Punish the Sinners [Paperback]

John Saul (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam Books (February 1, 1991)
• ASIN: B001IATGPQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

More About the Author

House of Reckoning is John Saul's thirty-sixth novel. His first novel, Suffer the Children, published in 1977, was an immediate million-copy bestseller. His other bestselling suspense novels include Faces of Fear, In the Dark of the Night, Perfect Nightmare, Black Creek Crossing, Midnight Voices, The Manhattan Hunt Club, Nightshade, The Right Hand of Evil, The Presence, Black Lightning, The Homing, and Guardian. He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling serial thriller The Blackstone Chronicles, initially published in six installments but now available in one complete volume. Saul divides his time between Seattle, Washington, and Hawaii.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting early effort from one of my faves..., August 4, 2007

By 

R. Gawlitta "Coolmoan" (Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Punish the Sinners (Paperback)

I've read almost everything Mr. Saul has written. Oddly enough, I only recently came across this one, his second published novel. It certainly has a terrifc premise, and our hero, Peter Balsam, is likeable; also conflicted and vulnerable, which makes him perfect fodder for the wonderful mind of Mr. Saul. How exciting to come to a new town and start fresh after a rash of failures, whether the priesthood or his subsequent marriage, or the certainty of his future. Peter Balsam comes to teach phychology at a parochial school, almost unheard of by the set-in their ways populace. Angry nuns, weird old priests and closed-minded townspeople greet him with suspicion, but the kids love him, so glad to be given a chance to learn something new during their "formative years". Well, chaos ensues, as would be expected, and the next-to-lead character, Monsignor Peter Vernon, Balsam's old school chum, creates lots of confusion and plot twists that carry the reader to a satisfying conclusion, though not the one you'd think. Or...it would've been unexpected had I not read so much Saul before. It was very enjoyable, and if you're new to Mr. Saul, check this one out right away.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chilling and Surprising, August 10, 2003

By 

"honeydick" (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Punish the Sinners (Audio CD)

This book grips you from the very start and never lets go. While its a fast pace horror novel regarding suicide, and religious fervor it also tackles other topics such as abuse of power, sexual hypocrisy and the church overall. I got a bit upset when the sexual element was introduced; thinking Saul was making a judgement call but as the story progressed it redeemed it self. It also has one of the best and realistic endings I ever seen in a novel of this type. I am glad Saul had the good sense to end it in the way he did. A great audio book from the first CD to the last. The reader did a good job though his female voices needed some fine tuning at times. Still a great listening experience. I'm off to buy another! This book contains 5 CDs and is read by a single reader.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Saul's most personal thriller?, November 20, 2001

By 

Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Punish the Sinners (Paperback)

Punish the Sinners is a thriller concerning a rash of suicides and religious fervor sweeping through a desert community (the heat is symbolic on many levels). On another level I think it is a very personal book for Saul, usually a very impersonal and highly structured writer. This is due to the tensions regarding sexual orientation issues with the lead adult characters. Highly recommended.