The Blurb:

“A child cries out…in torment. In terror. From out of the past, from out of the mists, a terrible vengence is born.

Amanda: A century ago, a gentle blind girl walks the cliffs of Paradise Point. Then the children came, taunting, teasing – until she lost her footing, and fell, shrieking her rage down to the sea…

Michelle: Now Michelle has come from Boston to live in the big house  on Paradise Point. She is excited about her new life, ready to make new friends…until a hand reaches out from the swirling mists – the hand of a blind child. She is asking for friendship…seeking revenge…whispering her name…

(source: johnsaul.com)

What I thought:

I first read this book back in August 1986 (I remember it really clearly as my Grandparents had come over to look after me for a few days and I remember shutting myself away in my bedroom with a stack of John Saul novels and scaring myself silly). I had completely forgotten all about John Saul until I started my Dare you read it? series and was looking around for scary reads. I whooped when I came across his books and immdiatley swapped three of them on readitswapit.com.

Twenty-four years on, having reread Comes the Blind Fury, it didn’t have the same impact on me as it did as a teenager in terms of reading it from behind a cushion, but I still loved it and remembered just why I was such as fan of Sauls books back then.

The book starts with the death of a twelve year old blind girl, Amanda, in 1886. She is a kind and gentle girl who has been routinely teased and tormented by her class mates, and oneday that they go too far and put an object in her way on the cliff path, sending her free-falling into the sea. Amanda may be dead but she is not done yet…

One hundred years later, twelve-year-old Michelle moves with her family from Boston to Paradise Point to live in a big old Victorian house on the edge of the cliffs. When she picks her room, she finds an ancient doll at the back of the closet and names her Amanda.

Michelle quickly makes friends at school, and enjoys her new life, until one day at a picnic on the beach, things take an ugly turn when one of the group begins teasing her and Michelle runs off and tumbles down the side of the cliff. From then on she must use a cain to walk with the teasing becomes worse…until the fog comes out of nowhere and Michelle meets the ghost of Amanda who vows to help her get revenge…

This is a great book to keep you on the edge of your seat. I had forgotten just how great John Saul is able to do that. To be honest, I didn’t find this book scary this time around but it certainly had an eerie feel to it and it kept me on my toes.

I plan on reading more of his books soon too.

Spooky rating:

A great halloween read. Eerie and creepy. Read on a dark, cold night…but watch out for the fog drawing in….