Dominic Sheldrake is a schoolboy in Liverpool, England in the 1950's who attends a private Catholic grammar school. One day, the father of his teacher, Mr. Noble, visits the school to talk about his experiences during the First World War. He makes a big impression on Dominic by recalling a field he visited during the war that seemed somehow spiritually wrong and hungry for souls. Dominic later learns that Mr. Noble has been involved with his neighbor and her church. The rumors are that he is raising spirits from the dead to reunite them with their loved ones. Apparently spiritualism and dabbling in the occult were quite taboo in that day and age, and Mr. Noble is let go from his teaching post. Dominic and his best pals Jim and Roberta, learn that Mr. Noble has established a church elsewhere to continue to explore spiritualism and the dark arts, and they set out to stop him.

I appreciated Ramsey Campbell's quiet and illustrative writing style. The imagery was very descriptive, evoking a long-gone version of London, what it must have been like to live during that era, and some lovely backdrops of the French countryside. The character of Dominic was very believable and the struggles that he and his mates were feeling as they were coming of age rang very true. However, there is a fine line between a slow-burning plot, and one that is boring. Personally, I was bored. I can't say that the book wasn't well written, I think it just didn't suit my taste. I feel bad saying that because Ramsey Campbell is widely known and well respected world wide as one of the best living horror writers. Maybe this is a cultural difference between Great Britain and the US? At any rate, I personally prefer more flash, scares and drama in my horror. This book was very quiet and subtle with a spare amount of frights and scary images sprinkled in here and there. It seemed that a lot of the horror was based on Mr. Noble dabbling with the occult, which I just don't find at all shocking or scary. If you enjoy very quiet and very slow burning cosmic horror, this may be a great book for you. Thank you to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Dominic is, by nature, an inquisitive child and the odd and ominous scenes of his neighbor seemingly talking to her dead husband and the grotesque character he witnesses during a school trip to a World War II battlefield, lead him to a constant questioning and a desire to find answers. It is this curiosity that drives the plot forward. Against the wishes of his parents and the timidity of his friends, Jim and Bobby, Dominic is unable to accept the simplistic explanations provided by his teachers and parents. Campbell casts a shadow of dread over Dominic’s continued push for clarity.
After watching his teacher’s father march into the school with a book then leave without it, Dominic has no choice but to search the grounds. He finds the book only to discover that it is his teacher, Mr. Noble’s, handwritten journal. Mr. Noble has ways of communicating with the dead, a skill he has passed on to his daughter. Dominic’s reading only leads to more questions. Campbell instills a sense that no matter what Dominic finds, there is more truth to uncover.
But the novel is not all fear and dread, Campbell reminds us that Dominic and his friends are still young by interjecting a few lighter coming of age moments including the awkwardness of high school attraction and rejection. Despite being contrary to the books overall tone, these moments are a welcome respite from the impending darkness that seems to be lurking on the next page.
The tension builds at an inconsistent pace throughout the second half of the book and while Dominic finds enough answers to satisfy his own curiosity allowing him the ability to relax, the reader is left with a very clear sense that what was discovered only just scratches the surface.

It's been a shamefully long time since I read anything by Ramsey Campbell but this was a reminder to get my act together. This is an engrossing read that I really enjoyed. Thank you so much for the opportunity.

The Searching Dead by Ramsey Campbell is a beautifully crafted coming of age supernatural horror tale set in 1950s post war Liverpool. It tells the story of Dominic Sheldrake, a boy who has just been accepted into a prestigious Catholic school. Dominic is a bright creative student who enjoys reading and writing stories. He is on the precipice of adolescence and is truly a good son, student, friend, neighbor, etc. When Dominic begins his new school, he becomes a bit obsessed with his teacher, Mr. Christian Noble. Dominic realizes that Mr. Noble is more than just the typical boring teacher. . . he also attends a different kind of church where he helps people contact the dead. Dominic is determined to find out more about Mr. Noble and to help possibly protect anyone who may inadvertently be harmed by Mr. Noble’s beliefs. Just how far is Dominic Dominic willing to go to find out the truth about Mr. Noble.

Overall, I enjoyed this story. Ramsey Campbell is a true horror master and his writing is engaging. I was fully engrossed in Dominic’s life. I also liked how history was beautifully interwoven throughout this story. This is post war England and the scars are still visible on the countryside and on the buildings. The economy is starting to rebuild from rationing to having people who can afford luxuries such as refrigerators and televisions. There is talk of labor unions, movies, and dreams of attending university. The new queen has her coronation and the country is full of hope. I also really enjoyed how the topic of religion is handled, particularly when dealing with people who believe differently. Of course I also enjoyed the horror elements and the Lovecraft vibes.

The Searching Dead is the first in a trilogy about Daoloth. I look forward to reading more in the next two books.

Another great book from Campbell. A slow burn, coming of age supernatural tale. I loved it. There will also be two more books!

Unable to sleep tonight and so what better way to feed the insomnia than a #russelreads -- this time being the new one from Ramsey Campbell (pub @flametreetweet) due out next month. Set in the 1950s, it finds a young lad starting a new school and realising one of his teachers may be involved in spiritualism, talking to and invoking the dead. A school trip to France and the horrors of the first world war bring nightmares and revelations... And then things get very serious indeed...

Although Campbell is well known in the horror field, he's an author I hadn't yet got round to. But I'm glad I started here. There are echoes of the strength of Stephen King in his ability to evoke childhood and friendships (albeit this remembered British childhood is far more from than l, say, the innocent 50s of King's IT) and his intricate weaving of the personal and paranormal that can leave you questioning how much of what we're seeing is real and how much comes from suggestion and the nightmares of a growing boy. But the horror is there, and when it strikes, it unnerves.

THE SEARCHING DEAD is both a character study and a slowly creeping ghost story that catches you by surprise. It's my first Campbell, sure, but I don't think it's gonna be my last.

With thanks to @flametreetweet for sending me an early copy of this via #netgalley.

I haven't read anything by this author for awhile. I was so thrilled when I came across this one and I knew immediately I would read it. I loved the characters and the world building was fantastic. It is a bit dark for my taste but great reading just the same. I definitely recommend this book but read it with the lights on.

"They never sleep but they dream." The Searching Dead is an intriguing coming of age supernatural horror tale. The young protagonist's search for the truth about his strange new teacher leads him to begin questioning his own faith and principles and those of the people around him. As Dom gets drawn deeper into the occult mystery, he finds himself drifting away from his parents and closest friends. Ramsey Campbell has impressively intertwined the struggles and insecurities of adolescence with the mortal dread of the dead and the unknown after.

I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was my first foray into Ramsey Campbell's work and I cannot say that I was disappointed. What a staggering achievement. It is the first book in a series, and I think I was most struck by how well he handled philosophical questions, their implications, and the religious undertones that are sometimes quite horrifying.
I will definitely be reading his work again and looking for other books in this series.

In the past year, I’ve discovered Ramsey Campbell and his quietly executed brand of horror. Of the four or five titles of his I’ve read so far, each has left me intrigued and interested, but never horrified. In fact, I think the trolley scene in today’s book – The Searching Dead – is the most grotesque thing I’ve read from him so far. Generally, my experience has been that a mysterious and fantastical atmosphere subtly shines the way for Campbell’s stories. Though this does mean some slow sections from time to time, I’ve walked away from every one of his books pleased.

The Searching Dead is no exception; you know, it might even be my favorite yet. The fact that this book is just the first in a trilogy to reissue this year is very exciting. It’s part coming-of-age, part religiously fanatic, and part ghostly. The pieces are there – many of which are still waiting in shadow for now – to provide an immersive experience. Like with The Wise Friend, I found myself driven by my curiosity to uncover more secrets of the nemesis and what they’ve got hidden up their sleeve. Count me in for the rest of this trilogy (especially after those final pages)!

***

Highlights: Strong cast … mysterious enemy … the ending … continues in two more titles

Shadows: A little slow at times where little seems to be happening

FFO: Slow-burning horror … horror driven by mystery and atmosphere

Takeaway: The Searching Dead is a curious and engaging read that promises to get darker in its sequels.

Would I read this author again? Yes

The prolific Mr Campbell shows no signs of slowing down and produces another compelling and chilling read, close on the heels of last year’s, The Wise Friend.

This time he goes back to his own past, setting a tale of opportunistic spiritualism and post-war grief in Liverpool of the 1950s. This is a setting painted with myriad wounds, and every word betrays the very lived experience of it. Our young protagonist, Dominic, is trying to find his feet at Catholic school, and squirming under the yoke of his parents expectations, when he becomes fascinated by a new local church and a man there who claims to be able to bring back the dead. When this same man, Mr Noble, shows up as a teacher at his new school, where such beliefs should not be acceptable, Dominic’s curiosity leads him to delve further into Noble’s activities and—well, curiosity does for meddlesome kids much what it does for cats.

This is a sprightly telling, where the customary horrific and eldritch goings-on—for which Campbell can always be relied upon—are mixed with a wry voice and clear affection for this novel’s very personal setting. Dominic and his friends, too, are rendered with a more kindly voice than Campbell usually reserves for his foolhardy protagonists. This only serves to up our investment considerably and heighten the threat that Noble poses.

This master storyteller has lost none of his command of darkness, even here: at his most humane and, maybe, sentimental. I always look forward to one of Ramsey’s books, but this was a particular pleasure and I highly recommend it to all.

Since teaming up with Flame Tree Press several novels ago Ramsey Campbell has been on a rich vein of form and 2021 sees the welcome rerelease of The Searching Dead which was first published in 2016. The original was a limited-edition PS Publishing hardback which heralded two sequels Born of the Dark (2017) and The Way of the Worm (2018) in a series which was critically acclaimed and widely known as Three Births of Daoloth. This is not the first time Flame Tree Press have dipped into Campbell’s outstanding back-catalogue, also rereleasing The Influence last year, and one hopes this will lead to the entire trilogy being made available on Kindle and ebook for the first time.

Wracking my brains, and coming up with zero, I am wondering how often Campbell writes fiction where the central characters are children? Not very often I would wager and for much of The Searching Dead the supernatural is entirely absent and the reader is convincingly time-warped back to 1950s Liverpool where it is easy to forget that you are reading a horror novel. This setting is beautifully convincing, from the bus rides, to the cinema visits and atmospheric recreations of the school classrooms. Liverpool still lives in the shadow of the war, with bombed streets and children still asking adults and teachers ‘what did you do in the war?’

The story is narrated in the first person by Dominic Sheldrake who is about to start secondary school, making his parents proud by winning a place at the local Catholic grammar school. He is a bright boy, with a vivid imagination and there is undoubtedly come of Ramsey Campbell inside him. Here is a boy who loves writing stories and is dismayed when one of his new teachers cruelly tells him one of his stories is rubbish. In this strict Catholic school, any form of ‘modern’ literature or other cultural symbols is frowned upon by the strict teachers, there was even a very funny scene when the Headmaster tears a strip from Dominic for reading Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock, only for another teacher to defend his taste in literature! However, strict the school may be, Dominic still takes a liking to his new Tutor, Mr Noble, who encourages him with his writing and to think for himself. I enjoyed the many other literary references, Crowley gets a mention in passing and at a certain point Dominic discovers Dennis Wheatley, who is presented as one of the great ‘Occultists’ of his day!

The hustling and bustling school scenes were fantastic and soon Dominic realises that Mr Noble lives close to where he does and knows one of his neighbours, who has been struggling since the death of her husband. Mrs Norris has also been attending a Spiritualist Church and gives the impression that she has been talking to her dead husband, with Mr Noble playing a big part in this ritual. Rather agitated and disorientated Mrs Norris and her descriptions of her church pique the interest of Dominic and he goes snooping where he should not.

Although The Searching Dead is narrated from sometime after the events it is soaked in beautifully stated childhood scenes as the three main characters approach their teenage years. Dominic is inseparable from his best friends Jim and tomboy Bobby (Roberta) who goes to a different school. They meet every Saturday to hit the cinemas, with Dominic writing naive adventure stories about the exploits of the ‘Tremendous Three’ which Jim finds faintly embarrassing as Dominic does not even use fake names in his stories! After a school trip to France, in which they visit various battlefields with Mr Noble, the boys become even more suspicious of Mr Noble and what his church might be up to.

Interestingly, it is Dominic who drives this suspicion to the extend that even the children’s parents become involved as there is a deep-rooted suspicion of Spiritualist churches, particularly of a teacher who works in a Catholic school. This was an era where children were expected to obey their parents and ‘nobody was expected to make a fuss’ and the family dynamic were an important aspect of the novel as the kids snooping results in them getting into deep water. It also turns on its head the idea that the teacher, the ultimate figure of authority, can be challenged or could possibly be a leader of a cult.

Overall, the supernatural was understated, atmospheric and low key, and if it were not for the fact that I know this is developed significantly in Born of the Dark and The Way of the Worm one could have argued it was kept too far in the background. There are no “Boo!” scares or demons rising from the depths of Hell, it is much subtler that that and is in tune with much of Campbell’s recent fiction, which is character driven, focusing on family dynamics and slow creeping dread. However, that is not to say the novel does not have its scares, the interactions between Mrs Norris and her absent husband were great and Dominic being stalked in the foggy streets of Liverpool were also riveting.

Long-term fans of Ramsey Campbell will undoubtedly have already read The Searching Dead, but for those of you who have not it is a fine introduction to his work.

This was a hard to put down book from the start - Ramsey Campbell is a master at a slow build that once you start it is really hard to put down. If you haven't read anything by this author, this would be a great place to start. Don't delay, you will regret it.

Searching Dead is a horror tale full of slowly unfolding terror and dread. This is a story of a boy, Dominic Sheldrake, growing up in post-war England. Horror creeps around the edges of this tale and insidiously unfolds with a steadily increasing sense of dread, oppression, and cosmic horror.

The story-telling is flawless. The characters are well developed, the pacing is consistent, and the storyline knows precisely where it is going, even if the reader does not. Ramsey Campbell is a masterful storyteller, and it shows.

The detailed look into life in post-war England and the changes that were happening intertwined with the book's themes. The Searching Dead could almost be considered historical fiction. The citizens of England are transitioning from wartime rationing to the postwar economic boom. The reader sees Dominic's family get their first refrigerator and TV. This time is an era of increased communication and shows the hold of religion fading to scientific advances. Themes include the double-edged sword of increased knowledge of the human condition. Also, Dominic is transitioning from a boy to a teenager. All the while, he is investigating the sinister doings of his teacher. Unfortunately, even his friends and especially not his parents believe what he has uncovered.

The detailed descriptions of post-war England, from the food rationing to the city's bombed-out sections, lend to the birth of the horror that is awakening. The details made me feel like I was there and was interesting from a historical perspective. Books, movies, music from this era are discussed from the viewpoint of the characters. The good and bad of this time period are explored.

The build-up to the final scene is steady and purposeful. The ending was satisfying but creepy. The story is wrapped up but is open enough for a second book, which I believe. Tomes of forbidden knowledge, places of ancient evil, entities from beyond our comprehension can all be found in The Searching Dead. This book has a very timeless feel to it; it does not feel like something written in this decade or even the previous one.
If you have read Ramsey Campbell, you know what to expect here. This is not a constantly on the edge of your seat thriller or an action-packed page-turner. It is cosmic horror written in the tradition of an English ghost story. I recommend this for fans of the weird fiction genre.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The review will be posted to my blog closer to the release date.

Watch Out: The Old Gods Are Still With Us

"The crude human animal is in-eradicably superstitious, and there is every biological reason why they should be. Take away his Christian god and saints, and he will worship something else..." - H.P. Lovecraft

Long after his death, Lovecraft's dark influence continues to spread throughout the world, infecting the perceptive and susceptible. Ramsey Campbell has channelled one of Lovecraft's Old Gods in this excellent, disturbing first volume of a planned trilogy, The Three Births of Daoloth.

The author has skillfully presented a memorable and frightening coming-of-age story. Set in still-rationing post-WWII England it's the story of the struggles and angst of a bright adolescent schoolboy, Dominic Sheldrake. These foibles make him an easy target of the evil (or insane) designs of someone who should have been a mentor.

I sympathized so much with Dom, who could easily have been any teenager (or my own young self), whose pleas for help were stymied by circumstance and adult obtuseness. The other characters were equally vivid, allowing this horrific fantasy to feel all the more real.

I received a free advance review copy of this superb book courtesy of the author, publisher, and NetGalley. I heartily recommend it!

Super slow burning and full of dread, this has some moments that are truly chilling (and a few that are pretty hard to understand, but that could be because it is the start of a trilogy, and so there may be some things that are returned to in later books). The decision to make the narrator a young boy adds a certain innocence that makes the events unfolding all the more sinister.

The Searching Dead is published by Flame Tree Press (following its original publication several years ago in a limited edition by PS Publishing) and is the first part of Ramsey Campbell’s Daoloth trilogy, to be followed by Born to the Dark and The Way of the Worm. Set in Liverpool in 1952 it follows the story of schoolboy Dominic Sheldrake and his friends Jim and Bobby. Dominic, the narrator, lives with his parents and attends a local all-boys Catholic school. When his class goes on a school trip to France to visit some war sites, Christian Noble, one of the teachers, starts to display some sinister behaviour, drawing the three friends into a terrifying encounter with forces beyond the grave.

I’ve been a fan of Ramsey Campbell since I first came across his short stories in the 80s, which further lead me to his novels. His writing career began many years ago, initially emulating the Lovecraftian mythos stories, but he quickly moved on to finding his own distinct voice and occupying his own place in the list of genre greats. Campbell has a wonderful ability to render even the most mundane object unsettling, and possesses a superb skill in creating funny situations that often quickly give way to disturbing ones, with a deft turn of phrase. It feels like much of the childhood scenes in The Searching Dead might be drawn from Campbell’s own life, and that autobiographical aspect (Dominic has a desire to become a writer) befits the novel. There are several scenes which are so brilliantly written as to evoke a real sense of dread and disquiet, and he manages to balance the coming-of-age story perfectly against the main strand of the narrative, which is the cosmic horror suggested at by the antagonist Noble. The more overtly horror aspects of the book are subtly done, with numerous instances of Campbell’s skill in creating scenes worthy of nightmare. Most horror novels would be proud of having just one of these scenes, but The Searching Dead achieves this over and over, accumulating the dread until the overall affect is immensely disturbing. Despite this just being the opening book of the trilogy, there’s a sense of one chapter closing and another opening as the narrator hints at the horrors to come. I really liked the character of Dominic and I’m interested in hearing what happens to him as he grows older. No doubt the darkness that he’s escaped from is only a temporary respite. I suspect Christian Noble and his dark church is not done with him yet. This is a superb slice of cosmic horror, one that works on many levels, and is a worthy read. Recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was the most fun book I've read in the last six months! A British schoolboy and his friends start to investigate when his teacher seems to believe things that might not be completely acceptable in the Private School he attends.

I really liked the sense of the 60s this book conveys. Being a Yank myself, some of the different slang the kids used was foreign to me. But, it really did a great job setting the post-war English world in one's mind.

I've been meaning to get around to starting in on Ramsey Campbell as he is on most people's to-read lists if you like Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror, and I'm glad this is the first work of his I actually did read as that definitely comes across nicely. I don't want to give too much away, but there are secret and deep truths to be found aplenty in The Searching Dead. The mixture of a coming-of-age tale, a period piece, and then the Cosmic Horror of a very personal struggle with trying to do the right thing when grown-ups are telling you to mind your own business was riveting. I cared about these kids as I read this book. I definitely recommend this. Have fun.....even if you never look at flowers at funeral the same way again.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Forty years of reading Ramsey Campbell and still just as fresh as the first book of his I read! Keep up this quality and his books will be legendary and as relevant in 50 years as they are today!

Richly atmospheric and unsettling, this combines a coming of age story in 1950s Liverpool with a Lovecraftian horror originating with a Spiritualist school teacher. The culture of post-war, barely out of rationing Liverpool is vivid - playing in bomb sites, sneaking into the pictures etc. as well as an almost famous five-ish sense of kids getting involved in business that they truly shouldn’t be getting into (less smugglers, more ‘raising the dead’ but you ca’t win everything).

Great winter nights novel