Fear Across the Mersey VIII: Through the Walls | review by Rafe McGregor

Fear Across the Mersey by Ramsey Campbell

PS Publishing, hardback, £25.00, August 2024, ISBN 9781803943701

At just over twenty pages, this is one of the longest stories in the collection, together with ‘Concussion’ (the second) and ‘Chucky Comes to Liverpool’ (the twentieth). Where the extended form was integral to the success of ‘Concussion’, ‘Through the Walls’ would have benefitted from more exacting editing. To take just one specific example, ‘fog’ is repeated far too often and there are some very amateurish descriptions throughout the narrative. This is a shame as the ingredients for a literally terrific tale are all introduced immediately: a traditional nuclear family under multiple strains, a traffic accident outside the home, a creepy neighbour with dodgy guests, and an even creepier doll named Fritz. Campbell must also be given credit for tackling what may be the most taboo topic of all in a mature and compelling manner, but unfortunately the potentially explosive chemistry of the opening fails to ignite and the conclusion is ultimately anticlimactic.