Random Things Tours - The Influence

Once again I'm proud to be part of the blog tour for another great title from Flame Tree Press.  Read on to learn more about Ramsey Campbell's The Influence.  

TITLE: The Influence

AUTHOR: Ramsey Campbell

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: October 24, 2019

FROM GOODREADS:  Queenie is the ageing matriarch of the Faraday family, and even death can’t break her hold over her eleven-year-old granddaughter Rowan. She’s buried with a locket that contains a lock of Rowan’s hair, and soon afterwards Rowan is befriended by a mysterious uncannily intelligent girl of her own age. Only her aunt Hermione suspects how sinister this is, but will retrieving the locket save her niece? By the time anyone sees what effect the ghostly influence on Rowan is having, it may be too late for her. if the child who takes her place in the family isn’t Rowan, Rowan may be somewhere else not quite like our world…

MY THOUGHTS: By now most people who stop by here know I love horror so I was thrilled to get a chance to read The Influence.  Flame Tree Press has had such great titles since their debut that I knew the odds were good that I would enjoy this book.  And enjoy I did!

First I have to say that Campbell is excellent at creating an atmospheric read.  I truly love a Gothic setting and a slow-burn and this book delivered.  As mentioned above, Queenie, once the head of the Faraday family has passed and with all her supernatural powers, she has managed to maintain a grip on the youngest member of the family, eleven year old Rowan.  About the same time, Rowan becomes friends with a very mysterious girl who just may or may not be real.  Can anyone figure out what is going on before it's too late?

I really enjoyed Rowan as well as her family even if at times I questioned their awareness of what goes on around them.  And basically, Queenie is pretty evil and about as scary at they come.  This book does contain perspectives as well as a timeline that sometimes jumps back and forth but they work well together to add to the tension-building of Ramsey's tale.  In addition, I would be amiss not to mention that I found in this novel, the creepy old house and the English setting increase the creepiness factor and actually combine to form a character of their own.

If you like atmospheric horror and enjoy tales of possession (yes, I realize how weird that sounds) then pick up The Influence.  You might just discover a new favorite.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Also - be sure the catch the Neflix adaptation. I really enjoyed it as well and think it's one of their better original movies.

RATING: 4 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  
Ramsey Campbell was born in Liverpool in 1946and still lives on Merseyside. The Oxford Companion to English Literature describes him as “Britain’s most respected living horror writer”. He has been given more awards than any other writer in the field, including the Grand Master Award of the World Horror Convention, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, the Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild and the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award. 



AWARDS: The Influence, British Fantasy Award, Best Novel,1989 and Premios Gigamesh,1994(for Spanish translation, Ultratumba) 

Grand Master Award, World Horror Convention, Atlanta, Georgia, 1999 

Lifetime Achievement Award of the Horror Writers Association, 1999 

Living Legend Award of the International Horror Guild, 2007 

Life Achievement Award, World Fantasy Awards, 2015