3.5 stars
Patrick’s Aunt Thelma was an eccentric painter of landscapes that seemed dark and to depict vague faces or spirits within them. She was a fairly popular artist when she committed suicide. Patrick’s son Roy, and Roy’s new girlfriend Bella, take an interest in Thelma’s paintings. They decide to visit the actual places of each of the landscapes. Patrick doesn’t trust Bella, sensing there are darker forces at work. Can he save his son, before getting himself killed?
This was a hard book to read, especially the beginning. I really had to work and concentrate as Ramsey was quite loquacious. Example: “The foliage was so abundant that long before we reached the end I began to feel as though the laden boughs were about to nod towards us, lowering to leafy roof.”
This did get better as it went along but the first half was an advanced read for me. Setting seemed to be primary importance and characters were secondary.
This was a story that I will dwell on and I wish it wasn’t classified as horror. To me this was more of a dark supernatural mystery with maybe two pages of horror at the end.

Very well told. Spine tingling. Read this under the covers with the lights. Luckily I don't scare easily or I would have missed this awesome book. If you like supernatural books don't pass up this winner. Happy reading!

This book is very hard to get into. Ramsey Campbell does great with setting the mood and descriptions...but this just wasn't the book for me.

Beautifully infused with lyricism as only this Master can, THE WISE FRIEND builds its Horror subtly from a seemingly mundane foundation. Chills abide as academic Patrick and his adolescent son invest in unraveling the Mystery of Patrick's Aunt Thelma, a noted and acclaimed painter with an untimely end, whose life and art took unexpected and inexplicable twists. Attentive reading encompasses the strong if not quite identifiable perception that one is not alone--a perception which Mr. Campbell delivers exquisitely as always.


My suggestion: definitely read, but don't read at night. And if you live anywhere surrounded by woods, as do I, close your curtains first, and don't glance outside.

When I first started reading horror in the late 80s Ramsey Campbell was one of the authors that I was drawn to because of their label of "new horror." Atmospheric, uncomfortable horror. I haven't actually read any Campbell in several decades so I was excited to try him again. And I got the same feeling I got from him originally. Wise Friend is an uncomfortable piece of folk horror. The style can be hard to grab a hold of sometimes, scenes and dialogue seem to jump ahead at times, and even the characters themselves seem to speak at odds with one another. Its a book that deals with both the ancient magic of the British countryside as well as the decaying magic of the urban landscape. While the story can be a bit dense at times, the atmosphere of the writing continues to pull you forward.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Flame Tree Press for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell is a very well written tale of an occult mystery set in Britain. Dr. Patrick Semple is a divorced father on one teenage son named Roy. Patrick is also the nephew of a renowned artist, Thelma Turnbill. Thelma committed suicide years earlier and left a void in Patrick. Roy discovers Thelma's journal and decides that he wants to see Thelma's art through her eyes. While researching Thelma, Roy is befriended by a girl named Bella and is swept off his feet. Together, the trio embark on a journey to discover the hidden meaning of Thelma's artwork.

Admittedly, I will freely admit to being a fan of Ramsey Campbell, British horror, and the stories involving the occult, so this is a triple win for me! I loved the mystery and how it ultimately is resolved. Campbell is a wordsmith and I found myself wanting to know more details about the characters, in particular Thelma. I also would have liked more details surrounding the occult elements in this book. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, but wish that there was more focus on Thelma and her backstory.

THE WISE FRIEND is a literary supernatural thriller by Britain's suspense maestro, Ramsey Campbell, and an excellent one at that. Though categorized as horror, it is not altogether scary as it is unnerving. As the mystery unfolds, you will get the sense of something lurking in the darkness beside you, a shift or fleeting of shadow that your eyes just can't seem to focus on. If you're an American reader like myself, be warned that you may find Campbell's work a bit wordy, the vocabulary hard to follow at times and the pace of plot uneven. (It is a very similar writing style to that of Adam Nevill, one of my favorite English authors). Yet THE WISE FRIEND is worth the effort, folks. Allow the darkness of the words to embrace you, for it will stay with you long after the last page has turned.

(A huge thanks to FLAME TREE PRESS and Netgalley for the ARC!)

Patrick Torrington thought his Aunt Thelma committed suicide. She was an artist and before her death her artwork got progressively more dark and disturbing. A shadowy figure with no face started to appear in her work. Some even said her work seemed to be alive...moving....breathing. When Patrick discovers his dead aunt's diary, he and his son Roy, go on a quest to find local places she wrote about. She left lines of poetry describing these mysterious places. As they follow in her footsteps unraveling the puzzle, they awaken something. A dark force that Patrick truly believes would have been better undisturbed.

This story is disturbing and has a delicious slow burn horror to it. As the diary and puzzles left behind by Thelma start to unravel, the story gets darker and darker. This was a total binge read for me today as I worked through my usual Sunday chores -- laundry, dishes, meal planning. My boring routine needed a bit of horror to liven things up. This was the perfect story to lend a bit of excitement to a dull, rainy, shelter-in-place-during-the-pandemic day.

I like Ramsey Campbell's style. This is the first of his books that I've read....and I will definitely be coming back for more! Some horror fiction is too understated and I end up wanting more. And some is too over-the-top that it gets cheesy. The Wise Friend was in the middle -- perfect atmospheric build, great characterizations to pull me into the plot quickly, and some great creepy moments to inject just the right amount of scare into the tale. This was just a good scary story -- loved it!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Flame Tree Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Thanks to Flametree and Netgalley for approving me on The Wise Friend.
I have to say the synopsis was incredibly intriguing and as the story progressed I was continually drawn in more and more.

Personally, as I mentioned in a reading update - I was not a fan of any of the dialogue or even the character interactions. Everything was apparently accusatory and when a question was asked, it was either met with shock or scorn or redirection happened and it made for some frustrating sections of each chapter. This was actually my first read of living legend Mr. Campbell so I'm not sure if the dialogue aspect is a writing trait or not.

The premise of just what the aunt was getting up to was strong enough to keep my interest and let me see this all the way through, but at the end of the day, I could've done without characters like Ms. Dennison who made me want to pull my hair out whenever we had to deal with her.

Same went for everyone else.

Okay, look – Ramsey Campbell is a horror legend. Do you like vintage horror? Like, Paperbacks from Hell-type stuff? Then you probably already at the very least know of Campbell. He’s one of the greats.

I was SO EXCITED to find one of his books on Net Galley. And The Wise Friend didn’t disappoint. It is very Ramsey Campbell – and well he may not be for everyone, he is very much for me.

This story is relentless British Occult Horror. Don’t go into it expecting a fast-paced gore-fest, because that’s not Campbell’s way. He is a slow, methodical world-builder. This is a character driven supernatural tale, plain and simple.

Think of the story as more akin to that of Thomasin from The Witch than, say, Haggis from Pumpkinhead.

Although there isn’t much by way of action in the story, I found it to be a very enjoyable read. It’s spooky rather than outright scary, and right now, atmosphere seems preferable to bloodshed from where I’m sitting. Reality is deadly enough for me just now, thank you very much.
If you like vintage-type horror, or you just generally get down with occult tales, I’d highly suggest checking this one out.

I’m a day later than I’d hoped to be with my review because I’ve been having a lot of trouble focusing on reading/reviewing lately, but still – thank you Net Galley, Flame Tree Press, and Ramsey Campbell for the opportunity to check this one out a little early – it was great!

The wise friend by Ramsey Campbell.
Patrick Torrington's aunt Thelma was a successful artist whose late work turned towards the occult. While staying with her in his teens he found evidence that she used to visit magical sites. As an adult he discovers her journal of her explorations, and his teenage son Roy becomes fascinated too. His experiences at the sites scare Patrick away from them, but Roy carries on the search, together with his new girlfriend. Can Patrick convince his son that his increasingly terrible suspicions are real, or will what they've helped to rouse take a new hold on the world?
An ok read. Slow and I couldn't get into it but I read it. I had to put it down and pick it up again a bit later. But I managed to read it. 3*.

My Wise Friend is a perfect example of a creepy, psychological horror novel as it urges you to read and read until you reach the equally unnerving conclusion.
It reads like a fever dream or some discomforting hallucination as the main character tries to convince his family of the truth behind his aunt’s suicide, her artwork and the inspiration behind it. That, and the strange girl who has inserted herself into his son’s life, urging him to visit odd places mentioned in a diary, create an unnerving atmosphere where dreams and shadows bleed into reality.
The horror lies beneath the surface, just at the peripheral of sight right up until the final pages when it reveals itself to leave a discomforting conclusion.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Flame Tree Press and the author, Ramsey Campbell, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Wise Friend in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Unfortunately, this book did nothing for me. I found it very drawn out and it failed to hold my interest. I usually enjoy this author but not this time.

Well, after really looking forward to the chance of reading this, as always with any book by this author, I finish with the same feeling and thought of "well, that wasn't scary...."

*First off, I want to let you know that Netgalley, and Flame Tree Press granted me a digital ARC of this novel for an honest review, here is that review.*
With that being said this is an opinion and it is my opinion only. The premise and and previews of this book really had me excited that there was a new work by Campbell, and I thought it would be great to have a chance to relive his writing.

So this book is written in both the present and the past and is written in the first person as through Patrick's eyes and memories. Right there it started hard for me to get into this, I don't like to have to stop myself and say am I in the past or when, I like to read, and not have to think about what I am reading. Patrick's aunt Thelma was a famous artist in her own life, and as she grew older her paintings started to grow a bit darker in subjects and style. When patrick was a teenager he used to stay with her and he remembers an instance that he remembers now as an adult, that he never forgot. In her home town of modern day England, Manchester, the townsfolk talk of her as she had committed suicide while delving into the occult and dark magics, did she or was she afflicted with sadness and depression? Patrick and his son are going thru her belongings after her death and they find her diary or like a book of her life and what she is going thru at times of her life, and how it affected her paintings. She leaves lines and notes of local places and events that are somehow connected to her current painting, and patrick and his son Roy decide to visit and search out these locales along with Patrick's bizarre new girlfriend Bella. This is where it became a long, drawn out slow burn of a mystery thriller and far from a horror novel to me.

Campbells writing prose and style has always been hard to interpret the English style of words and vocabulary, he uses in describing his thoughts. That has always been a factor for me personally only. I'm. Ot saying that doesn't make him an incredible writer to those who love and follow him as a 'master of modern horror' I have just never been one of those people.

The book is shy of 300 pages but to me it was so long drawn out that it felt like 500 pages. I rated it a strong 3 stars because he is great at making you see him images and obsessions with (as another British author, Charles L. Grant always does, too) the railways and trains. I just thought of it more as a thriller or mystery, and when it is revealed what "wise friend" was, it was not a big deal to me.

If you are a fan of slow burns and British styles like this you will love this adventure into mystery thrills.....it definitely was not horror to me.

A warm thank you to Netgalley, Ramsey Campbell and Flame Tree Press for the chance to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

As a horror fan, I will admit that this was a bit of a struggle for me. Campbell sincerely has a lovely way of using description to have the reader feel and breathe a scene, but there were times in my opinion when his wordsmith skills dragged down the story and speed of the plot. This isn't an in-your-face splatter or ghost story, no possessed house guests here. Campbell writes a different kind of quiet occult horror. I genuinely loved the story and the many facets, of a creative aunt and her legacy, a father and son summer bonding, a slight coming-of-age in finding new young love (or so I thought), but there were times when I felt as though I was reading a very roundabout way to get to the heart of the matter. While tagging along with Patrick, his son Roy and his new "friend" Bella on a dark journey to find out the truth behind the death of Patrick's aunt Thelma, I feel as though some things were missed, There were some voids of the story that were not filled completely for me as I have questions about Thelma, her lover Abel and Bella, however, I don't feel that it kept me from completing this book. I t took me some time,granted, but yes I finished. The positives and my own curiosity continued to bring me back to The Wise Friend and its cast of characters. I mean, who doesn't love a main character whose job is focused on literature?

That said, I do look forward to my next Campbell read.

I found this novel quite engrossing, creepy, and unlike any other horror novel I've read recently. The imagery was particularly unsettling. Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for providing an advance copy.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Ramsey Campbell, and Flame Tree Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Exploring a new author in Ramsey Campbell, I thought to see how much of a horror story this book provided to me. In a story that focuses on the artwork of a woman who subsequently took her life, the reader learns a little more about what might have influenced her. Patrick Semple knows that many thought his aunt was different and her art led her to many odd places. He has memories from his youth about visiting her and trying to understand her thoughts and way of being. Years later, when he son, Roy, discovers some of the books about her work, he becomes highly interested. Patrick tries to rebuff him, but the teenage will not relent. Opening this could really pose to be a problem. However, this is as far as I made it, since the book lost my interest up to this point. I leave it to others to forge onwards and determined the ‘horror’ nature of the piece, as the narrative and story up to this point turned out to be horrific enough for me.

I respect that many people have their own opinions about books and what makes a good story. That being said, at a time when things are so chaotic outside with the COVID-19 pandemic, I look for books that will hold my attention and keep me wanting to turn the pages. Surely, some will love Campbell’s writing and the way he tells a story, but I could not find myself enthralled enough to stick it out. I will be eager to read reviews of those who complete the book and offer something enlightening. Perhaps I will return to this novel down the road, as I find that I can sometimes enjoy a book under a different circumstances. That being said, I am not holding my breath.

Kudos, Mr. Campbell for trying to lure me in. I may be in the minority, but wanted to voice my opinions frankly.

Ramsey Campbell’s novel The Wise Friend really didn’t grab me, Whilst reading it I found it really hard to get into, the characters didn’t gel with me and the writing was stilted, I persevered to the end but even that was anticlimactic, the idea was good but sadly it didn’t translate into the writing.

I want to start by thanking NetGalley, Ramsey Campbell, and Flame Tree Press for the chance to review this book.

I think it might be a wonderful book...just not for me. It was much slower than I expected and was incredibly difficult for me to get into. I had a difficult time connecting with the characters and felt forced to push and continue reading. It might be a wonderful novel for others but it wasn't my type of read.

This was a tough book to get into. The language did not make it very accessible, and the conversations between characters made it really hard to pay attention as it seemed very unnatural. I stuck with it and managed to get more into it, but it still never quite became enjoyable. There were several scenes that I felt were really done well. The author is great at the creepy writing, especially with the shadows, I just wish the rest of it wasn't so ancient sounding.