As always, Saul gives us a twisted treasure.

Well, it was the perfect book to read on the beach (well not really because that's where everyone kept dying) but I enjoyed the first part for what it was. Then the middle dragged and I hated the ending. bio rythyms? Really??<spoiler>. Plus I totally knew who it was by half way through-it was Almost so easy it seemed like Saul didn't care.

*Contains spoilers*

I love this author but this book was very dry. It was not suspenseful or scary. It needed more "meat" to the storyline.

Also - John must not have gotten the memo that no one cares who dies in the book but the dog needs to live". ☺

John Saul's book, Cry for the Strangers, is a work in which some of Saul's more questionable authorial traits come prominently to the fore. What do I mean?

Well, Saul is known for a propensity to adhere rigidly to certain templates and formulas in his publications. Typically, there exists a vaguely menacing enigma from a gray (almost forgotten) past that somehow resurfaces to haunt and often kill the characters in the present.

Yet in Saul's stronger works, this formulaic quality serves as a comfortably familiar backdrop for surprising, sometimes original twists. In his better books (for loyal Saul readers), the formulaic nature acts as a trusted stage upon which the story unfolds with its unique plot twists and developments in an innovative, original manner.

Regrettably, Cry for the Strangers lacks this very originality. One gets the impression that here, everything is mere formula without genuine substance. The four adult protagonists (Brad, Elaine, Glen, Rebecca) are so interchangeable that one frequently confuses them. None possesses a distinct voice, none exudes a notably unmistakable presence.

The plot tastes like bones without flesh. Yes, once again, there's an age-old malevolent curse responsible for everything. But how do all these elements fit together? Who does it affect? Why are they affected at all? And, huh? How do the dreadful events even transpire?

I won't include spoilers here. So let me just say this much: In Cry for the Strangers, too much remains obscure (and inexplicable) for the book to appear well-thought-out or purposefully planned in any way.

Thus, Cry for the Strangers proves to be a source of frustration for much of its duration. Character interactions are uninspiring due to the characters' interchangeable nature. The resolution leaves the reader oscillating between furrowed brows and head-shaking.

A book that solely exists within the confines of John Saul's formulaic tendencies: A stencil devoid of substance, bereft of originality.

I love the idea of a haunted beach. Storm’s coming...

I reread this over the weekend since I was sick. Maybe 20 years has altered my perception of this book, but I had to downgrade it from 3 stars to 2.

My main issue with this is the pacing. Yes, I get that he's building suspense and mystery, but by the first quarter of the book, you know who's responsible. Maybe not why, but with Saul's books, why is never a guarantee to be offered by the end.

Also, the manner of the deaths of the 'strangers', not horrific or jarring. Not that they have to be, but for such a build up, you'd expect a little more than another drowned fisherman.

All in all, it's a slow book. He's written far better ones than this one. I don't relate to any of the characters, so I have little invested in their outcomes. As people are plucked off--though never a main character--I find I just don't care. Just one more dead body due to mysterious Indian folktales and legends. Saul did the one thing an author shouldn't do: he created cardboard characters I actually hope get offed. I should care about them, but I don't.

Especially Brad Randall. His smug, holier-than-thou attitude has rubbed wrong since the first page he appeared on. He was one character I kept hoping would be killed, but, of course, he wasn't. Boo.

I hope the other Saul books I reread over the coming months hold up to their memory, unlike Cry For the Strangers. I should have just left this one buried in my teenage memory.

4.5 stars. Wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, but the prologue got me absolutely hooked! Will definitely read again.

Well, Goodreads ate my long review, and I'm too pissed about that to rewrite it eloquently, so here's the bare-bones:

"Cry for the Strangers" is a good read--interesting characters, well drawn locations, an initial sense of dread that escalates nicely into full-blown creepiness. The ending, however, was slipshod and unsatisfying, in my opinion. The novel deserved a better ending than it received.

Now I'll try and save this again. sheesh

I read this book many years ago (early 80's), so I could not give an accurate review. I have it listed in my records as a "good read".

I love John Saul, and this book came out the year I was born, so I was pretty excited to read it. I was let down with this one, but kept in mind it was one of his early ones, so it didn't let me down too much. I didn't care much for the ending, but it wasn't a completely terrible read.

Loved the story as usual. When I bought this on my Kindle the date was wrong, I had read this years ago but it was cool to read it again. Man, Saul needs a much better editor though, so don't read this as your first John Saul book or you may not be too happy with it. But for a true Saul fan, it's still good despite so many flaws...

Made the mistake of watching the TV movie first. The book is way better of course. Saul has a way of bringing you into the world he created giving you believable characters and terrific atmosphere and setting. A fun read.