The Devil's Labyrinth

by John Saul

For more than three decades, bestselling novelist John Saul has been summoning macabre masterpieces from the darkest realms of his imagination. With each new book, his instinct for playing upon our deepest dread has grown only stronger and more sinister. He?s never been afraid to push the boundaries of suspense and confront us with what frightens us most.

After his father?s untimely death sends fifteen-year-old Ryan McIntyre into an emotional tailspin, his mother enrolls him in St. Isaac?s Catholic boarding school, hoping the venerable institution with a reputation for transforming wayward teens can work its magic on her son. But troubles are not unknown even at St. Isaac, where Ryan arrives to find the school awash in news of one student?s violent death, another?s mysterious disappearance, and growing incidents of disturbing behavior within the hallowed halls.

Things begin to change when Father Sebastian joins the faculty. Armed with unprecedented knowledge and uncanny skills acquired through years of secret study, the young priest has been dispatched on an extraordinary and controversial mission: to prove the power of one of the Church?s most arcane sacred rituals, exorcism. Willing or not, St. Isaac?s most troubled students will be pawns in Father Sebastian?s one-man war against evil?a war so surprisingly effective that the pope himself takes notice of the seemingly miraculous events unfolding an ocean away.

But Ryan, drawn ever more deeply into Father Sebastian?s ministrations, sees?and knows?otherwise. As he witnesses with mounting dread the transformations of his fellow pupils, his certainty grows that forces of darkness, not divinity, are at work. Evil is not being cast out . . . something else is being called forth. Something that hasn?t stirred since the Inquisition?s reign of terror. Something nurtured through the ages to do its vengeful masters? unholy bidding. Something whose hour has finally come to bring hell unto earth.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Paranormal, Adult

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

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

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a captivating story that never quite comes together, and then kind of fizzles with an unsatisfactory conclusion. It's set at a private Catholic school with -Evil!- in the basement, and there's a group of rabid Islamic terrorists out to make mischief, and it thereby manages to offend both groups with silly ethnic stereotypes in the same tale. It's a well-paced story, and Ryan's story is quite interesting. The novel has lots of flash and glitz with no real substance, but it was fun to hear. I listened to the audio which was competently performed by Jim Bond.

[Scott Benjamin · Rating 1 out of 5]

John Saul is a bit of a tush.

This book was god-awful. It provided a whole lot of background and build up, leading to a completely incomprehensible and a simply poor ending.

It reminds me of the time my high school girlfriend wanted to "save herself" for Prom night - and then, that night, she left early because her best friend needed consoling for some reason.

A whole lot of waiting and patience and anticipation - and I was just left unsatisfied.

[Delanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

So there I was in Ely, at the only grocery store in town, and I'd forgotten to bring any books with me (unpardonable sin, I know, but that's what happens when you're functioning on 5 hours' sleep because you were up late the night before baking for your mom's Summer Sweet And Savory Fest). It was down to this or "The Millionaire's Inexperienced Love Slave."

I made the wrong choice.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like a plethora of the other readers, I found the ending of this book completely unsatisfying, and was additionally dissatisfied by Saul's attempt to ride the tide of generalizations about Muslims. I currently live in a predominately Muslim nation where it's the Christians who hate us; playing up the fundamentalist actions of a few individuals doesn't help anyone.

Saul's works have always been sort of a guilty pleasure for me, along with the works of the (now deceased and incorporated) VC Andrews, and I don't expect great literature when I buy one of his paperbacks. That said, this was just a completely unsatisfying book, especially the ending.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably haven't read John Saul in over 30 years and after finishing this I see why!! His gore makes Stephen King sound like Mother Goose!! The only saving grace of this book was that it led me to reading more about the Spanish Inquistion.

[joyce g · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out really scary.

[Patrice Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was gripping from the beginning. John Saul really knows how to write page turners. I don't remember there being any dull moments in this book. Just a lot of unanswered questions. The book is about a boy, Ryan, who agrees to go to a Catholic school for problem-kids. At this school, the Father Sebastian is an expert in a sacred old... something something something... of being able to conjure the bad and evil spirits from the children. Instead of using exorcisms the good ol' fashioned way, Father Sebastian is doing it some other way. Of what other way I do not know because this book has a lot of holes.

Although I appreciated how nail-biting this story was and it was told full throttle, I'm left feeling there are things missing. If this school is for trouble kids, why don't they appear to be anything but normal, goal-oriented teens? What is the purpose or origin of this ancient "magic" Father Sebastian is using? Why aren't any of the other faculty wondering what's going on? And what really happened in the end?

I had a lot of questions and few answers but I still enjoyed the story. One has to admit anything involving exorcisms is inherently creepy. I would love to read more of his books. So far I have read two and they were both really good. Can't wait to read the ones on my shelf at home.

[Zach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Big buildup--then does not explain!

Also the book has the added bonus of being offensive to Catholics and Muslims at the same time.

The book did not have strong characters--and many parts of it were predictable (thankfully--the author moved quickly once the reader knows what is going to happen and does not belabor it). The characters were also unengaging and one dimensional. All of this could have been forgiven, and I kept reading (or rather listening) as I the author kept the story moving with multiple view points and some parts were generally creeping--and made one wonder what is going on?--and then SPOILER ALERT--he does not explain a major part of the story--the predictable part, the ending the reader can see coming like the Acela that he explains--but the really weird, creepy stuff he does not explain, he barely hints at it. I am sure the author would say "oh it's up to the reader"..which would be okay, if he gave us something to go on, especially as what one might think is largely ruled out by the final reveal of the story.

[Justin Newman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first John Saul book I’ve read in probably 15 years, and I found it rather enjoyable. This one had a good dose of suspense and gore, with characters that I actually cared about. The ending may have been a little rushed, but I didn’t really mind that. It was sufficient. Over all, I’m pleased. Good effort.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out really strong but such a poor ending. I am a big fan of his work but this was disappointing.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spania 1975
Băiatul mai mare își lăsă ușor mâna pe umărul celui mai mic.
— Gata, Paquito?
Cel mic își înghiți lacrimile și clătină din cap, hotărât să nu-și lase fratele să vadă cât era de trist. Evitând privirea fratelui său, își ținu ochii plecați asupra cutiei de carton din mâini, pe care o strângea atât de tare încât marginile începeau deja să cedeze.
— Bine. Să mergem.
Băiatul mai mare era înarmat cu o lopată ruginită, luată din vechiul șopron de unelte din spatele a ceea ce pe vremuri fusese un grajd, dar care acum devenise un mic apartament pe care părinții lui îl închiriau turiștilor americanos care veneau în vacanță. O luă înainte prin curtea cu iarbă netunsă, către un loc aflat între trei palmieri care încă nu fuseseră sufocați de buruienile ce păreau să crească mai rapid decât puteau cei doi frați să smulgă.
— Aici, bine?
Băiatul mai mic scrută locul cu atenție, după care privirea i se fixă asupra grotei mici aproape invizibile în umbra adâncă a celui mai îndepărtat colț al curții.
— Nu, ripostă el, cu voce moale, dar sigură. Acolo. Lângă Fecioara Binecuvântată.
Fratele mai mare oftă, dar porni către statuia înaltă a Sfintei Marii. Aruncând o privire înapoi spre casă, o văzu pe mama lor stând în pragul ușii, cu părul prins în vârful capului cu o pânză roșie și cu o cârpă de șters în mână. O clipă avu impresia că avea să-i strige, însă ea se mulțumi să ridice din umeri și se întoarse la treaba ei înainte chiar ca el să ridice prima lopată cu pământ.
— Bine, rosti el. Fecioara va avea grijă de Pepe.
— Crezi că ar fi trebuit să fac un sudario? întrebă fratele mai mic, cu o voce brusc nervoasă.
— Ai nevoie de giulgiu doar pentru o persoană, îi răspunse fratele lui.
Părând să nu-l audă, băiatul mai mic deschise cutia și se uită înăuntru, la silueta mare și lipsită de viață a iguanei care fusese animalul lui favorit mai bine de trei ani. Practic, de când se știa.
Degetul îi tremura în vreme ce mângâia piciorul șopârlei, dar acum, că Pepe murise, pielea netedă se simțea cu totul altfel la pipăit decât cu doar o zi înainte.
Se simțea… mort.

[Ildiko Szendrei · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un thriller horror soft. Un fel de dark academia. Așa aș cataloga pe scurt povestea. Te ține acolo, acțiunea curge rapid, nu te pierzi în descrieri. Dar parcă aveam nevoie de ceva mai dur și, având în vedere că e considerată o carte horror, am zis că e cu noroc. Nu e rea, dar în niciun caz nu e dură. Adică nu mi-e frică să stau în întuneric acum, după ce am terminat-o. 😁

[Athena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book. The two brothers burying a pet lizard and finding a box was a great beginning, and then the story continues in present day. Ryan McIntyre is attacked by deliquent school mates at Dickinson's, and transferred to St. Isaac's at the suggestion of his mother's boyfriend Tom Kelly. It is known from the beginning that Tom Kelly and Father Sebastian Sloane are friends. Ryan fits in at St. Isaac's but things keep getting more bizarre after Ryan finds out that the previous student who occupied his room, Kip Adamson, was murdered while killing a woman. Ryan feels immediate concern and alarm due to other things he hears about the school's history. Once Farrooq and Abdul are introduced, though, the plot becomes boring and very predictable. I've read a few novels by John Saul previously, but this book seemed like he had rushed to get through it or couldn't choose which storyline to focus on. Major potential with the storyline but somewhere it fizzled.

[Jason Jerus · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got hooked with the development of each characters, intricacies of their individual circumstances, and how they became intertwined to build the bigger story. However, I'm just as frustrated finding that I only have 20 pages left to include the climax and the explanation (or the lack of it) behind the plot. John Saul built the momentum, only to lose it's edge in the end due to lack of depth in bringing his story to conclusion. Unforgiveable. He's outta my list.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books that starts out great. It was creepy but quite intriguing. Then the plot took a twist that I found offensive and I continued reading, saying 'seriously?' the whole time. I am not going to say that I liked it. I would have loved it had the whole thing not devolved into a religious war. Nope. Sorry.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Ghost Stories or things about darker side of religion such as Satan's realm, you will like this book. It is a quick read and I found it entertaining enough to cut through the boredom of long layovers and airline flights. Of course you may have nightmares after reading it.

[Brian Bova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. My first John Saul book. A straight to the point reading with few things that seem to be far fetched as there sometimes is in fiction novels. A++++

[Larisa-Oana · Rating 4 out of 5]

M-a intrigat mult cum a început cartea asta, cu doi băieței care au găsit o cutie în pământ din care părea să lipsească o parte în formă de crucifix. Mi-ar fi plăcut ca apoi, când acțiunea era plasată ani mai târziu, în timpurile noastre, să fie puțin mai bine conturată și această parte a poveștii, legătură dintre prezent și trecut, cum s-a ajuns în punctul ăsta. Mi s-a părut destul de vag tratată partea asta.

În zilele noastre, îl urmărim pe Ryan, un copil bun, plăpând, care după moartea tatălui și o bătaie de la o gașcă din școala publică, ajunge să învețe la St. Isaac, un loc unde credința se presupune că este mai presus de orice.

Dar și aici dă peste o situație destul de ciudata: a luat locul unui băiat omorât de polițiști în timp ce el omora pe cineva, iar un alt elev a dispărut și nu se mai știe nimic de el.

Unul dintre profesori, părintele Sebastian, face "experimente", ale căror victime sunt, din păcate, copiii. Alții, poate prea entuziasmați, poate prea obosiți, încep să creadă că biserica se bucura, după ani, de un triumf: au găsit ceva despre care se vorbea, dar în care aproape ca nu credeau: vechiul ritual al Incantarii, prin care este scos la iveala și domolit demonul oricărei persoane.

De aici pana la ce au pățit unii copii, pana la punctul culminant... Se întâmplă multe. Evenimente care la lumina nopții, când citeam, mi-au părut tare înfricoșătoare și mi-au dat fiori.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

You knew you were going to hear this part from me........
Though, you all KNOW i LOOOOVVVVVE me some Mr. John Saul, i still stay with my outcome of this one. It is just NOT that scary or as great as is other books, but that don't make it a book and author that you can turn Negative on.....well it is if you want to waste your energy! lol.

Did you understand that EVEN IMO, this was just not that good of a Saul thriller. The endind did suck really bad, however it is still a horror novel from an author I LOVE!!!!

Could recommend this to someone who was leary about getting into Satanic/cults tylpe of Horror, this could be a book, this would be perfect.

I gave this book a 3.75 out of 5 🩸🩸🩸👻

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pentru inceput, trebuie sa recunosc ca nu prea mi-a placut si finalul m-a lasat cam in aer.
Povestea a inceput promitator, ma asteptam la un horror foarte puternic dar din pacate nu a fost sa fie. Un lucru care mi-a placut a fost modul in care a conturat personajele.
In opinia mea cartea e putin grabita iar finalul te lasa in pom.
Mai mult nu stiu ce sa spun despre carte, ma asteptam la ceva mai mult deoarece pe coperta sta scris
Maestrul genului horror.

[Julie Abu Hassan Vogeler · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never have I ever given a book such low ratings but this one deserves it in my humble opinion..there was no satisfactory ending and the overall tone of the book is offensive to Muslims and Catholics!! I read most of John Saul’s books and I’ve given them high ratings but this one is just the worst I’ve ever read by this author..

[Sandie · Rating 3 out of 5]

.

[Charles David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent book that takes two settings and eventually merges them together. You go from narrative from one setting to the other and back before they flow together. Ending was a little dull, but last climax point was good. Overall good read.

[Hazel · Rating 2 out of 5]

40% Good

What I thought of the Devil's Labyrinth: The beginning of this book was really quite hooking and had me captured for the first 150 pages or so. But then I just lost interest. So it is a DNF.

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up without a father is tough enough but when sixteen year old Ryan McIntyre decides to do the right thing by acting like a man and standing up for himself he gets punished for it. Refusing to let a bully cheat of his test gets him beaten up so badly that his bleeding body feels terror at the thought of going back. His loving mother Teri reluctantly listens to her boyfriend Tom's advice about transferring Ryan to St. Isaac's Preparatory Academy,a Catholic school located in a grand structure with its own catacombs and dark labyrinths and with Tom's help secures a spot for her son. Ryan is a little distraught at the thought that the main reason why there was an opening is the mysterious and questionable death of the student whose bed he will sleep in, but he cannot go back to his old life and the bullies. Structure and rules should be his guiding light, uniforms and nuns, confessions and prayer his daily grind, but what Ryan doesn't know is that nothing is as it seems. Something rotten is trapped in the labyrinths and it's salivating at the thought of getting out. When the most popular young priest, Father Sebastian takes him under his wing, his life turns to worse, his friends start changing or disappearing and scrams and noises can be heard late at night. Ryan knows that something isn't right, the late night confessions and getting locked up in a secret chapel with a scary and angry looking Christ on the cross seem to affect those who come near it and pretty soon Ryan gets engulfed in it all.

Priests at the school are keen on practicing the long-lost rite to invoke the primitive evil from a possessed person, picking students who are haunted by evil and trying to get it out of them. It's important to the priests there to cleanse those who are bad since the school is known for taking in troubled youths. As their exorcism continue it seems that things are turning for the worse and not better, the students aren't really cleansed but instead they seem to become possessed even if they were fine before. Something or someone is taking advantage of the priests and their gullible enthusiasm for riding the world of evil, as they start to meddle with things that are bad and worst of all, real. Add to the mix their worried parents, Ryan's suspiciousness of his mother's suddenly overfriendly boyfriend who simply couldn't wait to get him out of the house and an Islamic group trying to target the visiting pope who decides to come and see these exorcisms take place.

The book is a very fast read; it sucks you in and is very hard to put down. Half way through things start to turn ugly and the evil comes to the light a little more in a very well and descriptively written manner - my stomach was doing the flips at few parts as it dawned on me that one of the priests had the best intensions in his mind but failed greatly to see what he was dealing with. His perception of evil was way of the base here, if he really knew what was going on he would have changed careers.

Overall the book was exciting but some things were not explained; why certain people acted in specific manner and what drove them to it and why, what the silver cross from Ryan's father really was, and I wish there was more written about the catacombs and the labyrinth under the school, I felt like it contributed to the title more than to the story. As I was nearing the end, about 380 pages in I knew I had about 24 pages left and the whole book was still wide open, awaiting conclusion which took up about two pages. All this high pressure stuff happens, the trickery of the evil, changes in innocent children, false pretenses under which people acted, the deaths and the blood and gore and it took about 20 seconds of reading to get to the conclusion. I think it's a great way to kill a good book, people these days don't want to spend time reading a rich story to get a watered down ending. I liked how it ended but it was so lifeless that I was stunned, almost as if the author simply had enough of the book and wrapped a tiny bow at the end, finishing it all up. It felt as if all the action and cunning planning went out the window and everyone wanted to go home and forget about the pope and the exorcisms and the finale. I would have preferred a drawn out ending or a shorter story overall, so that's why the book rating had to suffer, otherwise it would have been a really good read from start to finish. Saul is a good author, I really love his books and will always read his stuff and I will recommend this book to people I know and like, but they will be warmed about the ultra quick ending to avoid overall disappointment.

- Kasia S.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

After Ryan McIntyre gets beaten up by thugs at the public HS, his mother transfers him to parochial school, St. Isaac's, hoping for a better social situation. What Ryan encounters there is far worse than bullying. In the bowels of his new school, his classmates are being terrorized literally out of their wits. For kindly young Father Sebastian has an agenda of his own....

With The Devil's Labyrinth, John Saul has written an overwrought travesty of a horror novel that stretches credulity to the breaking point. Some passages read like such atrocious melodrama that they're almost comical. Even in the more sensible sections, the dialogue is simplistic and hackneyed, with school personnel depicted as vindictive harpies and gullible dupes. There was one bright spot - Saul managed to stimulate my curiosity about the motives of the diabolical Father Sebastian. Alas, his motives were ludicrous.

Some of Saul's other work is marginally better than this one, but this is the last of his novels that I'll be reading.

[N M · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this is the first John Saul book I've ever read. From reading the reviews people said it was boring and left them unsatisfied, I completly disagree. This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I recommend this book to everyone who loves suspencful reads and the feeling of never wanting to put the book down.

Second, the people who say this book started off to scary, bogus. I am 12 years old and loved the book through and through. I have to say the detail in this book is awsome, in some parts. But I think that is what make a book interesting. Also, the people that say anything bad about the book I do not agree with. I do not want to disarm thoes people judgments, I just want anyone who wants to read the book to see my part of the story. I doubt anyone would read a review this long, but it was worth the shot. If you did read all the way through, thank you for listening to my opinion, and I hope you enjoy the book if you decide to read it.

[Geoff Battle · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 20 horror novels usually involving the supernatural and children, John Saul has managed not to rework old material, but write an engaging and contemporary tale for his fans. The Devil's Labyrinth refers to a tunnel complex under a Catholic boarding school, which is used as a short-cut and also for far more nefarious purposes. The story is full of malevolence and Saul captures the elements of ancient evil very well, crafting a plot which is quite unpredictable at times, twisting and turning until the very end. There are some glaring plot holes, and the novel will leave readers with some unanswered questions. Also don't expect reams of character development, or a volume full of originality, for the subjects in Labyrinth are common in horror fiction, yet Saul manages to keep it fresh and sustains your interest until the very end by adding elements not usually seen in the genre.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it 200 pages through this book before I admitted being awash in the dirty water of disappointment. This is essentially your standard "Catholic priests dallying with demons" book. The twist in this one seems to be that the priest (who is stuffing demons into schoolkids) is, I think, actually a Muslim in disguise. A Muslim in disguise as a Catholic priest, performing reverse-exorcisms on high-school kids to make them possessed by the devil. So he can make some kind of Army of Hades out of them. Seriously. Is he kidding me with this plot? I'm out like a trout on this one.

[Jason Jeffery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been a big fan of John Saul's but gave this one a chance. Up until around page 320, this book had me drawn in. Great story, good characters and creepy at times. Once the antagonists were revealed though, the book lost some of its luster for me. Overall, I'd recommend it for any John Saul fan or fan's of horror that are looking at a unique thriller with a religious backdrop.