T. Kingfisher’s ‘What Moves the Dead’ is my latest 2025 read.

This book has been on my radar for a while, often cropping up in online horror circles. Given its short runtime, I decided to give it a go on the train to and from Vienna. It’d breeze by and cleanse my palate after the heavy Margaret Atwood I’d finished a day prior.

The story follows Alex Easton, a retired soldier who receives word that an old friend is dying. They travel to the secluded House of Usher, where nothing seems quite right. The still lake has a matte surface, mushrooms emit foul odours, and the Ushers are no longer who they used to be. ‘What Moves the Dead’ takes inspiration from – or is a retelling of – Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’. But, having not read much of Poe’s work, I can’t comment on how it twists the original.

What I can say is that ‘What Moves the Dead’ is delightful (if I can call it that) – a fast-paced horror romp. As expected from its 150-odd pages, Kingfisher’s tale wastes no time and carries little fat. It’s concise and to the point, understanding well what the reader wants from it. I loved the grotesque visuals of the hares and the unsettling descriptions of Ms Usher.

Sure, I’d have liked a bit more characterisation of Easton and the supporting cast, but this is both a minus and a plus. What the novella lacks in depth, it makes up for in momentum and eerie thrills.

If you’re after a quick, grisly read without the commitment of a full novel, I recommend ‘What Moves the Dead’.

I’m looking forward to reading parts two and three of the trilogy soon.