This was a pretty good story. It kept my interest to the end.

Hellfire (1986)


  „Crosgrove se uită împrejur, ochii lui cercetând interiorul fabricii.

  — Da, spuse el. Ciudat. Toată viaţa am auzit poveşti despre locul ăsta, despre cât e de periculos. Poveşti stupide. Acum renovează fabrica şi ce se întâmplă? Nici n-au terminat-o şi avem deja un mort. De-aia zic că-i ciudat.

  Jeffers se uită curios la partenerul lui.

  — Doar nu vrei să spui ceea cred eu că vrei să spui, nu?

  Crosgrove ridică din umeri.

  — Nu ştiu, spuse el încet. Tu n-ai crescut aici, ca mine. S-a mai întâmplat o dată ceva asemănător. Cred c-au trecut vreo patruzeci de ani. Atunci a fost fratele lui Phillip Sturgess, Conrad Junior.

  Barney Jeffers se încruntă.

  — Vrei să spui c-a murit? Aici, în fabrică?

  — Nu aici, în fabrică, Barney, spuse Crosgrove sumbru. Chiar în locul ăsta. La capătul scărilor.

  Jeffers fluieră uşor.

  — Isuse. Ce s-a întâmplat?

  — Asta-i problema, rosti Crosgrove. Nimeni n-a ştiut dacă a fost accident, crimă sau ce-o fi fost.”

this has been a very interesting book so far. started and finished in 1 sitting and was a good book

I read this book thinking that it’s going to be a thriller but turns out it’s just about some horrible family drama

This was my introduction to John Saul. And what an introduction it was. Good pacing, good story, and honestly, some really good drama. Though I could do without a pregnant woman constantly boozing it, but that's the 80s for you. It's also really scary how evil the step sister is and how sadistic she becomes as the story unfolded. I figured what the twist would be early on, but I didn't expect it to be half as gruesome as it was. So all in all I'd say that this is a book worth reading if your looking for some good thriller/psychological horror with a bit of super natural tossed in.

Carolyn Rogers marries Phillip Sturgess -- rich, eligible, successful bachelor with a heart of gold despite his snobbish breeding. Phillip, along with Carolyn's ex-husband, plan on reopening a mill where a group of the town's children burned to death in the late 1800s and has recently become the site of many mysterious accidents. And that's about all the Carolyn and Phillip have to do with the story.

The main focus of the story is Beth Rogers, Carolyn's daughter from her first marriage, and Tracey Sturgess, Phillip's daughter from his first marriage. Tracey goes out of her way to make Beth feel unwanted through any means necessary, and Beth finds herself miserable and lonely. Beth befriends a girl-child who died in the fire at the mill (not unlike the girl in Saul's Comes the Blind Fury) who becomes something of a best friend to Beth. Finally, this all comes to head in a "grand finale".

This was a good read, typical early-Saul fare. It shared many similarities with Comes the Blind Fury (and countless other books he's written), but it was different enough to keep me reading. Saul has a way of really making you love and hate his characters. I sort of thought that the ending was a little rushed and the revealed "secret" a little weak, but an enjoyable read still.

A mix o characters, good and very evil. Well portrayed surrounding a good story. Well done.

I've had this book on my shelf for years before I sat down and read it. I've only read about three John Saul books but each one I've read seems to have a kid as the protagonist and supernatural things happening. This book reads as a ghost story with the ghost seeking revenge for her death.

The book was a good read and hard to put down. The slow build up of information to the reader made you want to keep reading. You know the book is building to a climax that something major will happen but I was almost surprised with the outcome. John Saul is an another not afraid to kill off secondary and even major characters in his stories. I was surprised by the many deaths. Most horror books just have nobody's that die where as this book you are more and more invested in the person who dies.

All and all I found it to be a great read. A nice way to spend a day.

The first book I ever read. It is this book that got me into reading. While getting ready for a family vacation, I picked this book from my mother's shelf so I wouldn't be bored.
I rather enjoyed this book. I read the whole book in a weekend. I became a huge horror fiction fan because of this book. I enjoyed the fact that it took place in a very small town, like the town I grew up in, in the neighborhood of a closed textile factory. Awesome!

After a century of being closed, an abandoned factory is being reopened. Against the wishes of the wealtiest family in the small town. Soon things start to happen in the mill again. Bringing to light the terrible secret locked within its doors.

this book was chilling and really well written a for sure page turner i read it in one day i did not want to put it down

Boring and repetitive. It felt aimless for much of it.

Probably more of a 2.5/5 rounded up

As with most Saul novels I've read, I had a fine time with Hellfire, and it was a quick read, so his stuff makes more a light horror snack of sorts. Despite rarely being blown away by his work, it's almost always enjoyable and Hellfire was certainly a decent read with strong storytelling, though I must admit that most of it's characters drove me insane, save the two father figures. There were a couple of small surprises too, so that was nice, though the ending didn't completely land with me. I get nostalgic for these periodically, so I'm sure I'll pick up another one soon.