Write a review...after reading all 6 of these books- i know the author thinks he's ties everything up nice and neat but i don't. i think the ending was pathetic, it was a wimpy ending. instead of actually coming up with an ending he found an easy way out. of course this ending also leaves room in case he wants to write more books for this series but i don't think thats going to happen i thik he was tired of writing them and instead of cleaning things up and tying off loose ends he preferred to leave them out there dangling in the wind so readers can think whatever they want to and draw their own conclusions. some people may like hat but idon't.

I love how each book in the series gets better.

Nope. Predicted the big twist way back. There is definite otherworldly component, but I feel like it should either it needs to be stronger or just written better. I feel like I was told a lot of things that some addition descriptions would have been nice. I have no feeling for the town or any of the people. None. They didn't have personalities except for the "romantic" couple and quite frankly, their courtship is creepy.

All in all a good story. It worked well as a serial, not quite as good as The Green Mile but that’s to be expected. King is King. I might have to revisit some old John Saul books again since this did remind me of my early days as a teen reader.

Hmmm...not the ending I expected, nor was it realistic enough to be one I might have envisioned. Instead of tying up loose ends and perhaps leaving a few well chosen ones to the imagination and a potential sequel, this series seemed to be pulled and tugged to an end through contrivance and artifice. But having enjoyed the series up to this point, loving both this format and the other John Saul books I've read, I gave it a generous three stars. Overall, I would recommend the Blackstone books to those who are not insistent on tight wrap-ups and accuracy of detail, but who are out for a quick, enjoyable spin around a book in serial format with a few chilling thrills along the way. If you expect more, you'll be disappointed.

3,5 *

I finally completed reading the Blackstone Chronicles by John Saul. Holy crap! That was a great serial!

Overlooking the quaint little town of Blackstone sits an abandoned mental asylum. Relics of the horrors that occurred within its walls are mysteriously given to six of the town's residents, whose families all had ties to the asylum. These gifts will push the town to the brink of madness, and some people over the edge into the abyss.

I have been a Saul fan for over 20 years, and this may well be his masterpiece.
My rating: 4.75/5 stars

Well that was unexpected.

The first four books were unflinchingly vicious, redolent of insanity and death. They were gripping and thrilling, proceeding straight to the action with nary a pause for breath. All beef, zero fat.

The fifth was more or less the same. Though it was evidently more muted, the consequences of the events were still horrifying enough.

This one, the final book in the series, was sadly underwhelming. It didn't feel as taut and vibrant as the other novellas though in some scenes it can be just as menacing. I was expecting fireworks and brimstone, an opus that would top all the brutalities and psychoses that the earlier books revelled in - a fitting climax to such a promising series. I shan't say it was a dud, but I think it could have been so much more. Maybe the author ran out of steam?

I did like the resolution somewhat, but I find a few of the details to be unsatisfying. What about the families that suffered - will they ever get the justice that they deserved? Also - I guess the opprobium of the town is now going to shift to poor Uncle Harvey? He is a decent man who tried to do his best by Oliver, but I guess to save the hero's name his own would just have to live in wholly undeserved eternal infamy. It's also strange how the local gossipmonger holds the full reverence of the town, as shown in the epilogue's pivotal scene.

Anyway, I did enjoy it, and I can find myself re-reading the entire thing in the future. The events near the end left the door open for a sequel and the author did say that he'd entertain writing one if the inspiration strikes him. I would definitely have grabbed that too, but the lack of any book in sight two decades after its publication means that the story might have ended for good.

The Blackstone Chronicles has been one helluva satisfying ride, but if I'll rate this book by its lonesome, I'll give it 6/10 or 3 unforgettably crazy stars out of 5.

Not to sure I liked the ending. It left way to many questions unanswered. Now on to reading a few Amish stories.

From Casual Debris.

And the hexalogy closes with a whimper. The final book of Saul's Blackstone Chronicles completes the serialized work as expected, since throughout the series there has been only one logical suspect behind the distribution of the asylum artifacts. I did not mind the explanation and can even forgive the sickeningly overt sentimental closure as it is in keeping with the rest of the text, but there is an immense flaw in this final entry that I cannot overlook.

The revelatory explanation for the strange events that have occurred in the town of Blackstone is altogether rational, and yet the events themselves are depicted as being supernatural. Therefore, the explanation contradicts the events they are attempting to explain.

I won't elaborate further as the elaboration includes spoilers. You can find the spoiler-filled details here.

It is finished. Some clues I put to get her but there was others I missed completely.

This was an amazing series, though did find out I had the gift-giver right from the beginning. Based on the afterword by the author, I came to find out the first book's Elizabeth is a creepy mf and I look forward to finding and reading more of his books!