Two sets of parents are visiting their children and 6 year old grandchild in their new home. Things seem a bit off right away. Jude is the first to notice that her grandson, Dean, is excessively polite and that her son and daughter-in-law constantly correct everything he does. He is not allowed to play with his toys, and his only friend is invisible. Could it be just a lonely child's way of coping, or is this imaginary friend something more? The other grandparents and even her husband are dismissive of her concerns at first.

This is a slow-burning horror told with Ramsey Campbell's usual flair for the subtle and insidious. Things escalate gradually as Jude begins to research the dark history of the home and the town. I could feel her fear and frustration at being the only one willing to acknowledge that something dangerous was happening, and it was about to get worse. I was so angry at the way she was treated when her son and in-laws tried to gaslight her into believing that everything she noticed was just a product of her own mind. So many times, I wanted to scream at her husband to stand up for her. I believed you, Jude!

4 out of 5 stars
My thanks to Flame Tree Press

In many ways this is classic Ramsey Campbell: it is a slow-paced, atmospheric thriller that is over-filled with formalistic dialogue that begs a sense of dissonance over the whole proceedings. Unfortunately, these didn’t add up to an exciting or suspenseful read for me. I really enjoyed the overall story, it is playing with the intersection of smalltown urban legends and local history, teasing the contemporary folk horror genre without committing to any one style, and the story arc benefits from that. I think the pacing works well, too, it is rage and paranoia inducing, but that is kind of the point, I imagine. But the characters, writing style, and the dialogue just made this a hard sell for me. In addition to parents and a young child we have two sets of grandparents, and it isn’t really clear until a few chapters in that we are following one of the grandparents, Thom, as our primary perspective. This is because Campbell favors dialogue over narration, and after maybe a well-crafted opening paragraph to the chapter if there are more than two characters in a scene we will then get 80% dialogue, often without any clarity as to who is speaking when there are three or more people talking at once.

There is so little interiority to the characters, it all keeps the reader distant. We do get some insight into Thom and a little into his wife, as well, but it is more dialogue than emotion, and the dialogue always feels overly formal, stuffy and stilted. It is hard to believe anyone would ever talk like this. This is, in part, because it is hard to believe any of these people even know each other. The ways they talk to each other, even between married couples, always feel like they are being acquainted with someone new at every turn of the page. The mother and father are sufficiently distant and weird, and they get more so as the story progresses, and that works for their characters and the storyline. However, I have no idea what role the other grandparents were playing in the narrative, and the relationship between Thom and his wife felt like you could drive a truck through it. So, the character relationships felt unrealistic and the excessive, momentum-stealing pages of pages of stilted dialogue didn’t help. I think I could have leaned into all of that weirdness—because certainly this writing style is intentional, and it does work for many people—if only the character decisions made sense. The parents and young children, they are perfect. But of the four grandparents Jude is the only one that ever makes sense. The problem is we experience the world through Thom’s perspective, through which it is clear that things are not right and getting worse, and action should be taken. Yet Jude is the only one who acknowledges this, and everyone else acts as if she is crazy. That makes a disconnect between the reader’s experience and the expressed opinions of the character through whom we experience it… if the actions seemed reasonable through Thom’s perspective then the reader might doubt the veracity or reliability of Jude’s actions. Similarly, if we experienced the story through her perspective and not Thom’s we would be trapped with a potentially unreliable narrator. Instead, we have a reliable narrator who demonstrates things are wrong and it feels like pure plot contrivance only that no one responds to it except Jude. It never feels realistic, nor does it ever invite the reader into the plot. There are ways this dissonance could have been used to make the story’s conclusion more effective and thrilling, but it doesn’t ever feel that intentional. Instead, it feels both incongruous with reality and simply convenient.

This was more frustration for me than much else. I appreciate the overall story and the pacing, and if you are a fan of Campbell’s writing style which is somewhat fever dream-ish that is incredibly dialogue heavy, dialogue that is bent at all sorts of weird angles from how humans talk to each other (especially parents and children and spouses!), and that aesthetic works for you, then you will definitely dig this story. There are a lot of folk who are attracted to that vibe and storytelling modality, and that’s why I can’t say this is a bad book. But while I have enjoyed Campbell’s style in the past the pieces just did not come together for me this time around in a story that was particularly inventive or fun for me.

(Rounded up from 2.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Flame Tree Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Slow burn and atmospheric piece from Campbell that focuses on a family who have recently moved to a new area; something is ‘off’ and only the grandparents seem to accept that things are going wrong and action needs to be taken. There are creepy moments but it’s largely a slow build of atmosphere rather than any particular jump scares or horror, and in many ways it’s less supernatural and more the horror of relationships and a an inability - or unwillingness - to accept what’s happening and communicate.

One criticism - and one I felt with Campbell’s last book - is that the continual low level aggression in dialogue and deliberate misunderstandings is rather wearing as a reader, and occasionally took me out of the narrative. Overall demonstrates that Campbell remains a top writer of British ‘domestic horror’.

Grandparents fear for the safety of their grandson after a move to a new home

As he approaches his eightieth year Ramsey Campbell shows no signs of slowing down, and if An Echo of Children is anything to go by, I hope there are plenty more novels lie ahead before he retires to his pipe and slippers. Campbell’s association with publisher Flame Tree Press has been a highly creative endeavour, over the last decade some of the many highlights include Thirteen Days By Sunset Beach (2018), The Wise Friend (2020), Fellstones (2022) and rereleases of other works such as The Influence (1988) and the Three Births of Daoloth trilogy (2016-18). Campbell’s back-catalogue is so immense the publisher will hopefully bring other old out-of-print classics back from the dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed An Echo of Children which will appeal to long-term fans accustomed to his style, however, those looking for more confrontational, immediate or violent horror might find its subtleties to be rather tame. Even though there is no graphic content or full blown horror I appreciated the subtleties and complexities of this unnerving family drama, finding it gripping until the unpredictable ending.

The book kicks off with retired teachers Thom and Jude arriving at the home of their son and his wife, Allan and Coral, for a short holiday and particularly to spend time with their six-year-old grandson Dean. Also visiting are Kendrick and Leigh, the parents of Coral. There is considerable dialogue in the initial stages and it took me sometime to distinguish the character from each other, as they all blended together with samey dialogue revolving around the activities of Dean. An Echo of Children is generally told in the third person from Thom’s perspective, although it also takes in his wife as they are together almost all of the time.

Having recently moved to the seaside town of Barnwell, which is some distance from where Thom and Jude live, the elderly couple quickly become troubled by how strict Allan and Coral are towards their grandson. Dean seems like a very normal six-year-old, with Thom and Jude believing he is not being allowed to spread his wings and is reprimanded for every possible indiscretion, they speak to Coral’s parents about this who believe they are overreacting slightly. An Echo of Children concerns small escalations and anxieties, many of which are so small they might not be there, as the elderly couple also sense changes in the mannerisms and behaviour of Allan and his wife.

There is little supernatural in these changes, which some readers will find this frustrating, however, as Thom and Jude dig into the history of the house things get more direct, but they are at a loss about what to do. Thom and Jude’s helplessness is skilfully conveyed, balancing the need to protect their grandson whilst not alienating his son and his wife. Much of the novel is a back and forth between the two generations of the family, with the reader never 100% sure whether Thom and Jude are correct and the child truly is in danger.

In the opening stages there was an exorcism side-plotline which felt slightly muddled and multiple references to Dean having an invisible friend. This was a strong narrative but is sidelined rather quickly and definitely had more milage before being abandoned without being resolved fully. I was also amazed how quickly the characters became accepting of the supernatural, without too much happening beyond a few suggestive and scary shadows.

Houses exerting negative influences (not quite the same as hauntings) have appeared in many novels, and if you are looking for something with more bite than An Echo of Children then I also recommend these: Marc E. Fitch’s Dead Ends (2023), Alison Rumfitt’s Tell Me I’m Worthless (2021) and Kill Creek (2017) by Scott Thomas. Ramsey Campbell prefers to build his horror quietly and twitching behind the security of curtains, because children are involved in this latest story then anxiety levels increase. Another point of comparison is Sarah Pinborough’s recent We Live Here Now, which keeps the supernatural on the low-down in a comparable manner to Campbell.

I enjoyed my time with Thom and Jude, who are very worthy amateur detectives, in a novel which is a notable addition to the developing subgenre of ‘Geriatric Horror’ which puts the older generation front and centre, which is common in a Ramsey Campbell novel.

You always know you're reading a Ramsey Campbell book because of the mood it evokes, one of darkness and never-ending distraught. The characters bump heads in this novel... a lot. The dialogue is fierce, clipped, showing the worst in humanity at times. It builds and builds to the final act where things take an unexpected turn or three. Dark and brooding, the writing is topnotch as per the usual for this author.

4.5 stars

Ramsey Campbell returns with a slow-burn nightmare that creeps under your skin and stays there. An Echo of Children is classic Campbell—moody, ambiguous, and dripping with dread. Coral and Allan’s move to the seemingly quiet seaside town of Barnwall quickly unravels into something far darker, especially when whispers of past child deaths begin to echo through their new home. The horror here isn’t flashy—it’s psychological, disorienting, and disturbingly plausible. Coral’s increasing paranoia (or is it clarity?) builds to a chilling crescendo, while the question of what’s truly haunting Dean lingers like sea mist. Campbell is a master of turning the everyday into something subtly sinister, and he pulls it off once again. This one’s not for gorehounds—it’s for readers who like their horror atmospheric, ambiguous, and full of creeping dread. Perfect for fans of haunted house stories that whisper instead of scream.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press providing me with an eARC of An Echo of Children prior to its publication.

An Echo of Children by Ramsey Campbell

Poor Dean. The little child just wants to live a normal life, which is becoming increasingly difficult. Under the harsh tutelage of his parents, Claire and Allan, Dean is treated more like a slave. Allan’s parents, Jude and Thom, are visiting. Several startling observations occur during their visit, and they are left wondering about the history of the new house Claire and Allan have moved into. A home with a history of child violence and strange religious practices is uncovered, leaving Jude and Thom worried for the safety of Dean. Allan and Clair have changed; their mannerisms and parenting style have become unhinged. Ever the detectives, the grandparents become the detectives tasked with executing plans that test the moral boundaries.

This is abundantly clear; when kids are involved in a horror story, I become more apprehensive. The tension is ratcheted up tenfold, and my senses are heightened. Fully aware that we must figure out why Dean is being tormented left me feeling helpless. What can we do? Upon discovery of a root cause, we find that the city is hiding a secret. Buried under rubble, ghosts from the past have firmly taken hold. A plot of land lending itself to peculiarity, as if a potential kidnapper were handing out sweets to a would-be youthful victim.

Being a parent myself, this story tested my patience. Similar to being bitten by a mosquito, I scratched only to find my skin itchy once again, and again… I said aloud to no one in particular, "Leave that kid alone!" in protest. The book revels in our human nature to nurture the young children in our lives and feasts upon the emotional turmoil that mistreatment provides. Atmospheric in delivery, the novel's location and its inhabitants will leave the reader scratching their heads in bewilderment. Firmly placed in a sense of mental vertigo, my head was left spinning like a top.

As the conclusion drew near, I realized the plan that Ramsey Campbell had in store for us. Beautiful and wholly fitting! A rip-roaring rollercoaster of diabolical drama had successfully invaded my existence, and I wanted more. I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars!

Many thanks to Flame Tree Press for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.

You can never go wrong with a Ramsey Campbell book. He is a legend among the horror community.
This book does not stray.
It has the usual Campbell eeriness right away, keeping you questioning exactly what is happening.
Always recommended.

Many thanks to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this ARC of 'An Echo of Children' by Ramsey Campbell.

'An Echo of Children' has all the elements of a Ramsey Campbell novel - rooted in English folk tales and history, a well established sense of place, but at the same time 0ff-kilter and unsettling, the odd formality of the dialogue, and a sense of impending doom.

A pair of grandparents, the grandmother especially, feel that somethings awry with their son and his wife and how they're raising their six-year-old grandson. Overly strict and unrecognizably religious. In trying to uncover why that is, Grandma June uncovers more and more about the history of the place and the people who'd previously occupied that space in time and place. They're fought every inch of the way by their family and their family's neighbors.

Unfortunately, for me, all of the pieces don't come together in a satisfying way in this novel. Although there are only a very limited number of characters, it took me a sizeable portion of the book to figure out who was who and eventually I found myself beginning to skim. Then the book just ... stopped.

Not one of this great horror writer's best, for me, I'm afraid.