The Blackstone Chronicles: The Serial Thriller Complete in One Volume (Paperback)

by John Saul (Author) "The old Seth Thomas Regulator began to chime the hour..." (more)
Key Phrases: Harvey Connally, Martha Ward, Oliver Metcalf (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
Oliver Metcalf is the editor of the Blackstone Chronicle in Blackstone, NH. His father had been the director of the Blackstone Asylum before his death. Oliver had grown up in a cottage on the asylum's grounds. A sense of evil and darkness pervades the now empty asylum. The Chronicle reports that the asylum is to be torn down and replaced with an upscale mall. About the time the wrecking ball makes its first swing, the funding for the project falls through. Residents of the town begin to receive mysterious gifts that seem to have the power to visit evil on the recipients. An accidental fall, a suicide, a kidnapping, and an explosion leave the town reeling. Metcalf knows he must remember something key to understanding the mystery and halting the terrible chain of accidents. This abridgment causes the "accidents" to appear with very little plot or character development. This, in turn, causes the terror to become somewhat tedious. The story is read with feeling and skill by Lee Meriwether. Recommended for large library collections.AJoanna M. Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Now, for the first time, the New York Times bestselling serial thriller is complete in one terrifying volume. John Saul, the master of supernatural suspense, John Saul, brings to chilling life the small New England town of Blackstone--and the secrets and sins that lay buried there. . . .

From atop Blackstone's highest hill, the old Asylum casts its shadow over the village. Built in the 1890s to house the insane, the Asylum has stood vacant for decades. But now, the wrecker's ball is about to strike--and unleash an ominous evil. Strange gifts begin to appear on the doorsteps of Blackstone's finest citizens.

Each bears a mysterious history.

Each brings a horrifying power to harm.

Each reveals another thread in the suspensefully woven web of . . .

THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES

Part I--An Eye for an Eye: The Doll
Part II--Twist of Fate: The Locket
Part III--Ashes to Ashes: The Dragon's Flame
Part IV--In the Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief
Part V--Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope
Part VI--Asylum

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition Thus edition (February 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044900192X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449001929
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #59,425 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, a good idea, but I saw most of it coming, April 7, 1999

By A Customer

I picked up "Blackstone Chronicles" from a bookstore, not because I had heard anything about it, but because I wanted to read some good horror. Now, having finished the book, I can say that it was well worth the buy. A good idea, an excellent setting and it made the hours pass by rapidly. The downside was however, that the foreshadowing gave the game away from early on. Still, I am now hooked on John Saul and will be on the look-out for his other novels.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of fun, but flawed ending, May 6, 2000

By	Anne M. Marble "Anne" (MD, USA) - See all my reviews

I read this in the original serial form, and it was lots of fun. I love horror stories about horror connected to inanimate objects, such as dolls and necklaces. Also, I love horror stories that make me feel sympathetic for characters who were mistreated by people who should've loved them.

This reminded me of the books of this type I used to read in high school -- except that it was better written. The characters are much more memorable.

However, I think the story fizzled out in the last couple of editions of the the serial. The ending wasn't as good as it could have been.

I had even more fun with the publisher's original "Blackstone Chronicles" web site. Especially the diner!

Anne M. Marble Reviewer, All About Romance

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 star rating, January 6, 2004

By	Paladin08 (Folsom, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

My Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others

STORY: From back cover...From the top of Blackstone's highest hill the old Blackstone Asylum casts its shadow over the village. Built in the 1890's, the Asylum has stood vacant for decades. But now, the wrecker's ball is about to strike, smashing into stone-and unleashing a terrible evil, an unholy fear long locked with the walls. Soon, strange gifts will begin to appear on the doorsteps of Blackstone's finest citizens.

MY FEEDBACK:
Overall, whenever I read or listen to a John Saul book it is entertaining but not great. There is always some unknown ingredient missing to take the story to the next stage. But with Lee Meriwether portraying the voices in this story, I got the creeps. This was truly a tale of evil and not Saul's normal fixation with only children.

I'm still trying to figure out if I like the ending or not because I felt some things were left unexplained. Maybe this was purposely done by the author. Regardless, overall it was an engaging story that left me feeling disturbed at the potential reality of such evil. I liked it!