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Following the precedent set by Stephen King with his serial novel THE GREEN MILE,
horror author John Saul has composed his own entry in the field, which started in
January,1997 and continued until June, 1997. But this novel is a much more terrifying,
page-turning story than THE GREEN MILE.
Part I -- An Eye for an Eye: The Doll
Part II -- Twist of Fate: The Locket
Part III -- Ashes to Ashes: The Dragon's Flame
Part IV -- In the Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief
Part V -- Day of Reckoning: The Stereoscope
Part VI -- Asylum
Part I
An Eye For An Eye: The Doll
The story opens in the quiet town of Blackstone, New Hampshire. We are introduced to
Oliver Metcalf, the character that ties all the others together, and who still lives on
the property of the old Blackstone Asylum, perched on the town's highest hill. We also
meet the dark figure who slips into the vacant building at night to select and deliver
"presents."
The Asylum, built in the 1890's, has been vacant for decades, and a new re-development
project is planned to tear down all but the facade and build a shopping mall. Following
the ceremonial strike of the wrecking ball, things begin to go wrong.
The financing for the project is held up, and Bill McGuire, the contractor handling the
project, must scramble for income with a new baby about to be born. The same day, a
strange package arrives on his doorstep, with only the name McGuire and no return address.
Inside the box is a beautiful, antique doll that immediately attracts the attention of
Bill's wife Elizabeth and their young daughter Megan. The doll drives a wedge between
mother and daughter that ultimately ends in tragedy. What evil power does the doll have?
And what else is in store for the citizens of Blackstone?
Part II
Twist Of Fate: The Locket
The Hartwick family is introduced in Part 2. Jules Hartwick, President of the Blackstone
Bank, is under the scrutiny of a Federal Reserve audit that threatens to close down The
Blackstone Center project. But on this night, he puts his worries behind him. Tonight is
the engagement party for his beloved daughter Celeste and Andrew Sterling, a promising
manager at the bank. His wife Madeline has prepared a lovely celebration, and loving looks
pass between her and her husband of twenty-five years throughout the party.
But the dark figure has returned --- and left a gaily wrapped box on the front seat of
Madeline's car. Jules, not Madeline, finds the box and unwraps it. Inside is a silver
locket with a lock of hair inside. The minute he holds the locket in his hand, he begins
to suspect his wife of having an affair. An affair with his future son-in-law. Paranoia
strikes him to the core, and he begins to behave strangely. His friends and family are
worried, but he will speak to no one. They are all against him.
The night following the engagement party, madness and tragedy strike the Hartwick
household. What does the locket, constantly clutched in Jules' hand, have to do with his
state of mind? Who will be the next person to die?
Part III
Ashes to Ashes: The Dragon's Flame
Rebecca Morrison is the sweet but mentally slow (due to an accident twelve years earlier)
niece of Martha Ward. She works in the Library and is cowed by her religiously fanatical
aunt. But on the first day of the Blackstone Flea Market, she accompanies Oliver Metcalf
to the old drive-in to find a gift for Martha's daughter, who is returning to Blackstone.
On a table with damaged antiques she finds a beautiful cigarette lighter in the shape of a
dragon's head, with red glass eyes and a flame that shoots from it's mouth. Because her
cousin smokes, she's sure it's the perfect gift and purchases it.
Andrea Ward, Rebecca's cousin, arrives at her mother's home after a long trip from Boston.
She has told her lover that that she's pregnant, and has, in short order, lost her man,
her apartment, her job and her savings. With nowhere else to go, she has returned to
Blackstone --- and the home she couldn't wait to leave when she turned eighteen. At first
she is not overly enthusiastic about Rebecca's gift, but once she holds it and lights it a
few times, she thinks it's perfect. Little does she know that it's perfectly deadly.
After a trip to Boston to "take care of things," Rebecca returns to be berated
by her mother and find out how deadly the dragon can be. Martha Ward later finds the
lighter and remembers another time and a similar situation where the dragon was involved.
Her fanaticism escalates to the point where she will bring things full circle in her
family. After all, she was the one who purchased it originally and gave the gift to her
sister. But what penance does the dragon require? And what's the next
"gift" from the dark figure?
Part IV
In the Shadow of Evil: The Handkerchief
After the death of her aunt, Rebecca Morrison is taken in by her employer at the Library.
Germaine Wagner and her mother Clara have found a way to be waited on. Rebecca would never
complain and thus becomes a "slave" to the two women.
Oliver Metcalf, who is falling in love with Rebecca, spends a day searching his attic for
old records concerning the Asylum --- where his father was once in charge. As he digs
through the dusty boxes, he discovers a handkerchief with the initial "R"
embroidered on it. As soon as he finds it, he knows he must give it to
Rebecca.
Germaine Wagner immediately demands the handkerchief as a gift for her mother. Reluctantly
Rebecca hands over her present to Clara who will eventually remember a disturbing fact
about the handkerchief's origins. But will it be too late?
That evening, disaster strikes Blackstone again. Germaine begins to have visions ---
hundreds of snakes writhing at the foot of the stairs. As Germaine crawls down the stairs
screaming in terror, Martha begins her descent to the foyer in the old elevator. When
Rebecca, stuck in the attic, finally hears the screams, she runs to the first floor only
to discover disaster. Flying out into the fog looking for help, she feels someone come up
behind her. What will the residents of Blackstone find in the morning? And where is
Rebecca? Has the "dark figure" struck yet again?
Part V
Day of Reckoning: the Stereoscope
On a trip through the Asylum with contractor Bill McGuire and banker Melissa Holloway,
attorney Ed Becker discovers a carved antique dresser in the attic. He decides to buy it
and restore it. He marks the dresser "Property of Ed Becker" before leaving.
But the "dark figure" is once again on the prowl --- choosing a most unusual
item from the secret room, the figure hides it in the dresser.
When the dresser is delivered to his home, Ed and his daughter find a Stereoscope and 3D
pictures in one of the drawers. Looking through the antique viewer, his daughter Amy makes
a makes a startling discovery --- the picture is of her room! The furnishings are
different, but the room is the same. As Ed goes through the rest of the pictures, he
recognizes their home --- only with Victorian furnishings.
Ed remembers his great-uncle had been comitted to the Asylum once. Suddenly he is plagued
by nightmares --- about the murderers he managed to get off without punishment in his
career as a criminal attorney.
Oliver Metcalf is also having nightmares. Reading the files from the Asylum, he is finding
out about the torture of patients at his father's orders --- all in the name of research.
Oliver's dreams are haunted by the screams and moans of the patients his father
"experimented" on.
Ed Becker's nightmares grow worse. Every time he sleeps, he sees the faces of the innocent
victims whose murderer's crimes went unpunished. Caught in the throws of yet another
dream, Ed stumbles to the head of the stairs and falls to the bottom, breaking his neck.
His wife finds him in a heap at the foot of the stairs, barely alive.
Again the "dark figure" has brought tragedy to a Blackstone household. Why is
there a black cloud on Blackstone? What is the reason why these particular people receive
these deadly "gifts?" Who is this "dark figure" that slips through the
night, bringing pain and grief to so many families?
Part VI
Asylum
For one last time the "dark figure" leaves a gift on someone's doorstep. This
time it's for Harvey Connally ---- the grandson of Charles Connally, whose mansion was
turned into the Asylum. One day, Harvey, one of the oldest residents of Blackstone, gets a
package in which he finds an old razor case. He knows he recognizes it but doesn't know
where. Until he finds the straight razor with the initials "MM" with dried rusty
stains --- blood stains --- on the blade. It belonged to his brother-in-law, Malcom
Metcalf. Are the blood stains still there from the murder of his niece Mallory?
Rebecca Morrison, who has been held prisoner since the night she disappeared, awakens from
yet another fevered dream just as she senses the presence of "The Tormentor" ---
the one who occasionally rips the tape from her mouth to give her food or drink. But this
time is different. The Tormentor picks her up and carries her out of the dark, cold place
where she's been trapped. The Tormentor places her in another cold place and she hears
water begin to run slowly --- soon she realizes she's in a bathtub with cold water slowly
filling it, creeping up her body.
As Harvey begins to piece the puzzle together, he calls to Oliver to tell him the secret
of the razor her holds. He is struck with a terrible pain in his chest and manages only to
tell him that the case should be destroyed. His dying words to his nephew are "I
never believed what your father said, Oliver. Never! Remember that."
What did Harvey mean by that? Oliver doesn't know. He was tempted to do exactly as his
uncle said, destroy the box without looking inside. But Oliver knows he has to look inside
the box before he gets rid of it. He feels himself being pulled to the Asylum --- a place
he usually avoids. But this time is different. This time he can open the door, look
around, and remember being there as a child, before his father died.
Of course it wouldn't be fair to reveal the much-awaited conclusion of the series here,
especially after so many people have spent the last six months anxiously reading about the
residents of Blackstone. All I can say is --- expect the unexpected. Although you might
not guess the secret of Blackstone, you will understand why John Saul says in his
afterward that although this particular episode has ended --- the town and residents of
Blackstone, New Hampshire might just show up again sometime.
I found this a very interesting and enjoyable form of the "Serial Novel." It
reads more like several novellas, with a beginning, middle and end to each part, although
the story revolves around a central theme and builds to a climax which had people running
all over to find the last book in the series. Although this is not your typical John Saul
novel, I found it to be a refreshing change. I highly recommend THE BLACKSTONE CHRONICLES
as a fast, interesting and ultimately surprising read.
--- Reviewed by BookpgMarL
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