Merfolk: World's Scariest Legends 4 is a study in horror thriller experiences that will delight those who like nautical intrigue and tension. It joins other "World's Scariest" collections by Bates, yet stands on its own as a powerful saga of literary terror and intrigue.

Jeremy Bates's ability to produce a stand-alone read that adds to a series yet requires no prior familiarity with setting, characters, or premise will delight horror fans, who will be immediately immersed in the prologue that tells of Karlo Winkler, a seasoned game fisherman who catches something he can barely handle. The mystery and the final revelation seem to conclude, but set the stage for more as a series of characters make discoveries that lead them to become open to the existence of different forms of life under the waters.

As oceanographer and shark scientist Dr. Elsa Montero, Dr. Martin (Marty) Murdock, and others navigate Sri Lanka's mysteries and legends, the possibility of something unique and threatening comes to life.

Bates builds believable characters whose special interests, professions, and fears dovetail with the rising possibility of a previously-unknown underwater milieu that portends a dark and dangerous force. 

Readers who enjoy graphic descriptions of horror will relish these descriptions and the ongoing threat of being eaten alive by denizens that live in a very different world.

As Jacqueline DeSilva, a reporter for the Daily Mirror, risks her life for the most vivid story of her career, tension heats up and confrontations increase that embrace both horror and adventure as relationships emerge and are challenged and changed by merfolk legends.

Bates has a particularly delightful way of building suspense, releasing it, then returning for more. Readers will find the tension ongoing and delightful, often unpredictable, and replete with harrowing scenes of survival struggles.

Fans of horror literature, sea-based intrigue, and changing choices will find Merfolk builds its attractions from the first page, challenging its characters and readers to experience many different levels of horror as the story evolves.

The evolution and interconnected tension, mystery, horror, and interpersonal relationships form a tango that keeps readers reeling and reading until the story's final moments provide a satisfying, unexpected conclusion.