I selected this book by accident and couldn't figure out how to get it out of currently reading, so after checking it out decided to read it. The author is described as writing novels of psychological and supernatural suspense. While stuck inside during the polar vortex this was a quick read that is definitely a page turner. Not believable, but entertaining.

I know I read it , can't remember plot

I did not enjoy this book.

John Saul is always a joy to read in how he creates characters. That’s where his gift lies. Especially in constructing a town full of people, although not nearly as adept or complex as King does. Still, it’s good.

This book certainly features that, however the plot is pretty bland. And there’s little mystery. Really, no mystery. It’s an effective time waste of a read, I suppose, but still a time waste.

I like Saul’s skill and potential but too often he can’t realize it.

2.5 stars rounded up

I came here from tiktok, there was this person who said that this book was very similar to the Stranger Things TV series. Obviously I wasn't expecting it to be identical, just the same vibes, but I couldn't be more wrong.
They definitely didn't finish reading the book or didn't read it at all, because it's NOTHING like Stranger Things (not that I'm complaining tho). At first the story's really slow and the characters kinda plain, it's until the page 300ish that you really start to know them.
I loved Carolyn, Phillip, Alan, and Beth. And I really liked the relationship between the first three, always friendly even when they didn't seem eye to eye sometimes.

(Spoilers ahead)
So of course it was really sad when Alan died, he was one of my favourites. I can't say the same when ol' Abigail kicked the bucket tho, I think it would've been nice at the end if she changed her attitude towards Beth a little bit.
Speaking of her, why couldn't she have a happy ending? I know Beth was really weepy but she was an angel. She definitely deserved better.
And don't let me start with that motherfckin son of b¡tch Tracy, hate her, she was such a psychopath! Glad Hell's keeping her now, but she deserves so much worse.
(Spoilers are over)

The book felt like a tug of war, started sluggish and ended up being the same. I would've liked to see more of these haunting ghosts of the past, it had potential of being scarier.
Overall, I did like the story of the mill and Amy, her real identity was such a plot twist!

awesome read

great book

Saul does not disappoint in this book. As with many of his other books, the pace is quickly set and the need to put the book down doesn't come. Instead, I found myself reading faster and faster in order to try and finish what I could before I absolutely had to put the book down. This book is captivating and a quick read, at least for me.



Do the sins of our previous generations actually harm the lives of the current generations when it comes to families? Hellfire takes a look at this scenario along with many current life themes. Divorce, remarriage and the struggle of becoming a complete family also play a role and add to the conflict besides the normal supernatural conflicts that Saul writes about.



The characters are so well written than at times when I was reading I wanted to reach into the book and smack the hell out of a couple of the characters due to the way they were treating others that were trying hard to please them.



The best thing about Saul is he puts in believable story lines that could happen right here in present day America with the addition of supernatural issues that arise. In this specific novel, the ghosts of murdered children try and seek their revenge on those who murdered them. Just because those that murdered them are no longer living doesn't mean they cannot go after their ancestors.

One of the first books I read of his. Fantastic!! Really keeps you in suspense and hard to put down! One of my favorite authors!! Another must read!

This was an easy, cheesey horror novel--exactly what I was in the mood for. It reads kind of like a V.C. Andrews novel, about families and their dark secrets. Unfortunately, it ended stupidly.

I liked the plot of the story, quick read, but not my normal cup of tea, written well in my opinion.

I can only describe this as simultaneously fast paced and a slow burn. It's sort of a middle ground between a thriller and horror, with a solid mix of human evil and paranormal evil all mixed up into one family and one location. You never quite know whether the true horror is coming from the evil at the mill, or the simmering rage of Tracy, daughter of the wealthy family who own the mill, who feels she has been deposed by "the wrong sort of people" when her father remarries a woman from the local town instead of another wealthy socialite, and brings home a daughter from his wife's previous marriage.
Tracy is a constant threat through the book, building her ill intent over the course of the story at the same time the mill and its resident ghost are being stirred up and into action.
Beth, the "other" daughter, finds herself caught between the attentions of Amy, ghost of a girl who died in the mill, and Tracy, who hates her and wants her gone.
Ultimately, the book is asking a common question in horror - what's scarier, evil people or evil supernatural forces?
I'm thinking the answer is both.