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The Sea Hides Its Dead
- Author
- Megan Bontrager
- Narrator
- Rebecca LaChance
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 14 July 2026
- Run Time
- 16 hours 42 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Trapped in an underwater cave, a group of academics must face a series of deadly, supernatural trials—each one demanding they confront their darkest sins—in this chilling aquatic cult horror debut from Megan Bontrager.
Grad student Caro has no idea what she wants to do with her life, but when an opportunity arises to act as a research assistant on an anthropological expedition for her professor and lover, Edward Beck, she doesn't hesitate. Beck assembles a team of academics and professionals to study the ancient sea-based Cult of the Leviathan, and the expedition descends into the sea caves where the cult is said to have dwelt.
But when the cave entrance collapses, trapping them inside, the expedition finds they are not alone in the darkness. Surrounded by strange artifacts and scattered bones, an ancient trial has been set in motion. One by one, the members of the expedition will be tested and forced to atone for their greatest sin. . . or die.
Critics Review
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"Dark, bone-chilling, and utterly twisted, The Sea Hides its Dead will drag you into its depths with only a flare to light your way. Bontrager’s gripping writing steals you from the very beginning and doesn’t let up until you’re gasping for more." —Deena Helm, author of Our Cut of Salt
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"Weird, wild, and unpredictable, Bontrager will guide you through the depths of your own personal drippy, salty seaside purgatory. You will feel the chill, the damp, the gloom, and, above all, the omniscient staring eyes of the Leviathan above!" —Bitter Karella, author of Moonflow
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"A captivating, Lovecraftian horror that examines friendships and love and the dark parts of ourselves." —Daisy Pearce, author of Something in the Walls
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"Narrow passageways, hellish trials, eldritch horrors and worst of all—terrible academic men. The Sea Hides its Dead sparks the kind of awe and panic that the best horror delivers. Bontrager doesn't pull any punches." —Hester Steel, author of The Faceless Thing We Adore
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“Cursed sea cults and vengeful angels come together in this blood and brine drenched tale. It’s probably ill-advised to descend into inexplicable caves seeking eldritch horrors, but Bontrager’s atmospheric writing makes the jaunt perilously twisty and terrifyingly entertaining.” —Tori Bovalino, author of My Throat an Open Grave
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"There are as many thrills and chills in this page-turning novel as there are bones in the Leviathan's sea cave." —Eman Quotah, author of The Night Is Not for You
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“Bontrager’s propulsive novel is a claustrophobic nightmare of wet, squelchy terrors and unflinching truths. Proof that no matter where you go, even in the cavernous depths of a mysterious sea monolith, there you are. You’ll be glad to read this on dry land and wrapped in a warm blanket.” —E.L. Chen, author of Slasher Summer
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"A thrilling cosmic horror adventure where the monsters are as much within us as without. All the joys of classic fiction are found in these pages, filtered through a modern lens that keeps it fresh and relatable. I was thoroughly obsessed with The Sea Hides Its Dead—consider me an acolyte!" —Jennifer Thorne, author of Diavola
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Details
- Author
- Megan Bontrager
- Narrator
- Rebecca LaChance
- Duration
- 16 hours 42 minutes
- Release Date
- 14 July 2026
- ISBN
- 9781668657706
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- Fantasy, Adventure fiction, Contemporary fantasy
Synopsis
Trapped in an underwater cave, a group of academics must face a series of deadly, supernatural trials—each one demanding they confront their darkest sins—in this chilling aquatic cult horror debut from Megan Bontrager. Grad student Caro has no idea what she wants to do with her life, but when an opportunity arises to act as a research assistant on an anthropological expedition for her professor and lover, Edward Beck, she doesn't hesitate. Beck assembles a team of academics and professionals to study the ancient sea-based Cult of the Leviathan, and the expedition descends into the sea caves where the cult is said to have dwelt. But when the cave entrance collapses, trapping them inside, the expedition finds they are not alone in the darkness. Surrounded by strange artifacts and scattered bones, an ancient trial has been set in motion. One by one, the members of the expedition will be tested and forced to atone for their greatest sin. . . or die.
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