COMES THE BLIND FURY

Horror author John Saul stumbles badly in this simplistic by-the-numbers novel, which has been done before with better success. An ideal family moves to a small town. Of course, there's a secret about the town that begins to manifest itself in one of the children. After Michelle is seriously injured in an accident, she begins to receive visits from another child who suffered a similar accident a hundred years earlier. While anyone who reads horror stories will be able to predict the ensuing dialogue, the author's word choice in the narrative is often baffling; one can appreciate why words like "torpor" and "hubbub" have faded from general usage. This is one of Saul's earlier efforts; thankfully, his work has improved. Tanya Eby gives the text a fighting chance by infusing her characters with distinctive voices and just the right amount of emotion, but she can't save this lame tale. J.L.C.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]