Release: February 16th, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Flame Tree Press
Source: Amazon
Find it at Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, Kobo
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“An absolute master of modern horror. And a damn fine writer at that” – Guillermo del Toro.
Book 1 in the Three Births of Daoloth trilogy.
1952. On a school trip to France teenager, Dominic Sheldrake begins to suspect his teacher Christian Noble has reasons to be there as secret as they’re strange. Meanwhile, a widowed neighbor joins a church that puts you in touch with your dead relatives, who prove much harder to get rid of. Hence, as Dominic and his friends Roberta and Jim investigate, they can’t suspect how much larger and more terrible the link between these mysteries will become. But, a monstrous discovery beneath a church only hints at terrors that are poised to engulf the world as the trilogy brings us to the present day…
FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018, the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; award winners and exciting, original voices.
About the Author:
Ramsey Campbell was born in Liverpool in 1946 and still lives on Merseyside. The Oxford Companion to English Literature describes him as “Britain’s most respected living horror writer.” Also, he has got more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild, and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2015 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University for outstanding services to literature. Among his novels is The Face That Must Die, Incarnate, Midnight Sun, The Count of Eleven, Silent Children, The Darkest Part of the Woods, The Overnight, Secret Story, The Grin of the Dark, Thieving Fear, Creatures of the Pool, The Seven Days of Cain, Ghosts Know, The Kind Folk, Think Yourself Lucky and Thirteen Days by Sunset Beach. Needing Ghosts, The Last Revelation of Gla’aki, The Pretence, and The Booking are novellas. His collections include Waking Nightmares, Alone with the Horrors, Ghosts and Grisly Things, Told by the Dead, Just Behind You, and Holes for Faces, and his non-fiction is collected as Ramsey Campbell, Probably. Limericks of the Alarming and Phantasmal are what they sound like.
His novels The Nameless, Pact of the Fathers, and The Influence have been filmed in Spain. He is the President of the Society of Fantastic Films.
The Searching Dead Review:
“The Searching Dead” is a creepy, suspenseful horror that had me wanting more!
The one thing which I like about Campbell’s novels is the slow burn suspense. The author does not disappoint in this book either! The buildup is slow but worth it. I felt like I was right next to Dominic as he tries to figure out the truth behind Mr. Noble. Dominic is a likable character who you root for from the get-go. Moreover, some moments had me at the edge of my seat, like what Dominic experiences in the cinemas’ mirror. Another memorable scene is when they are all hiding in the confession booth.
Similarly, Mr. Noble played the villain wonderfully. He is charismatic and charming but hides many secrets. But, it was his daughter Tina that unnerved me. There is something very creepy and odd about that child. I also enjoyed the scenes revolving around Ms. Norris and felt sorry for her.
The author also does a beautiful job setting up the people’s theme and lifestyle from the 1950s. He includes various highlights, like the Queen making her first address to the nation in 1952. Also, The author nicely makes numerous movie references to Kirk Douglas and Charlie Chaplin.
However, probably the only minor gripe I have about the story is the ending. While the climax was thrilling and horrific, I wished it had ended with more of a bang. For all the buildup, the conclusion was not as effective as I had hoped.
Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel! The story is the first in a series and ends on a suspenseful note. I can’t wait to start reading the next one and find out how it continues. Overall, “The Searching Dead” is a gripping start to the series.
