The Searching Dead

Starred review from January 4, 2021
World Fantasy Life Achievement Award winner Campbell’s the Three Births of Daoloth series makes its U.S. debut with this spine-tingling tale set in 1950s Liverpool. As teenager Dominic Sheldrake begins his year at a new Catholic high school, he hears rumors from his eccentric neighbor, Mrs. Norris, about a man who can commune with the dead. Believing this kind of spiritualism to be heresy, Dominic is startled to learn that his new teacher, Mr. Noble, is the medium Mrs. Norris described. Together with his two friends, Jim and Bobby (short for Roberta), Dominic observes Mr. Noble’s increasingly erratic behavior as he searches for proof of his abilities. After uncovering Mr. Noble’s journal, which details his twisted activities, Dominic is pulled deeper into a strange and terrifying world of death and the occult. Campbell’s nuanced prose blends mystery with eldritch terror and balances the dark moments with a wry sense of humor. Period details of a post-WWII Britain give the story an intimate sense of place. This is Campbell at the height of his powers, proving once again that he is a master of the genre. Agent: John Jarrold, the John Jarrold Literary Agency.

January 1, 2021

Campbell (The Wise Friend), Britain's most decorated horror novelist, presents for the first time in America the opening title in his trilogy of biographical novels documenting the horrors of growing up in conservative, post-World War II Liverpool. The books feature a great and powerful cosmic evil that one man, Dominic, confronts over the course of his lifetime. Readers here meet Dominic at age 15, as he visits a WWII French battlefield where some say the dead appeared and uncovers a religious cult gaining strength in his bomb-battered neighborhood. As shadowy and lurking dangers become clear, Dominic must figure out whom to trust and how to battle the evils of his world, both real and supernatural. This novel is not only the start of an awesome horror epic by a master, but also a compelling coming-of-age story about a budding writer finding his way in a terrifying world. VERDICT A finalist in the Horror category for the British Fantasy Award, this is a slow burn of a novel with a fantastic pay-off, an intense and menacing story framed by superior worldbuilding. It is a good suggestion for fans of It by Stephen King or the "African Immortals" series by Tananarive Due.

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