What do you think?
Rate this book
Blackstone Chronicles #5
Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope
John Saul, author of nineteen bestselling novels of chilling suspense, now gives us a serial thriller set in the small New England town of Blackstone, where the inhabitants are caught in the grip of unrelenting evil. Strange gifts are appearing in the most unlikely places: on doorsteps, in cars, glittering on a flea market table.
Each object bears an unspeakable history.
Each brings an ominous power to harm.
Each reveals another thread in the tightly woven web of . . .
THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES, PART 5
When attorney Ed Becker spots the carved antique dresser in a dusty attic, he takes it to restore. Then his young daughter, Amy, makes a curious discovery: Inside one of the drawers she finds a set of old pictures and a stereoscope, an old-fashioned device that allows you to see images in three dimensions. Oddly, one of the photos resembles their house, where Eds grandmother lived long ago. But the scenes inside the stereoscope also bring to vivid life some terrifying memories, eerie images that seem all too real. . . .
Each object bears an unspeakable history.
Each brings an ominous power to harm.
Each reveals another thread in the tightly woven web of . . .
THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES, PART 5
When attorney Ed Becker spots the carved antique dresser in a dusty attic, he takes it to restore. Then his young daughter, Amy, makes a curious discovery: Inside one of the drawers she finds a set of old pictures and a stereoscope, an old-fashioned device that allows you to see images in three dimensions. Oddly, one of the photos resembles their house, where Eds grandmother lived long ago. But the scenes inside the stereoscope also bring to vivid life some terrifying memories, eerie images that seem all too real. . . .
84 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
4 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
John Saul
150 books2,851 followersJohn Saul is an American author best known for his bestselling suspense and horror novels, many of which have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list. Born in Pasadena and raised in Whittier, California, Saul attended several universities without earning a degree. He spent years honing his craft, writing under pen names before finding mainstream success. His breakout novel, Suffer the Children (1977), launched a prolific career, with over 60 million copies of his books in print. Saul’s work includes Cry for the Strangers, later adapted into a TV movie, and The Blackstone Chronicles series. He is also a playwright, with one-act plays produced in Los Angeles and Seattle. In 2023, he received the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement. Openly gay, he has lived with his partner—also his creative collaborator—for nearly 50 years. Saul divides his time between Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and Hawaii, and frequently speaks at writers’ conferences, including the Maui Writers' Conference. His enduring popularity in the horror genre stems from a blend of psychological tension, supernatural elements, and deep emotional undercurrents that have resonated with readers for decades.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 13, 2021
Just read it!
Here is a link to the video review I did on my YouTube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror here:
https://youtu.be/tc7lYtqLMGY
Well, another one burnt the dirt!! Yes, just finished book 5 in the series.....this has been the most gruesome of them all! Damn, the murders and the suspense here just cut very deep, LOVE< LOVE love this book(s) if you can call these vignettes books.....onto the last and final one!
Come back.
Here is a link to the video review I did on my YouTube Channel; AreYouIntoHorror here:
https://youtu.be/tc7lYtqLMGY
Well, another one burnt the dirt!! Yes, just finished book 5 in the series.....this has been the most gruesome of them all! Damn, the murders and the suspense here just cut very deep, LOVE< LOVE love this book(s) if you can call these vignettes books.....onto the last and final one!
Come back.
July 20, 2018
From Casual Debris.
So far the strongest entry of the series. Despite some suspense fiction cliches, Part Five of John Saul's serialized The Blackstone Chronicles is better paced and more focused than the previous books. It is through the focused narrative of this part that I became conscious that the presence of the mysterious, evil figure is distracting, adding little to the narrative, and actually decreasing the mystery element of the work as a whole, and I wonder what kind of read we would have if the scenes with the figure were excised.
Plot-wise, the main focus is on Bill McGuire, who unknowingly takes the cursed gift of a stereoscope into his home. His family is quickly (and forcefully) set up as ultra loving, with overly supportive wife Bonnie and sweet 'n innocent daughter Amy, along with the over-sized loving puppy. (Yes, yes, we can immediately foretell the fate of the beloved family pet.)
Side plots feature Oliver Metcalf learning more about his deceased twin sister's death, and on his wish to exorcise the demons of his past. Whereas Rebecca has been kidnapped and locked away in a cold room of the asylum. As these segments are brief and well interspersed, they come across as more effective than the sub-plots in previous volumes, and do not interfere with the main plot.
This level of focus should have been achieved by part four, since by then the formula of these little books have become too predictable and tired, and thereby part four comes across as the weakest; I for one hurried through its pages and paused before picking up "The Stereoscope." The denouement of "The Stereoscope" is, with slight variation, essentially the same as each predecessor, but does, with its elevated structure, act as a better precursor to the final volume than any of the previous books.
So far the strongest entry of the series. Despite some suspense fiction cliches, Part Five of John Saul's serialized The Blackstone Chronicles is better paced and more focused than the previous books. It is through the focused narrative of this part that I became conscious that the presence of the mysterious, evil figure is distracting, adding little to the narrative, and actually decreasing the mystery element of the work as a whole, and I wonder what kind of read we would have if the scenes with the figure were excised.
Plot-wise, the main focus is on Bill McGuire, who unknowingly takes the cursed gift of a stereoscope into his home. His family is quickly (and forcefully) set up as ultra loving, with overly supportive wife Bonnie and sweet 'n innocent daughter Amy, along with the over-sized loving puppy. (Yes, yes, we can immediately foretell the fate of the beloved family pet.)
Side plots feature Oliver Metcalf learning more about his deceased twin sister's death, and on his wish to exorcise the demons of his past. Whereas Rebecca has been kidnapped and locked away in a cold room of the asylum. As these segments are brief and well interspersed, they come across as more effective than the sub-plots in previous volumes, and do not interfere with the main plot.
This level of focus should have been achieved by part four, since by then the formula of these little books have become too predictable and tired, and thereby part four comes across as the weakest; I for one hurried through its pages and paused before picking up "The Stereoscope." The denouement of "The Stereoscope" is, with slight variation, essentially the same as each predecessor, but does, with its elevated structure, act as a better precursor to the final volume than any of the previous books.
April 20, 2019
It's a curious thing, but until the fourth book and possibly even this one, I believe that one can read the novellas in any order and not mess up the narrative. This is a testament to how each book is interesting enough to stand on its own, tight enough to suffice as a lone story. Of course it would be best to read them in order as there are references to incidents in previous books that might serve as spoilers and some events might seem strange out of context, but it's nothing that would diminish the reader's enjoyment of the series.
It would just be like dropping in on the town of Blackstone in the midst of all the action, and hearing from one of the more gossipy locals that "Oh maybe I shouldn't tell you this, you being new here and all, but Mr. C-? Yes your neighbor with the cats. Well his wife commited suicide just last month, and -". When the current tragedy runs its course, stunned as you are with all that happened, you can read the earlier books for accounts of previous misadventures, and marvel at how all these sinister events may indeed be connected.
Which is to say that I believe that the author's device of using a serial to frame the Blackstone Chronicles seems to actually be justified in this case, and is not just a cynical cash grab. I enjoyed all the books so far, and I can just imagine how excited I would've been if I've read the series upon its original release, waiting for the next book with anticipation after finishing off the current one in a giant bite. Even at the jacket price of $2.99 for each of them, I don't think the cost is that prohibitive even two decades ago, especially for something as delectable as this.
As for this book - it centers on a former criminal defense lawyer who was so competent at his craft that he was able to get off manifestly guilty monsters scot-free. He stopped when his conscience quailed at the consequence of one of his victories, and at this point we knew what thumbscrews the cursed gift he received would turn.
While this book is neither as violent nor as bloody as the ones that preceded it, the misfortunes that befell the victims are not inconsequential. One heartbreaking accident and the specter of paraplegia aren't exactly mere inconveniences. While the back story of the stereoscope wasn't as brutal as the previous ones, I don't think a prefrontal lobotomy counts even as a neutral ending.
I do feel like there are many ways that the story could have been improved upon, so many promising avenues that it could have explored. Maybe this is the calm before the storm of the final book. In any case, it was still entertaining. I'm rating it 6.5/10 but I'm bumping it up to 4 stars out of 5 because the series as a whole has been so riveting.
It would just be like dropping in on the town of Blackstone in the midst of all the action, and hearing from one of the more gossipy locals that "Oh maybe I shouldn't tell you this, you being new here and all, but Mr. C-? Yes your neighbor with the cats. Well his wife commited suicide just last month, and -". When the current tragedy runs its course, stunned as you are with all that happened, you can read the earlier books for accounts of previous misadventures, and marvel at how all these sinister events may indeed be connected.
Which is to say that I believe that the author's device of using a serial to frame the Blackstone Chronicles seems to actually be justified in this case, and is not just a cynical cash grab. I enjoyed all the books so far, and I can just imagine how excited I would've been if I've read the series upon its original release, waiting for the next book with anticipation after finishing off the current one in a giant bite. Even at the jacket price of $2.99 for each of them, I don't think the cost is that prohibitive even two decades ago, especially for something as delectable as this.
As for this book - it centers on a former criminal defense lawyer who was so competent at his craft that he was able to get off manifestly guilty monsters scot-free. He stopped when his conscience quailed at the consequence of one of his victories, and at this point we knew what thumbscrews the cursed gift he received would turn.
While this book is neither as violent nor as bloody as the ones that preceded it, the misfortunes that befell the victims are not inconsequential. One heartbreaking accident and the specter of paraplegia aren't exactly mere inconveniences. While the back story of the stereoscope wasn't as brutal as the previous ones, I don't think a prefrontal lobotomy counts even as a neutral ending.
I do feel like there are many ways that the story could have been improved upon, so many promising avenues that it could have explored. Maybe this is the calm before the storm of the final book. In any case, it was still entertaining. I'm rating it 6.5/10 but I'm bumping it up to 4 stars out of 5 because the series as a whole has been so riveting.
January 21, 2023
Wie auch die anderen Geschichten netter Grusel für zwischendurch, mehr aber auch nicht. Auch in dieser Geschichte kommt wieder ein Tier zu Tode, wer das nicht lesen mag, besser sein lassen.
October 17, 2024
Diese Story war wieder besser erzählt,wenigstens kam es in der Kernstory ein bisschen weiter.
Bin gespannt wie der Schluss der Blackstonechroniken aufgelöst wird....
Bin gespannt wie der Schluss der Blackstonechroniken aufgelöst wird....
November 28, 2020
a good 3.5
honestly the worst part of this was how nobody cared for Rebecca
honestly the worst part of this was how nobody cared for Rebecca
May 25, 2025
I don't like dreams in books. More often than not, especially in horror fiction, it is a cheap device to sprinkle some surreal elements - some real imagination - into an otherwise conservative narrative. Or some lame excuse for excessive foreshadowing.
Well, both hold true for book 5 of The Blackstone Chronicles, and it doesn't bother me. Compared to the baseless hallucinations of book 2, when a before stable person suddenly got mad over the possession, the dreams in this issue help connect the memories of possessed lawyer Becker with the powers of the possessing item. They also help us as readers in experiencing the downward spiral of his psychosis. So it's a good element, driving us deeper into the minds of the poor inhabitants of Blackstone.
Book 4 was the first issue that ended on a cliffhanger, and expectantly the narrative puts right up, and a big part of the story is spent on the overarching mystery.
Time for the big conclusion now.
Well, both hold true for book 5 of The Blackstone Chronicles, and it doesn't bother me. Compared to the baseless hallucinations of book 2, when a before stable person suddenly got mad over the possession, the dreams in this issue help connect the memories of possessed lawyer Becker with the powers of the possessing item. They also help us as readers in experiencing the downward spiral of his psychosis. So it's a good element, driving us deeper into the minds of the poor inhabitants of Blackstone.
Book 4 was the first issue that ended on a cliffhanger, and expectantly the narrative puts right up, and a big part of the story is spent on the overarching mystery.
Time for the big conclusion now.
March 17, 2024
The fifth book to this haunting story. Who is delivering the packages to these people? I’m beginning to see a connection to the gifts people are getting. I’m jot sure who the person is yet.
Why did he choose to put the stereoscope in the antique dresser? Why does he have Rebecca hidden in the asylum? What happened to Oliver’s twin? How does he play a role in it?
Why did he choose to put the stereoscope in the antique dresser? Why does he have Rebecca hidden in the asylum? What happened to Oliver’s twin? How does he play a role in it?
April 22, 2020
!!!!!!!
June 22, 2020
Each book in the series get better and better.
September 3, 2020
In this story the characters did not even as it coming, unless of course you want to live life afraid of your dreams.
Read
October 23, 2020spooky
February 16, 2021
A little too many stories going at once, but it still managed to work. Excited to read the final book!
July 16, 2021
We'll see, but I'm losing hope.
November 5, 2021
A good one. Starting the last one now…
September 21, 2022
Best of this mini series yet. I flew through this book. The story was a much easier read and much more interesting than the rest. I'm looking forward to the conclusion and how this all ties together.
June 23, 2025
I'm just itching to finish the series. I'm finding that most events are unexpected and suspenseful - I'm really enjoying these.
February 6, 2023
Reread.
After the tragedy that killed Germaine Wagner and left her mother Clara incapable of speech, the town is even more convinced that there is a curse on Blackstone. Rebecca has been kidnapped by the dark figure and hidden deep inside the Asylum. No one knows what has happened to her and while half the town believes she is responsible for the what happened to the Wagners, the other half believes that something terrible has transpired.
Oliver is still having terrible headaches, which he assumes are repressed memories trying to fight their way to the surface. He's worried sick about Rebecca. Oliver knows that everything leads back to the Asylum and something that happened when he was a child, it's up to him to remember. He just doesn't know how.
Meanwhile an antique stereoscope has found it's way into the home of Ed Becker, a former criminal attorney, who gave up that lifestyle to return to Blackstone as a simple civil lawyer. After staring into the stereoscope, Ed begins having nightmares of cases past. Cases that he shouldn't have won. Cases that set the worst kinds of people free. Then his dreams begin coming true. Before long, the Beckers are another family left broken by the curse of the asylum.
After the tragedy that killed Germaine Wagner and left her mother Clara incapable of speech, the town is even more convinced that there is a curse on Blackstone. Rebecca has been kidnapped by the dark figure and hidden deep inside the Asylum. No one knows what has happened to her and while half the town believes she is responsible for the what happened to the Wagners, the other half believes that something terrible has transpired.
Oliver is still having terrible headaches, which he assumes are repressed memories trying to fight their way to the surface. He's worried sick about Rebecca. Oliver knows that everything leads back to the Asylum and something that happened when he was a child, it's up to him to remember. He just doesn't know how.
Meanwhile an antique stereoscope has found it's way into the home of Ed Becker, a former criminal attorney, who gave up that lifestyle to return to Blackstone as a simple civil lawyer. After staring into the stereoscope, Ed begins having nightmares of cases past. Cases that he shouldn't have won. Cases that set the worst kinds of people free. Then his dreams begin coming true. Before long, the Beckers are another family left broken by the curse of the asylum.
September 15, 2014
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It had earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
October 13, 2024
3.5 Stars
The backstory of The Stereoscope is pretty good. This also goes more into the horror of the asylum whenever it was in practice, what some of the doctors as well as the staff would do as “cures” for some of the problematic patients residing there, and it's just about what you would expect when you think of old asylums. However, some of the characters display uncharacteristic behaviors in comparison to their initial personalities, which is disappointing. But the story does pick up halfway through despite the sluggish beginning. The torture that the lawyer, Ed Becker, goes through with The Stereoscope is way more complex than the previous objects, and I enjoyed that very much. It's creepy cool...
The backstory of The Stereoscope is pretty good. This also goes more into the horror of the asylum whenever it was in practice, what some of the doctors as well as the staff would do as “cures” for some of the problematic patients residing there, and it's just about what you would expect when you think of old asylums. However, some of the characters display uncharacteristic behaviors in comparison to their initial personalities, which is disappointing. But the story does pick up halfway through despite the sluggish beginning. The torture that the lawyer, Ed Becker, goes through with The Stereoscope is way more complex than the previous objects, and I enjoyed that very much. It's creepy cool...
September 21, 2014
If you thought the patients in the other books were bad off, wait until you meet Paul. He is perhaps the first victim of the asylum who is not wholly innocent, and if you've played the video game which follows the events of these books, you know just how Paul ended up, too. It's not pretty.
Ed's visions are truly spinetingling and watching a good man combat the curse left my heart in my throat the entire time. It's not my absolute favorite of the series, but a great read regardless, and I was absolutely salivating at the thought of seeing how it all ends in the next one.
Ed's visions are truly spinetingling and watching a good man combat the curse left my heart in my throat the entire time. It's not my absolute favorite of the series, but a great read regardless, and I was absolutely salivating at the thought of seeing how it all ends in the next one.
February 22, 2018
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
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
June 12, 2008
Ed Becker brings a fine antique dresser home from the old Asylum, a restoration project, an investment. His daughter Amy discovers an old stereoscope with a set of old pictures hidden inside one of the dresser drawers. The pictures, oddly enough, are of his own home, only with different furniture, his grandmother's house perhaps? Ed has prophetic nightmares, vivid, horrible memories brought to life. He tells his wife Bonnie about it, but she tries, unsuccessfully, to convince him otherwise.
February 19, 2016
Only gave this story 1 star. Just wasn't a good part of the series to me. Book 5 of 6 to the Blackstone Chronicles Approximately 83 pages. I will be glad to finish this series. Huge John Saul fan but ready to change it up a bit. Hopefully Gonna enjoy getting into a whole different genre and read Beverly Lewis next. Amish stories!
January 27, 2016
The story of this one is reaching and slightly silly, but it's one of the more depressing side tales. More about the asylum and main story comes into play, which makes sense since the next serial story is the final. Characters are still little thin, but Oliver is likeable enough for the most part.
February 14, 2009
good book-great series can't wait for the next one
May 22, 2011
So I'm assuming that the stereoscope is an old-fashioned view finder? Of all the objects, it seems the least impressive
July 28, 2011
I READ A REVIEW THAT said this book cleared up a lot of mysteries. thats funny becuse after readng it i'm left with more questionss than i had before.
November 25, 2013
Still don't know 'who-dunnit'
March 24, 2014
After this book, I'm pretty sure I've solved the mystery of who and why, but I'm still not sure about how. Off to read book six and find out how close to or far away from the truth I really am.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews