The World Beneath

A Joe Tesla Novel

By: Rebecca Cantrell

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer

Thriller Award Winner, Best eBook Original Novel, 2014

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Cantrell drops you into a vast, dark world: 100 miles of living, breathing, tunnels that is the New York City underground. This subterranean labyrinth inhales three million bustling commuters every day. And every day, it breathes them all out again... except for one.

Software millionaire Joe Tesla is set to ring the bell on Wall Street the morning his company goes public. On what should be the brightest day in his life, he is instead struck with severe agoraphobia. The sudden dread of the outside is so debilitating, he can't leave his hotel at Grand Central Terminal, except to go underground. Bad luck for Joe, because in the tunnels lurk corpses and murderers, an underground Victorian mansion and a mysterious bricked-up 1940s presidential train car. Joe and his service dog, Edison, find themselves pursued by villains and police alike, their only salvation now is to unearth the mystery that started it all, a deadly, contagious madness on the brink of escaping The World Beneath.

©2013 Rebecca Cantrell (P)2014 Rebecca Cantrell

Mystery Thriller in the tunnels of New York.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Joe. Joe is not a perfect man but he's a smart one. He lived a life as a brilliant computer programmer, and this comes in handy with what he needs to learn on this case he trips into. Joe acts smart in this story when he's in the tunnels and running from the man who's now after him. We also get a feel at the end of the story that Joe may have been given his agoraphobia. This is an interesting thought and we are lead to believe this by the story that's happening now. I really liked the way the author drew us to this point.

I even found I was feeling for Ozan in the end. The bad guy that I ended up liking. Yes, this was well done. Ozan has a profession but he's a person too, having a life outside of what he's hired to do.

Have you listened to any of Jeffrey Kafer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jeffrey narrates this story, and his voice is perfect for these types of stories. Thriller and mystery in one, and Jeffrey's voice gives nothing away to us. I like that I can't guess the story as his voice doesn't tell me what to expect. Jeffrey does narrate with voice differences, even just slight differences. He also voices with pacing that fits each character and how they are feeling in the moment. We get a feel for the personality of the character through his voice and actions.

Any additional comments?

*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

This story starts right in. Quick happening and makes me curious about the mysterious infection that the special doctors are experimenting with. Wow. Had my attention out the gate here!

There are a few people we follow and all their lives are intertwined. If not before now, they will be as the story goes. Joe Tesla now lives in a Victorian home made in the tunnels under New York years ago, which is totally awesome. Vivian was to watch over him six months ago, when he vanished down into the tunnels which she thinks something happened to him then to cause his agoraphobia. She is once again called in to help protect Joe by his attorney. Ozan is hired by Dr. Dubois to kill Subject 523, who got away and needs to be stopped before he spreads what he's infected with (which Ozan doesn't know about). Ozan is also instructed to take care of anyone who might know about the papers Subject 523 took.

The story was easy to follow with the authors writing style and we got all the clues and back story we needed as the story went. I found I could draw the connections as I learned the parts from each person. I'm very curious about Joe in this ending. I want to see what comes next for him and how he stays working or involved on cases.

Loved it!

This was my introduction to Cantrell's Joe Tesla series and loved it. I'll definitely be back for more, especially if Jeffrey Kafer is narrating. Great job!

Great ride!

This book is gripping! You will finish in a day. Great plot and easy to follow.

Great Thriller! Great Narration!

Rebecca Cantrell pulled me in immediately with The World Beneath. I loved how she incorporated past and present storylines and meshed them together. The setting of the tunnels beneath New York City added a lot of imagery and depth to the story. The action was great, the mystery superb, the imagery vibrant, and the narration excellent. Jeffrey Kafer does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life with distinguishable voices, and has fitting emotions. I loved how the character of Joe Tesla wasn't perfect, and Edison (legitimate service dog) added another aspect. I requested this audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator.

Unputdownable

I am entirely hooked. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this story, but I do love a good thriller, especially if read by Jeffrey Kafer. The story focuses on Joe Tesla, an rich tech mogul who has developed debilitating agoraphobia and is living under New York’s grand central station. There is a in infection plot that has its links back to the Nazis, who are always an appropriate choice for a bad guy.

I loved the pace and the narration. Tesla was clever, and he had an interesting backstory. I’m ready to read ore books in the series, and I hope Vivian returns. She was a great former military/personal security person. Kafer is a very flexible narrator, but I think he particularly excels with thrillers.

This is a great thriller. I didn’t want to stop listening, and I wanted to go right away into the next adventures. There are four so far, and I might have found anew favorite thriller author in Rebecca Cantrell. Definitely recommended.

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook and have voluntarily left this review.

Fascinating Concept

What made the experience of listening to The World Beneath the most enjoyable?

This outstanding story captivated me from the first words. The world Cantrell has created is visual, heart thumping and compelling to the end. The research involved alone was enough to want me to learn more about the NYC underground. Looking forward to the next Joe Tesla adventure.

What other book might you compare The World Beneath to and why?

The World Beneath is the truest example of a suspense thriller. The first chapter sets up what will follow throughout the entire novel as a platform for what Tesla discovers and how he will be forced to use his wits and skills to potentially save the world. I wouldn't necessarily compare TWB to another book because this reads as a truly original concept. Works by authors Joseph Finder and Christopher Reich come to mind due to the risk and professional standing in an industry elements.

What does Jeffrey Kafer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed Kafer's performance very much. His tone and fluctuation from one character to another was flawless. The spoke word adds an additional visual element to the e-book version.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The irony of Tesla's circumstances presented quite a lot of intriguing instances. Most heartbreaking are the choices he's forced to make throughout his journey to discovery--not only of the mystery at the heart of the story, but how his affliction dictates his actions.

Interesting premise!

I really enjoyed this book. I would like to get the opinion of a New Yorker about the tunnels. Hard to put this book down!

Joe and Edison make a great team

It was an interesting combination of history, disease experiments, sleuthing and friendship. The narrator was excellent. The story made me want to keep listening even when I had to move on to other things. Love Edison!

Intriguing and beautifully written

Joe Tesla, a millionaire software engineer, is confined to the New York network of underground tunnels due to his severe agoraphobia. He owns a mansion under New York’s Central Station, and tries to have a life as normal as possible without going to the outside world. During one of his walks in one of the tunnels, he meets a strange man decided to break part of a wall with a hammer, just to discover an old train wagon and several human skeletons behind it. But Joe cannot have a good look at the findings, because this man is insane, and between mumbles about some documents, he threatens Joe with his hammer and goes after him.

I am one of those people who is mesmerized about underground tunnels, always looking out the wagon and thinking about those long and dark tunnels, wondering about the secrets they hide. When I read the blurb of this book, I realized that it was right up my alley, and I have to say that it did not disappoint. This is a quick-paced story in which the past and present intermingle to form a complex plot. Joe not only has to uncover a conspiracy but also fight for his life and the one of Edison, his furry friend. The story kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, and apart from the mystery regarding the strange man and the wagon, there is also the matter of Joe’s agoraphobia, which begun overnight sometime before the events in this book. I enjoyed how Joe’s character was built; even though he was not a very complex character, we get some of his background story, and I felt I knew him from before.

The book was well written with beautiful and rich sentences, and the dialogs that felt natural. The narrative pulled me in from the start.

Jeffrey Kafer did an exceptionally good job narrating this book, using a compelling tone that perfectly matched the story, and also delivering great character interpretations, with subtle voice changes. He brought the characters and the story to life.

This is not my first book by Rebecca Cantrell, as I have already listened to a couple of books of her cozy mysteries series ‘Maliby Mystery’. I enjoyed both genres from this author, and I am definitely looking forward to listening to the second book in Joe Tesla’s series.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What a great book!

A pleasant surprise, great characters and a fast moving plot. Strong writer. Get it.