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Three Terrifying Bestselling Novels: Suffer the Children/Punish the Sinners/Cry for the Strangers
John Saul: Three Terrifying Bestselling Novels: Suffer the Children; Punish the Sinners; Cry for the Strangers
678 pages, Hardcover
First published November 20, 1996
7 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
About the author
John Saul
150 books2,850 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.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 21, 2023
Excellent
Read
May 4, 2021Love anything John Saul
October 18, 2022
Suffer the Children - 3/5
Punish the Sinners - 4/5
Cry for the Stangers - 4/5
TOTAL - 3.6/5
ROUNDED UP - 4/5
StC had an intriguing premise and transgressive, disturbing elements but the execution was a bit repetitive.
PtS was a step up. It still suffered the repetitive aspects seen in StC but it had more depth than expected and I found it a bit more suspenseful.
CftS was also intriguing and had better pacing. There was just too many characters to keep up with at times and the ending felt abrupt.
Punish the Sinners - 4/5
Cry for the Stangers - 4/5
TOTAL - 3.6/5
ROUNDED UP - 4/5
StC had an intriguing premise and transgressive, disturbing elements but the execution was a bit repetitive.
PtS was a step up. It still suffered the repetitive aspects seen in StC but it had more depth than expected and I found it a bit more suspenseful.
CftS was also intriguing and had better pacing. There was just too many characters to keep up with at times and the ending felt abrupt.
August 13, 2020
three books in one: rated separately
1.) Suffer the Children: 3 stars
2.) Punish the Sinners: 4 stars
3. Cry for the Strangers: 3 stars
1.) Suffer the Children: 3 stars
2.) Punish the Sinners: 4 stars
3. Cry for the Strangers: 3 stars
May 31, 2025
Three very good 'creepy' stories, enjoyed them all.
January 21, 2017
Theses were good scary reads, this set is quite the bargain.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews