"Guardian" by John Saul is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into the realms of suspense, mystery, and the supernatural. Set in the fictional town of Cascade, Washington, the story follows the life of Sally Montgomery, a young woman who becomes the guardian of her niece, Beth.

The narrative begins with Sally returning to Cascade after the sudden death of her sister, Joanne, and brother-in-law, Terry. Sally is shocked to discover that she has been named Beth's legal guardian, despite having had minimal contact with her sister's family in recent years. As Sally settles into her new role, she uncovers disturbing secrets about her sister's past and begins to suspect that Beth's parents' deaths were not accidental.

As Sally tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding her sister's family, she encounters opposition from various quarters, including the local police and influential townspeople who seem intent on keeping the truth hidden. Complicating matters further is the eerie presence of a mysterious guardian figure, a menacing force that seems determined to protect Beth at any cost.

As the tension mounts, Sally's determination to uncover the truth puts her own life in danger, leading to a series of shocking revelations that shake the very foundation of her reality. With its blend of psychological suspense and supernatural elements, "Guardian" keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the final, spine-chilling conclusion.

Throughout the novel, John Saul masterfully builds suspense, creating a sense of unease that permeates every page. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the small-town setting adds to the atmosphere of isolation and claustrophobia. Saul's prose is taut and evocative, drawing readers into a world where nothing is as it seems and danger lurks around every corner.

At its core, "Guardian" is a story about the enduring power of family bonds and the lengths to which people will go to protect the ones they love. It is also a cautionary tale about the dangers of secrets and the importance of confronting the past, no matter how painful it may be.

Overall, "Guardian" is a thrilling and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of psychological suspense and supernatural fiction alike. John Saul's masterful storytelling and expertly crafted plot twists make it a standout addition to the genre, guaranteed to keep readers guessing until the very end.

Interesting, good read. A little campy but entertaining.

This book really dragged. The characters annoyed me and I found the whole premise quite silly. The only reason I finished the book is because I hate not finishing books.

This book had a lot of promise in the plot, but I was not a fan of the execution. For the first 60% of the book, not much happened, and then the last portion of the book was jam packed with developments that still didn't provide any answers. In the last couple chapters, they casually described some large revealing plot points that did not make any sense at all, and then hoped we would buy it as the book came to a conclusion. Overall not my favorite by John Saul.

The story begins when two best friends from childhood one in ID now, and the other still in NJ make the other their children's godmother. When both parents die in ID, the friend in NJ with her two children 13 and 10 rush to the ranch to take over guardianship of her friends 13 year old son. This is a spellbinding, spooky book with woods, mountain men, murder and timber wolf. More murders than were probably necessary, but was so well written could not put the book down.

Ik vond het eigenlijk een heel vervelend boek.

i'll have to finish this eventually since i own it i guess but eh

Modern day werewolf story

I couldn't wait to open this book.
It was suspenseful, with twist and turns. I'm wondering if there's a part 2.

This was a fun 80's style horror novel. What I mean by that is that it's quickly paced and based in character, but without much character development. All the characters are either fodder, or they are tropes, so they never really pop from the page. Still, it's a fun story and an interesting take on the werewolf. This was not Saul's strongest, but then again, he is basically a paperback writer churning out 1 to 2 books per year, so you can't blame him too much. No matter what he's a great read.

This is not the kind of book I normally read, a little too much horror for me,however it really was a page turner,I could not wait to finish the book.

Saul este unul dintre maestrii genului horror si totodata unul dintre scriitorii mei preferati. Foarte prolific are nenumarate romane ce incita cititorii conferindu-le misterul si frica la care se asteapta atunci cand deschid o carte de acest gen. Este fara indoiala un autor iubit de catre fanii horror-ului clasic.
"Guardian" a aparut in 1993 si ne prezinta Valea Sugarloaf - un mic paradis unde natura a ramas neatinsa de mana omului. Ted Wilkenson si familia sa compusa din Audrey si fiul Joey isi fac o ferma acolo si incearca sa pastreze locul conservandu-i salbaticia si frumusetea. Viata lor la ferma idilica este tulburata totusi de tot felul de intamplari stranii, cum ar fi faptul ca Joey dispare inexplicabil din cand in cand de acasa, caii din sopron care sunt inspaimantati si necheaza sau parintii sai ce au mereu senzatia ca sunt urmariti din bezna de niste ochi malefici.
Curand, cand ambii soti sunt gasiti morti in circumstante ciudate matusa baiatului, Mary Ann Carpenter si cei doi copii ai ei se muta la ferma pentru a avea grija de Joey. Si atunci incepe cosmarul pentru ei.
Se pare ca in padurea de langa ferma un misterios om-lup isi facuse culcusul si ii tinea sub supraveghere pe cei de la Sugarloaf. Care este legatura dintre el si Joey ramane sa aflati citind cartea.
M-am bucurat mult cand am gasit acest roman deoarece citisem foarte mult in liceu de John Saul insa pe acesta se pare ca l-am omis. Ca in majoritatea operelor autorului eroii sunt niste copii inteligenti, maturi, descurcareti, buni la suflet si capabili sa invinga raul. Adultii nu sunt in general punctul forte al romanului fiind foarte slabi, viciosi si adesea mor stupid. Este greu de inteles si aici de ce acestia se tot aventureaza in fiecare noapte in padure, pe vreme rea, desi stiu sigur ca e ceva in neregula acolo.
Fiind o mare fana a povestilor cu oameni-lup si atractia lor pentru domnite neajutorate m-am bucurat de poveste si am citit-o incantata. Este perfecta pentru aceasta perioada a anului cand te cuibaresti sub patura si te lasi furata de asemenea intamplari de groaza gandindu-te ca afara s-ar putea sa bantuie vreun lup cenusiu sub clar de luna.

I suppose this is one of the better John Saul books. John Saul is sort of like Blumhouse is to films. He knows where all the generic pieces go, he's competent. You rarely feel like you got gipped reading one of his books, but you never feel like you read anything great.