John Saul (1)Recensioni

F/SF

MaryAnne Carpenter gets a phone call informing her that her good friend Audrey Wilkenson and her husband Ted are dead. MaryAnne has been named the guardian of their only son, Joey. So MaryAnne travels to the Wilkenson’s ranch home in Sugarloaf, Idaho, with her two young children (Logan and Alison) and her husband, Alan. MaryAnne is having trouble with Joey, who goes out a lot at night in the forest. Then, some campers are brutally murdered. Sometimes MaryAnne feels like they are being watched. Should she stay at the ranch or go back home? This story was interesting and captivating at times, but I just didn’t enjoy this book as much as other books I’ve read by this author. I found Joey to be an unlikable and annoying character and I didn’t really like his backstory with the mountain man, etc. A so-so read.

A haunted Catholic school filled with infernal agendas, double crosses (pun intended), secret identities, and a diabolical plot that stretches all the way to The Vatican! What's not to like? Plenty, actually, but if you can get past the eye-rolling plot twists and cartoonish sense of malice this is an addictive read at least until the final pages where it all seems to fall apart in a rushed jumble of "WTF?" moments which leave too many dangling threads in their wake. And what's with all those ghostly Hallmark moments? But having grown up in a Catholic family and been sent to a Catholic highschool I smiled through every moment. If only my old alma mater had been this cool...

Unable to complete due to violence

The promising future of New York City college student Jeff Converse is destroyed when he is accused of a crime he didn't commit.
After the victim swears Jeff is the man who assaulted her, Jeff is convicted and sentenced, but on his way to the prison, he is abducted and lured to the underground tunnels of New York, where he will become game for a vicious group of hunters who call themselves "THE MANHATTAN HUNT CLUB". Determined to escape alive, Jeff will use all his wits to come out the victor, and clear his name.
Jeff's parents are told he is dead, and only after viewing the horribly burned body, does Keith Converse realize his son is alive. Now, teaming with Jeff's fiancée, Keith and Mary Converse must enter into the labyrinth tunnels below the city to find their son and bring him back alive, and put a stop to the twisted individual heading up this murderous club.
`Manhattan Hunt Club' is an enjoyable suspense novel, fans looking for horror will be disappointed. John Saul has taken the high road to action/suspense, and he does a good job of it. Combining a creepy plot, and his usual cast of likable characters, Mr. Saul goes full steam ahead with an action novel that takes off on the first page, and barrels through twist after twist, leading to a shocking and satisfying conclusion.

5/13/20 Got sidetracked with other books, wasn't able to start. Reshelving to read later.
12/27/21 Started this summer as a literal beach read. Somehow both ridiculous and compelling. I finished it, but cannot recommend it.

It’s rare that I find a story that is such a bewildering mix of themes, loose ends, illogic, and cardboard characters, and yet holds my interest long enough to actually get to the end of the book without DNF’ing. I can’t even think of any way to explain myself without spoiling the entire… I can’t say plot, because I’m not sure that there was one. Okay, without spoiling what happens at the end of the book. Nor am I willing to spend more time or brain cells on it. So I’ll just leave that there.

I read this for the Gothic square of the 2016 Halloween Bingo, because a major character of the story is a spooky old house that used to be a lunatic asylum. In fact, it hits 9 of 10 Elements of the Gothic Novel (http://www.virtualsalt.com/gothic.htm)

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Chilling read about a widow (Karen Spellman) who moves from Los Angeles back to her old, small home town when she remarries a farmer. Her children, (sixteen-year-old Julie and nine-year-old Molly) and other children, get stung by bees, with severe reactions that seem to change some of them. Especially Julie. A shady scientist (Carl Henderson) gives them shots (an antivenin) that the children say make them feel better, but they don’t. Why are the children lying, and suddenly disappearing? What is Carl up to in his isolated home? Where are all the bees coming from? There is a lot more to this book, but I don’t want to give anything away. I really enjoyed it. It was very strange and creepy, especially with the bees, ants, and other insects. I really hated some of the characters and I couldn’t wait for them to get what was coming to them. Another fine horror read by John Saul.

this is my first John Saul book and i thought it was decent.

the best part of this book for me was how it created an atmosphere with its setting. i also thought this book was easy to read through and was not overly long or slow paced.

the characters were alright. the main 2 go through so much crap and you do feel for them but i cant help but think when she transfers to a new school and people already bully her right off the bat seems a bit unrealistic but thats not a huge problem for me. i think the parents in this book in the 2 family's were very unlikeable and i just wanted to smack them up side the head haha. seriously Angel's dad in this book is such an asshole right from the beginning. so i think the true horror in this book is more about crappy parents.

now i dont know if this will be considered a spoiler so skip this just in case but i do think as the story went on and it started to delve into the black magic side of things i think that part was neat and i was not expecting this book to go that path but i really liked it.

overall i think this book has its pros that are really good and well done but i think there is a couple fundamentals that did not work as well for me or they were pretty average but i can say that this book was still pretty decent and id like to check out his other books as he seems to be a pretty underrated horror author

DNF’d at page 34.

The premise just annoyed me. This was written (and takes place) in the late 90’s and it felt like it was decades before. A woman’s boss gets her pregnant (he’s married BTW) so he fires her and she just slinks home to her mom and doesn’t sue his ass into the ground? Nope. I’m out.

This just didn’t do it for me. I was bored and didn’t care about any of the characters. This series basically consists of a bunch of interconnected short stories and I find that short stories don’t give me enough time to really connect to any of the characters. I’m going to give the third one a shot and then decide whether to finish this series or abandon it.

The first installment of The Blackstone Chronicles follows a family who receive a mysterious doll in the mail. This story had a creepy kid and a creepy doll. Creepy kids/dolls aren't really my jam, but it's a fast read. I'm intrigued by the frame story and am interested to find out who is creeping around the abandoned asylum and sending all these weird items to various townsfolk.

John Saul, The best selling author of a multitude of horror, suspense novels rocks the boat with NightShade. All the common elements of a typical Saul novel are in this book. But he ups the ANTE and takes crazy to a new level. This novel is considerably written in a more linear manner than most of his books. The writing moves and he truly keeps the reader in suspense. However...the more of his books I read the more I believe that someone else just may be penning a hefty portion of it. It is common knowledge that his partner is included on his writing process. Just like the Sybil-esqe subject matter of Nightshade I have to wonder where John Saul begins and his writing partner ends. After reading all of his books it seems like his characters, particularly in this one, have crossed the line of who wrote what. But do not let that diminish the fact that this is good book and if that formula works, as it does here, then more power to him. Even when the book ends and we have closure on the real crazy person we get bluntly told that the cloud hanging over the mental well being of the villain reaches out to more than just one person.

I certainly hope Dean Koontz did not read this book. Those who read his work will get the jab. The Right Hand of Evil is one of John Saul’s beefier books and Ironically he goes easier on his characters. No exploding children, children hanging themselves. But with that being said…that does not mean he does not put them through their paces. This story takes place in Louisiana and as a native to the state I have to honestly say. “Has Saul ever even been there?” Well maybe he has, but the book seemed like it was taking place in any other state than Louisiana. Everything he described reminded me of Alabama or Tennessee. If you are going to write a novel about Louisiana, I guess by default you have to conjure up a certain illusion. Chalkboard Voodoo is not going to be convincing enough. Yes the book was well written and it had a good story, but for as long as it was you would think he could remember that the part of the state he was writing about is mostly swamp. You don’t just idly tromp around through those areas without resistance from nature of some sort, Snakes, wildcats, alligators. The people who lived in St. Albans were spot on though. Much of the Northern central part of the state is chock full of religious zealots and tend to be rather unwelcoming, unlike the Southern half who seem to love everyone. But on to the story. A family moves to St. Albans, is not welcomed and that on top of issues with each other sets the stage for the selling of souls, alcoholism, murdering of animals and a lone Black man who might just have a reason to hate everyone. Geographically he missed the boat on this one, but his characters attitudes (Not Personalities) fit the bill. But as John Saul has said before. He does not like reading his own books because they scare him. He can tell a story effectively but always seems to focus more on trying to gross out the reader. If you are a Saul fan then you will like this book. Saul delivers as you would expect him to in his John Saul Way. There is going to be plot holes and things left unwritten that he appears to just have forgotten about. What happens to such and such, where did they go, and why does it just seem they were forgotten about and left out of the ending.

John Saul will never be scary. Disturbing, shocking are more appropriate. This volume is no different than any of his others. I will admit, his plots are pretty cool at times, but most of his books are full of potholes. I enjoy his books, but I find it hard to fathom how EVERY single one of them is a bestseller. He shows no mercy in his stories. If the characters are going to die....then they are going to die horribly and it will usually be a child. This book started off all over the place, but quickly solidified into a decent story. Using supernatural means to achieve modern terrorism...entertaining. What happens to the bad guys in this book? Oh. He forgot to tell us. He is consistent... consistent on being minimal in his plots.

It is official after reading this Novel...John Saul is not going to cut the reader or his characters any slack. One thing you can count on...a toll is going to be taken and vengeance is going to be exacted in some form or another. I am going to put House of Reckoning at the top with his better books. I rarely give John Saul a rating over 3 stars but, for me, this is a rare one. Why? His books are fomulaic, predictable and pulpy. Is this bad? Not by a long shot. However this only limits the writer in my opinion. I am sure John Saul knows this about his work and I am sure he is fine with it. It makes him money. This addition was not exactly predictable, it had some nice twists and turns in it. At first glance one might think he left some holes in the plot, but his pen focused on what was needed to tell the story. Sure he could have bloated the story by about a hundred pages and shed some more light on the situations and flashbacks of certain characters but instead, as with most of his work...he keeps the rubber on the road and by doing this he makes sure the reader stays in engaged.

I have lost count of the Saul books I have read over the last three decades. Most are good and a few are a slightly undercooked. But one thing you can always expect from Saul is that he is going to toss a tether to the reader that he is sure they will break. I would put Black Creek Crossing somewhere in the upper middle for him. As with all his work he leaves a message. With this one that message is clear....Bullying. Black Creek Crossing is very well written and has all the elements (minus the bloated mess of a King Novel.) Two kids, abused, bullied and too smart for their own good find their own way of dealing with things. Toss in some witchcraft and you have a spooky little novel. The ending was shocking to say the least and should bring out a gasp from the most jaded of Horror/Suspense readers. If there is a hell specifically for teenagers then John Saul is the ferryman waiting to take them across the river. Sounds Harsh...but he is one of the only writers I can think of who has no problem taking children apart in his work. In context though, some may find it harsh...and yes it is. His stories work and he pens these scenes as a loud necessary evil. Rest assured that his protagonist are not going to waltz off into the sunset with a Golden Retriever ALA..Dean Koontz.

I have been a big fan of Saul's work since I was a kid and after decades of reading his work, I have to give Faces of Fear a less than stellar rating. The first half of the book feels like someone else wrote it, but towards the end it picked up considerably. The story was mild and extremely predictable, but still good enough to have you wondering who the bad guy(s) were. It seems he was in an awful big hurry with this one and much of it reads like it was just thrown together. The "OH MY" moments were far and few between but they were there. A surprise or two was thrown in. However I do feel that he achieved his point with this story. Plastic Surgery, self esteem and the overall shallowness that goes along with privileged people. Good for a quick read. Try not to base opinions of his work on this novel. He can and does much better. And not to judge a book by it's cover, but come on...a bestselling author should have the clout to do better. Very generic.

Ted and Janet Conway move into Ted’s ancestral home in Louisiana, along with their children (teenage twins Jared and Kim, and baby Molly) after Ted’s estranged aunt dies. Ted is an alcoholic who was just fired from his job so this seems like a fresh beginning for them. But the house has a legacy of evil that, at first, they try to overlook. But as time goes by, and strange things start happening, along with the total change of behavior in their son Jared, they realize they were wrong in moving here.

I totally enjoyed this book. It was a very creepy, chilling, and captivating read. The house itself was quite eerie, with descriptions of long gloomy halls, darkness outside the windows that goes on and on, a dank and spooky cellar, and people having horrifying dreams (or are they) within the house. The story was easy to read and I was always looking forward to getting back to the book to see what was going to happen next.

Another fine thriller by John Saul.

This book really did nothing for me. A bunch of other reviewers talked about how scary this book was, etc. Nope. I didn't find it scary at all, if anything, predictable. Add on to that, that the characters were barely like-able to downright detestable, it made this book a long read. Not worth it in my opinion.

FROM AMAZON: Thirteen-year-old Angel Sullivan falls in love with her family's new home - the house that stands at Black Creek Crossing in the small town of Roundtree, Massachusetts. But the idyll is soon shattered as Angel learns a shocking secret about the house. It seems that a double murder took place there, and no one has lived at Black Creek Crossing since.
As Angel and her family begin to confront the mounting perils in their new dwelling, increasingly bizarre events occur in Roundtree: terrible storms strike; seemingly inexplicable "accidents" transpire; and rumors of witchcraft, a phenomenon that figured in the town's history hundreds of years earlier, begin to resurface.

Un teléfono suena en el silencio de la noche, anunciando el comienzo de un viaje hacia el terror. Mary Anne Carpenter, divorciada recientemente y luchando por sacar adelante a sus dos hijos sola, escucha las inquietantes noticias: a 2.000 millas, sus amigos, los Wilkenson, han aparecido inexplicablemente muertos y su único hijo, el ahijado de Mary Anne, ha quedado huérfano.
Aun cuando ella se decide a cuidar a este muchacho, las preguntas se suceden con gran rapidez: ¿Se trata de una casual -aunque trágica- desgracia la que ha terminado con sus vidas? ¿O ha sido un asesinato?
Pronto, Mary Anne comenzará a sospechar que una siniestra fuerza está trabajando. Joey Wilkenson, un triste y callado adolescente, parece albergar ciertos secretos detrás de sus oscuras fantasías.
Llega el invierno y el solitario lugar en donde los Wilkenson habían construído su hermosa casa, se transforma en un lugar prohibido, de terribles tormentas y peligrosa oscuridad. Mary Anne comienza a conocer el verdadero significado del terror. Deberá proteger a sus hijos de un cada vez más insaciable asesino, uno que está preparado para atacar..

Review: Creature by John Saul. 4.5* 10/22/2022

This book from Saul is well written, entertaining and well developed characters. His writing kept me engaged throughout the entire book because his story building was creative. The pages are full of suspense and horror. The novel is full of dangers and fears of anabolic steroid abuse. John Saul does not let up on his writing taking things to extremes in order to create a horrifying story with some good humor.

The setting took place in a small mountain town in Colorado. Unknowably most of the town, the parents and their children are under the power of a tech giant Corporation called Tarrentech. Keep reading and be shocked with what this company is doing to the boys of this town.½

Lo llaman la Academia. Una mansión apartada en lo alto de un acantilado con vistas a la escarposa costa del Pacífico. Una escuela para niños dotados, o malditos, con mentes extraordinarias. Niños que pronto caerán bajo la influencia de una inteligencia aún más brillante que la suya, e indescriptiblemente malvada. Porque dentro de esta mente está tomando forma un plan oscuro. Un plan tan horrible que nadie lo creerá. nadie más que los niños. Y para ello ya es demasiado tarde. Demasiado tarde, a menos que un joven estudiante pueda resistir la seductora invitación que lo llevará a las Sombras.

Tras perder a su madre en un trágico accidente, Cassie Winslow llega a la pequeña localidad de False Harbor para vivir con su padre, al que apenas conoce, y la nueva familia de éste. ¿Por cuánto tiempo logrará esconder sus terribles poderes? Invadida por extraños sueños y malignos deseos, la dulce Cassie sembrará el terror entre los que la rodean, cumpliendo así su inexorable destino. Y en el pueblo de False Harbor ya nada volverá a ser como antes...