Ancient Images - Ramsey Campbell

 

About The Book 

 Tower of Fear is a lost horror film starring Karloff and Lugosi. A film historian who locates a copy dies while fleeing something that terrified him. His friend Sandy Allan vows to prove he found the film. She learns how haunted the production was and the survivors of it still are. It contains a secret about Redfield, a titled family that owns a favourite British food, Staff o’ Life. The Redfield land has uncanny guardians, and one follows Sandy home. To maintain its fertility Redfield demands a sacrifice, and a band of new age travellers is about to set up camp there…

I was surprised to find this was an older Ramsey Campbell novel re-issued (originally out in the late 1980's). This, though, was the time I was devouring every horror I could find (but if this was one I'd forgotten it).

Feeling a bit 'of it's time' is no detriment to the story though. I've read Campbell for many years and although I enjoy his new stuff going back to a younger version of the author reminded me of why he's always been regarded as one of the best.

With it's missing film refound, cursed production and travellers arriving on the scene this is more of a Folk Horror tale than a blood and guts type and Campbell doles out the scares at a more sedate pace making them more effective when they come. That's not to say it's a slow book though (yeah, I went back to 80's me and absolutely devoured it, 2 sittings). I was hooked in from the beginning and left with an urge to seek out more from both RC and the other authors I read back in the day.

Highly Recommended 4.5/5*

Thanks to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for inviting me to this Blog Tour and to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for providing the review file. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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