Despite being a fan of horror novels, especially those written by women, and despite also prioritising Australian authors, I had somehow overlooked Darcy Coates prior to reading "From Below". 

"From Below" is an atmospheric haunted 'house' story set in an eerily preserved ocean liner that has been sitting on the ocean floor for the past 90 years.

There's a lot about this story that I enjoyed - the atmosphere, the characters, the writing - but the main aspect that truly drew me in was the scenery and the imagery surrounding the crew and passengers of the Arcadia. This is one story that I desperately want turned into a movie so I can 'see' it.

The story is broken up between the past - the Arcadia's final days - and the present - the expedition to explore the wreck of the Arcadia.

I really liked the way that the past and present ran alongside each other. Sometimes, this approach to storytelling can feel disconnected or like two separate stories being told in a single book, but Coates manages to maintain their connection and relevance to each other.

My main criticism is that I felt the final dive was unnecessary, and it would have been better to combine the last two dives into one.

Personally, I would have also liked it if the author focused as much on the 'wrongness' of the ship as they did the claustrophobic/diving danger elements in regards to the present storyline. I feel it could have used a little more of the past storyline's spookiness.

I recommend this book for fans of the traditional, slow-burn haunted house story. The underwater setting simply adds an extra layer (or two) to the foreboding and claustrophobic atmosphere inherent in a good haunting.