John Saul Collection 1: Punish the Sinners, Cry for the Strangers, and Comes the Blind Fury

by John Saul

Punish the Sinners (Narrator: David Daoust, Director: Laura Grafton, Engineer: Matthew Christilaw): Italy, 1252 Inquisition. Accusation. Fear. Torture. The guilty and the innocent dying for sins real and imagined, in the flames of the burning stake... Neilsville, 1978 Peter Balsam has come to this sleepy desert town to teach its youth, and finds a mystery of mounting horror. In bloodlet and terror a suicide contagion has swept the town...while a dark order of its holy men enacts a secret medieval ritual.

Cry for the Strangers (Narrator: Mel Foster, Director: Laura Grafton, Engineer: Mikael Naramore): Clark's Harbor was the perfect coastal haven, jealously guarded against outsiders. But now strangers have come to settle there. And a small boy is suddenly free of a frenzy that had gripped him since birth... His sister is haunted by fearful visions... And one by one, in violent, mysterious ways the strangers are dying. Has a dark bargain been struck between the people of Clark's Harbor and some supernatural force? Or is it the sea itself calling out for human sacrifice?

Comes the Blind Fury (Narrator: Tanya Eby, Director: Joyce Bean, Engineer: Mike Council): A century ago, a gentle blind girl walked the cliffs of Paradise Point. Then the children came - taunting, teasing - until she lost her footing and fell, shrieking her rage to the drowning sea... Now Michelle has come from Boston to live in the big house on Paradise Point. She is excited about her new life...until a hand reaches out of the swirling mists - the hand of a blind child. She is asking for friendship...seeking revenge...whispering her name...

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

John 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.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In recollection MANY years later, the main thing that stuck with me is Good loses, Evil wins. I mostly liked the stories but found the endings to be pretty dismal. I especially liked Cry for the Strangers, with the Storm Dancers, except the end was too grim.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great grouping of stories. They don't go together, each one is a separate story. It's just really nice to only by 1 book that has 3 stories in it. If you enjoy suspense you'll enjoy John Saul. He runs along the same as Stephen King and Dean Koontz.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading all 3 audiobooks in the 3 book collection on 7/15/2007. I think the 2nd book is the best, Cry for the Strangers. I gave it my own rating of 8 out of 10.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to these on tape because Eddie had them. They aren't the kind of books I normally read(horror), but they kept my interest. I didn't like Punish the Sinners.