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- Sci-fi & fantasy - |
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Nightshade |
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 Nightshade byJohn Saul Ballantine Books 378 pages, 2000 ISBN 0345433297 Reviewed by Phillip Tomasso III Read our interview with bestselling author John Saul John Saul’s latest novel Nightshade is nothing short of gut wrenching. This twisted story is full of suspense, complete with a chilling and unpredictable story line. When Joan Hapgood’s senile mother accidentally sets fire to her home, where else can she stay but with her daughter? Joan’s husband Bill is against the idea. His mother-in-law was physically abusive to Joan while Joan was growing up - and now that she is an elderly woman, she is verbally abusive to both Joan and Joan’s son, Matthew Moore. Having no other choice, Joan moves her mother in to the Hapgood home and Bill moves out. Matt’s aunt Cynthia died a mysterious death before he’d ever met her. Now however, the Hapgood home seems to be haunted by her spirit. Matt can tell she’s around when she sneaks into his room and into his bed at night, because the first thing he senses is the smell of her perfume - the scent of Nightshade. Even though Matt is not Bill’s real son, there is no way he is going to miss Matt’s sixteenth birthday. It’s a Hapgood tradition to go hunting on this special occasion. The monumental outing turns tragic when Matt aims to shoot a deer, but winds up killing his stepfather. Nightshade shows John Saul’s masterful, twisted and creative mind. Certain to unleash a fury of emotions in every reader, the evil is evident and plain to see as the story quickly unfolds and the mystery behind the hidden secrets build. True to Saul standards, Nightshade is engrossing, exciting, enjoyable and haunting. |
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