Pact of the Fathers

PACT OF THE FATHERS is a fine exercise in creeping paranoia and a welcome new novel by one of the greatest horror writers of the last 30 years. However, this book might disappoint those readers enamored of Ramsey Campbell's past works. Like Campbell's suspense novels of recent years, PACT doesn't deal in supernatural horrors. You will not find in this book any of the inexplicable terror or the dreadful sense of impending revelation, of terrible things stirring restlessly below the surface or at the edges of perception, that distinguishes many of his unforgettable horror tales (eg, THE INFLUENCE and INCARNATE). Although an undercurrent of pervasive unease runs through much of PACT OF THE FATHERS, Campbell seems more interested here in engaging the reader with sprightly, cinematic storytelling. And for the most part he succeeds.Yet, entertaining as it is, PACT OF THE FATHERS is far below the quality of Campbell's best work. Campbell's usually stellar prose occasionally feels unfocused here, giving rise to moments of unintended awkwardness. And whereas his stories tend to unfold in a natural, unpredictable fashion, the progression of this story relies too much on contrived situations and coincidences. These, though, are minor complaints, which don't detract too much from one's enjoyment of the book. A more substantial problem, for me, was the novel's conclusion. After hundreds of pages spent carefully building a rich atmosphere of quiet tension and paranoia, the mood is shattered by an unconvincing, melodramatic climax, complete with pat resolution; the kind of too-neat wrap-up we expect from a Hollywood thriller, but not from Ramsey Campbell.Even with its flaws, PACT OF THE FATHERS is an entertaining, well-written novel. Of course, Campbell's fans don't need a review to make them seek out his latest effort; however, readers new to Campbell might get a better sense of his work from some of his earlier books. 3 ½ stars.

This is a splendid Campbell thriller in a non-supernatural vein (not to say that it doesn't concern occult matters)...but readers should avoid reading the jacket copy. The notes on the inner flap spoil every secret Ramsey Campbell worked so carefully to conceal and reveal in his own good time. Knowing what the flap copy tells you, the book isn't half as fun as the one the author intended. It's not until around page 300 that one finally gets into territory which the jacket copy hasn't already spoiled. Absolutely criminal, and a huge disservice both to Campbell and to his readers.

Enjoyable non-supernatural Campbell...solid, compelling story. Unfortunately, it utterly failed to keep me in suspense because the Tor jacket notes divulge every mystery the book has to offer; it's not until around page 300 that you get past anything not already spelled out on the liner. Whoever wrote that copy and allowed it to be published has no respect for the care that Campbell took in trying to build a mood of suspense. I envy whoever got to read this without already knowing in advance what it was about.