’t want to miss and Urban Fantasy that will have you on the edge of you seat until the very last word. Fans of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series and Kim Harrisons’ The Hollows series will want to get their hands on this second installment Deep Down by Deborah Coates.
THEME: Romance, Supernatural, Ghost
RECEIVED: Received from Tor
BLOG: http://seeingnight.blogspot.com/
REVIEW:
Loved this! Deep Down was pretty much just as good as Wide Open, but I felt had more eerie paranormal goodness that I liked it that much more. Hallie is really getting deeper into her supernatural side and the ghost aren’t her only problem this time.
Hallie is done with the Army and is back on her father’s farm trying to figure out her next step. She also is still trying to figure out her relationship with deputy Boyd and find out the story behind this ghost that’s been following him around. But once she finds out the truth, death appears, along with black dogs that follow death and the reapers. Hallie is about to get up close and personal with “real” Death and find out what he wants from her.
Hallie is one of those characters you just connect to right off. In Wide Open she was heart broken and angry after her sisters death, but now all she wants is to move on and protect those closest to her, she is ready to fight back hard. Hallie learns a lot about her gift, she sees things know one else can and that means she can see Harbringers (black dogs) that go wherever death is. Coates really digs in deep with the supernatural this time around, I loved having Hallie work with Maker one of the Harbingers to stop this evil reaper that’s trying to hurt Boyd. I know it may sound strange but Id totally love having my own Harbinger as my back up. Hallie is one tough girl and I think with each book she's just going to keep getting stronger.
Boyd is highly focused on this time around, where in Wide Open he just shows up to help Hallie, this time he’s the one stuck in the middle. His wife’s ghost is following him, bringing along the person who killed her. The problem is the man who killed her isn’t exactly dead or alive and he’s ready to make Boyd’s life miserable by using Hallie. Though Hallie wont back down for anyone and helps Boyd however she can. I liked digging in deep into Boyd’s past; we get to see what kind of man he was before and how much he changed.
Overall Hallie is dealt a lot of questions and she gets help from a very interesting “psychic” through out the book along with Maker. She’s starting to handle all the ghost, death and reaper situations quite well and becoming more comfortable with what she is. At the end she is giving an interesting choice and I’m so curious on how things are going to pan out for her now. Coates once again wrote a story that kept me guessing and not once did I put this book down. I applaud Coates for creating such a strong group of characters, a supernatural world with a touch of humor and eeriness that kept me on my toes. The supernatural characters and world almost feel “real” it gave me chills and I can’t imagine seeing what Hallie sees everyday. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Hallie and Boyd.
RECOMMENDATION:
This is a series that you don’t want to miss and Urban Fantasy that will have you on the edge of you seat until the very last word. Fans of Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson series and Kim Harrisons’ The Hollows series will want to get their hands on this second installment Deep Down by Deborah Coates.
lil's review
3.0
Solid follow up to [b:Wide Open|12074933|Wide Open (Wide Open, #1)|Deborah Coates|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1314362241s/12074933.jpg|16316102].
ramseyhootman's review
4.0
I was gonna take a break between Wide Open and Deep Down, but then I decided to read the Kindle sample, and the dogs hooked me. I mean, invisible dogs? Yeah.
Enjoyed this as much as the original. Only complaint was that there were a lot of vague lines - places I wasn't sure what/who the characters were referring to in dialogue. That's kind of part of the narrative, in a sense, since the characters are often themselves not sure what is going on, but in places it got a little too vague for me to follow.
Again, not something I'd usually read, but enjoyed very much! :)
Enjoyed this as much as the original. Only complaint was that there were a lot of vague lines - places I wasn't sure what/who the characters were referring to in dialogue. That's kind of part of the narrative, in a sense, since the characters are often themselves not sure what is going on, but in places it got a little too vague for me to follow.
Again, not something I'd usually read, but enjoyed very much! :)
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