Ramsey Campbell has been writing stellar horror and psychological fiction as long as I have been alive. He is the UK’s answer to Stephen King, and his latest effort proves that he shows no signs of slowing down.

It has been a pleasure to see Campbell continue to grow and adapt as a modern horror writer. With his depiction of older protagonists in AN ECHO OF CHILDREN, he is able to speak in their voice in a way that can only come through physical maturity. The main characters are Jude and Thom, who fear that their grandson, Dean, is the victim of something supernatural that may be permeating both the new place where he lives and the minds of his parents, Coral and Allan Clarendon.

Coral, Allan and Dean have just moved from a less savory neighborhood to a new housing development in the seaside town of Barnwall. This is quite a distance for Jude and Thom. During their first visit, they notice Dean speaking to someone who is not there. When confronted about it, he tells them that he was talking to his friend, Heady, who appears to him both with and without a head. It is only when his head is visible that Dean can hear him.

"Campbell lays everything out openly and allows the story and natural suspense elements to build to a point where you can only watch and observe as things unfold in unexpected ways."

Coral’s parents, Kendrick and Leigh, do not see any issues with Dean. Since Jude and Thom are sleeping in Dean’s room, they become far more sensitive to their continued concerns over not only his actions but also the distant and sometimes bizarre behavior of Coral and Allan.

When they return home, Jude and Thom do some research into Barnwall, and what they find is quite alarming. To begin with, the section of Barnwall where their son's house is located is referred to as Childer Field, which is a direct reference to the ancient Norse history that involved some barbaric behavior, including physical harm suffered by many children who resided there. More recently, Jude and Thom learn that Dean and his parents live in the very same spot where the Days family resided. The Days were an infamous name in Barnwall as an exorcism that had gone terribly wrong occurred in their home, perhaps permanently haunting the area where the new house was built, even though the original residence had been torn down.

Dean’s strange behavior continues to alarm his parents and especially his grandparents. A priest and a psychic are called in, and there is even some discussion about an exorcism to which the priest refuses to commit. The psychological thriller aspects of the book take over as the uncharacteristic change in Coral and Allan comes to the forefront. Jude and Thom are no longer welcome in their home due to concerns they have voiced about everything unexplainable that is occurring before their eyes.

The latter part of the novel shows what happens when Jude and, to a lesser extent, Thom take matters into their own hands. The result is an unpredictable and chilling plot twist that had me reeling. Campbell lays everything out openly and allows the story and natural suspense elements to build to a point where you can only watch and observe as things unfold in unexpected ways. This human horror is the most effective type of horror to depict as it gets under your skin in a very personal way.

There is a Q&A with Campbell in the book, and one of the answers he provides truly resonated with me. He refers to AN ECHO OF CHILDREN as the “anti-EXORCIST.” Sometimes resorting to exorcism in the case of children may be not only counterproductive but also a potential form of child abuse. This forced me to think about all that I had read, and it made the various plot elements linger with me long after I had turned the last page.