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The Reluctant Dead
The Dead don't always stay buried! A scorned wife returns to wreak a terrible vengeance on the husband and mistress that caused her untimely death! A morgue assistant fails to follow the strange night-time rules of the mortuary and gets himself "a follower," the restless spirit of a murdered young woman. The ghost of a young boy returns to his school to complete his classes, tragically cut short by the cruel fists of death. The Reluctant Dead is a unique collection of six spine-chilling ghost stories from the deepest lands of Africa. Be warned! These stories will leave you glancing over your shoulders for a very long time!
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First published June 26, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 18, 2014
As soon as I read the description, I knew I had to have this book. It’s not often that a book description literally gives me chills, but this one did. An anthology of ghost stories set in Africa, rooted in the folklore of West African peoples? Sign me up.
The six stories in this collection are set in Biafra, with Igbo culture woven skillfully throughout. Nuzo Onoh is able to balance educating those who may be unfamiliar with the setting while not descending into lectures. Background information the reader needs to grasp a reference or some aspect of the mythology drops into the narrative naturally. This is especially important in horror because distracting the reader with things they don’t understand can break up the rising tension and make the scares fall flat. No risk of that here!
By frequently using young people or those who have turned their backs on traditional ways, the author can build the terror step by step as the protagonists learn just how horrifying things have become. More than simply a narrative device, however, this leaves the reader with a lesson as well: be careful about turning your back on your people and their ways. There may be wisdom there you need to honor to survive.
Dead women seeking bloody vengeance is a recurrent theme, as it is in a great deal of folklore. My favorite story in the entire book is an example of this trope, ‘The Follower’. The stark contrast between the arrogant Afam and the humble, gentle spirit of his follower makes the eventual climax that much more shocking and satisfying.
Each story has its own unique voice that caters to the themes and characters within it, so that it would be easy to believe that this wasn’t a single author collection at all. However, there are elements of Nuzo Onoh’s skill that remain apparent throughout. All of the stories have an almost lyrical, rhythmic feel, begging to be read out loud. While I’m eager to read more from this author, I’m especially hopeful that this book does well enough to justify an audiobook version.
One last word of warning: Don’t do what I did and read any of these stories late at night, all alone in a creepy old building with bats in the attic. There may have been some undignified squealing.
The six stories in this collection are set in Biafra, with Igbo culture woven skillfully throughout. Nuzo Onoh is able to balance educating those who may be unfamiliar with the setting while not descending into lectures. Background information the reader needs to grasp a reference or some aspect of the mythology drops into the narrative naturally. This is especially important in horror because distracting the reader with things they don’t understand can break up the rising tension and make the scares fall flat. No risk of that here!
By frequently using young people or those who have turned their backs on traditional ways, the author can build the terror step by step as the protagonists learn just how horrifying things have become. More than simply a narrative device, however, this leaves the reader with a lesson as well: be careful about turning your back on your people and their ways. There may be wisdom there you need to honor to survive.
Dead women seeking bloody vengeance is a recurrent theme, as it is in a great deal of folklore. My favorite story in the entire book is an example of this trope, ‘The Follower’. The stark contrast between the arrogant Afam and the humble, gentle spirit of his follower makes the eventual climax that much more shocking and satisfying.
Each story has its own unique voice that caters to the themes and characters within it, so that it would be easy to believe that this wasn’t a single author collection at all. However, there are elements of Nuzo Onoh’s skill that remain apparent throughout. All of the stories have an almost lyrical, rhythmic feel, begging to be read out loud. While I’m eager to read more from this author, I’m especially hopeful that this book does well enough to justify an audiobook version.
One last word of warning: Don’t do what I did and read any of these stories late at night, all alone in a creepy old building with bats in the attic. There may have been some undignified squealing.
January 16, 2015
I would like to thank www.netgalley.com for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.
A collection of 6 short stories all based in Africa. Each of the stories are easy to read and quite absorbing and introduced a different culture which was a refreshing change and intriguing to read from a different perspective. I personally didn't find them too scary - more interesting to be honest - and unlike other books I have read, didn't have any problems sleeping like a baby after reading before bed. Unfortunately, there were countless incidents of two words being merged into one which resulted in some confusion and a break in the flow of reading - maybe this was due to the formatting, I don't know but it was a little annoying. Having said that though, the author was adept at describing the characters and places and was successful in explaining the beliefs and culture of the various characters without it becoming boring and detracting from the stories.
Overall, an enjoyable read and an author I will look out for in the future.
http://haziegaze.blogspot.com/
A collection of 6 short stories all based in Africa. Each of the stories are easy to read and quite absorbing and introduced a different culture which was a refreshing change and intriguing to read from a different perspective. I personally didn't find them too scary - more interesting to be honest - and unlike other books I have read, didn't have any problems sleeping like a baby after reading before bed. Unfortunately, there were countless incidents of two words being merged into one which resulted in some confusion and a break in the flow of reading - maybe this was due to the formatting, I don't know but it was a little annoying. Having said that though, the author was adept at describing the characters and places and was successful in explaining the beliefs and culture of the various characters without it becoming boring and detracting from the stories.
Overall, an enjoyable read and an author I will look out for in the future.
http://haziegaze.blogspot.com/
June 8, 2018
Having met the author at a local writers' event, I found and downloaded this book. It made enthralling reading. The Africans are very open to the world of the supernatural, and it has a powerful hold on their heart and minds, for good and for bad - demons, ghosts, angels, spirits.
In these stories we are very aware of that, and the horror, in part, reminds me of that in Oscar Wilde's "The Portrait of Dorian Gray".
I once attended a talk by a (white European) author who had spent a considerable amount of time in African villages helping people set up and build small businesses, and he came back utterly convinced of several supernatural events he had experienced. I later read his book about these experiences, including one when he believed he had encountered a shapeshifter. Nuzo Onoh's stories reminded me of that. The veil between this world and the world of spirits is at its thinnest in these African communities. The way people's different religious beliefs intermesh with the magic of the witchdoctors and the evidence of their own experience is compelling. The style and tone of these African stories is engaging, chatty, and colourful, as in the oral tradition of many centuries, of stories told around the campfire. I loved this book and found it rivetting.
In these stories we are very aware of that, and the horror, in part, reminds me of that in Oscar Wilde's "The Portrait of Dorian Gray".
I once attended a talk by a (white European) author who had spent a considerable amount of time in African villages helping people set up and build small businesses, and he came back utterly convinced of several supernatural events he had experienced. I later read his book about these experiences, including one when he believed he had encountered a shapeshifter. Nuzo Onoh's stories reminded me of that. The veil between this world and the world of spirits is at its thinnest in these African communities. The way people's different religious beliefs intermesh with the magic of the witchdoctors and the evidence of their own experience is compelling. The style and tone of these African stories is engaging, chatty, and colourful, as in the oral tradition of many centuries, of stories told around the campfire. I loved this book and found it rivetting.
September 9, 2025
Loved this collection!
Six tales steeped in African culture and folklore. The author did a phenomenal job of not only writing spine tingling horror, but also giving the reader insight into her culture.
I can also say the way the author describes the sights, sounds and scents of the towns and landscapes brings you right into Nigeria.
Chilling ghost stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on, there wasn't a single story I didn't like. Of course I do have favorites.
The Returned: not as eerie as the others, this was a bittersweet story of rescue and reincarnation.
Hadiza: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That's all I'll say about that!
A Good Student: I found this unique for a ghost story. The ghost in this story wasn't your typical apparition, he could be heard, seen and touched by everyone.
The Reluctant Dead: Poor Afam. All he wanted was a job and what he got was a restless spirit following him around. The moral of this story is always follow the rules!
Reading horror by authors of a different culture is always exciting to me. Not only am I being entertained, but I'm also learning.
Six tales steeped in African culture and folklore. The author did a phenomenal job of not only writing spine tingling horror, but also giving the reader insight into her culture.
I can also say the way the author describes the sights, sounds and scents of the towns and landscapes brings you right into Nigeria.
Chilling ghost stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on, there wasn't a single story I didn't like. Of course I do have favorites.
The Returned: not as eerie as the others, this was a bittersweet story of rescue and reincarnation.
Hadiza: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That's all I'll say about that!
A Good Student: I found this unique for a ghost story. The ghost in this story wasn't your typical apparition, he could be heard, seen and touched by everyone.
The Reluctant Dead: Poor Afam. All he wanted was a job and what he got was a restless spirit following him around. The moral of this story is always follow the rules!
Reading horror by authors of a different culture is always exciting to me. Not only am I being entertained, but I'm also learning.
September 9, 2025
Six tales steeped in African culture and folklore. The author did a phenomenal job of not only writing spine tingling horror, but also giving the reader insight into her culture.
I can also say the way the author describes the sights, sounds and scents of the towns and landscapes brings you right into Nigeria.
Chilling ghost stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on, there wasn't a single story I didn't like. Of course I do have favorites.
The Returned: not as eerie as the others, this was a bittersweet story of rescue and reincarnation.
Hadiza: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That's all I'll say about that!
A Good Student: I found this unique for a ghost story. The ghost in this story wasn't your typical apparition, he could be heard, seen and touched by everyone.
The Reluctant Dead: Poor Afam. All he wanted was a job and what he got was a restless spirit following him around. The moral of this story is always follow the rules!
Reading horror by authors of a different culture is always exciting to me. Not only am I being entertained, but I'm also learning.
I can also say the way the author describes the sights, sounds and scents of the towns and landscapes brings you right into Nigeria.
Chilling ghost stories that will have you sleeping with the lights on, there wasn't a single story I didn't like. Of course I do have favorites.
The Returned: not as eerie as the others, this was a bittersweet story of rescue and reincarnation.
Hadiza: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. That's all I'll say about that!
A Good Student: I found this unique for a ghost story. The ghost in this story wasn't your typical apparition, he could be heard, seen and touched by everyone.
The Reluctant Dead: Poor Afam. All he wanted was a job and what he got was a restless spirit following him around. The moral of this story is always follow the rules!
Reading horror by authors of a different culture is always exciting to me. Not only am I being entertained, but I'm also learning.
July 18, 2018
A series of horror stories told using folklore from Nigeria. Many have the feel of the "man with the hook" sort of urban legend, but the approach gives them a breath of fresh air. I'd recommend reading them spaced out, to maximize the effect. I think the first story, "The Follower," is my favorite because it feels like such a classic horror story (medical student is haunted by a cadaver because he fails to appreciate old wisdom), but they were all worth reading.
June 12, 2018
Very enjoyable anthology of ghost stories, all set in Nigeria and steeped in the traditions of its peoples. Although perhaps don't read them all in one sitting - cleanse your palate between bites of this collection.
May 21, 2023
This is a beautifully written collection of six short ghost stories. The African setting and culture was interesting to me, and although I didn’t find any of the stories truly scary, they’re certainly chilling and disturbing.
May 6, 2024
The Follower is one the best scary short stories I have read. It follows me to this day
September 24, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I've read quite a few collections of short stories, whether ghost stories or others. I tend to find ghost stories quite fascinating and I felt that it was really interesting to have glimpses of the different culture and beliefs that these short stories showed.
Although all six of the stories shared a similar theme, I liked that each one of them was different. I couldn't say which one I liked best, because I felt that they were all quite different in their own way.
I couldn't say that any of the stories in this collection were really scary. That might be because I read and watch a lot of horror things, though, so other people might find them scarier than I did.
I wasn't quite so sure about the last story, I have to say. It was a bit disturbing, but I didn't feel that it had the right amount of character and story detail that the other short stories had.
I did particularly like The Returned. That story was one that I felt had an element of sweetness to it and it also detailed one of the story themes I like. I won't go into the details here, but although it did switch between two first person POVs, I didn't find it really hard to read and I felt that actually worked.
A Good Student was a short story I would have liked to see further expanded. Actually, I did feel that all of the stories were intriguing enough (and had interesting enough characters) that they would have worked to be expanded into longer stories. Again, the only exception was the last story, but if it had been longer, I might have been less confused.
I felt the author did a good job of showing the culture without making the stories filled with boring information. I would definitely read other books by this author in the future.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I've read quite a few collections of short stories, whether ghost stories or others. I tend to find ghost stories quite fascinating and I felt that it was really interesting to have glimpses of the different culture and beliefs that these short stories showed.
Although all six of the stories shared a similar theme, I liked that each one of them was different. I couldn't say which one I liked best, because I felt that they were all quite different in their own way.
I couldn't say that any of the stories in this collection were really scary. That might be because I read and watch a lot of horror things, though, so other people might find them scarier than I did.
I wasn't quite so sure about the last story, I have to say. It was a bit disturbing, but I didn't feel that it had the right amount of character and story detail that the other short stories had.
I did particularly like The Returned. That story was one that I felt had an element of sweetness to it and it also detailed one of the story themes I like. I won't go into the details here, but although it did switch between two first person POVs, I didn't find it really hard to read and I felt that actually worked.
A Good Student was a short story I would have liked to see further expanded. Actually, I did feel that all of the stories were intriguing enough (and had interesting enough characters) that they would have worked to be expanded into longer stories. Again, the only exception was the last story, but if it had been longer, I might have been less confused.
I felt the author did a good job of showing the culture without making the stories filled with boring information. I would definitely read other books by this author in the future.
August 28, 2014
Want to read a creepy book? This is it---at least for me. This book contains ghost stories in Biafra. The stories are so well written that you may get goosebumps while reading these. Yet, I still felt sorry for the ghosts regardless of what they did. I did enjoy reading these tales of ghosts, curses, and lore.
You will also learn about the Igbo culture. It is spiritual. This is a great book for horror lovers.
Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
You will also learn about the Igbo culture. It is spiritual. This is a great book for horror lovers.
Disclaimer: I received a digital galley of this book free from the publisher from NetGalley. I was not obliged to write a favourable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
July 5, 2014
A collection of stories to chill and confound the reader. They are set in a part of Africa where Christianity and original religions share the devotions of the villagers. Each of the stories is distinct and has its own suspension of the reality we believe in. I could picture each story as an episode of a television series, an African version of "Tales from the Crypt. After reading the first story there is little suspense in the remainder as I was able to understand where the author was going.
February 18, 2017
Really good book l really enjoyed reading this book it was hard to put down once l picked it up and it has some really good stories and it's a really good read and l highly recommended it and l love stories about ghosts and l would rate this book 10 stars if l could and l got this book sent to me for review and l would happily read this book again
August 6, 2014
i was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from GOODREADS.
i thoroughly enjoyed the entire collection especially the story "night-flier"
a nice mix of African culture and ghost stories
i am happily recommending this book to all my friends
very easy to read
i thoroughly enjoyed the entire collection especially the story "night-flier"
a nice mix of African culture and ghost stories
i am happily recommending this book to all my friends
very easy to read
August 11, 2014
A very strong and scary horror story collection
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-re... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/the-re... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
April 19, 2016
Devoured this in one sitting. There's something about Onoh's quoting that just pulls me in and will not let me go.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews