One only has to have lived during the Cold War to remember the indoctrination we received as Children regarding Communism. Being educated in a parochial school we received weekly cartoon handouts on how our lives would be destroyed if the evil Communist dictators ever took over America. Then that was cemented in our thinking by the call for bomb shelters and bomb drills that took place monthly.

However, in the 1990s the Communist block dissolved and nuclear arsenals were supposedly dismantled. Desert Storm quickly took care of the threat of Iraqi expansion into Kuwait so America’s biggest fears and enemies disappeared. We were safe.

The question then occurred to politicians about how to keep control of the masses and force allegiance to specific political parties. Ah ha, why not give Americans and the world something scientific to worry about. How about global warming? The environment is always a good way to get people concerned about the food they eat, the water they drink and the air they breathe. The government could then become responsible for cleaning it all up.

Then fortunately, for the politicians, Al Quida steps into the picture by bombing the World Trade Center and America has a new enemy to fear. Let’s start a war on terrorism, in general. It seemed to most Americans that Osama Bin Laden, a Saudi native, member of the royal family, along with Al Quida would have been the logical target. In fact, as reported in the New York Times on July 11,2002, bin Laden died in December 2001 and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan.

With that information came a need to strengthen President Bush’s position so Saddam Hussein, who coincidentally had put out a hit on the first President Bush became the target of choice. Iraq, a once stable country with a viable economy was now targeted as a center for weapons of mass destruction and after 9/11 Americans were willing to buy whatever the government told them. Sadly, this again was a ruse to keep the American public frightened and under control. Remember when Bush wanted to remove term limits on the Presidency.

I believe that what the Bush Administration’s term will show to history is how one president, who refused to listen to reason has single-handedly nearly brought America to its knees.

Thanks to his legacy America is now in trillions of dollars of debt, has a failing economy, is a world laughing stock and has spread its military so thin it is unable to respond to current crises. Now, we are told that Iran is also a threat. Are you afraid yet? Will your children see adulthood? Is Armageddon on the horizon? If so we have the leadership of the present administration to thank.

In reality, our concerns might wish to focus on border control, getting medical care for our citizens, schooling our children so that they can compete on the world stage, and improving our economy so that the average citizen doesn’t have to worry about losing their homes or feeding their children.

The trillions of dollars we are spending on other countries might be better spent improving our own infrastructure from bridges that are collapsing, to an outdated electrical grid, an improved communications network, and securing our transportation system. Stop the idiocy and allow states to get back to work for the people. Stop fighting over separation of church and state. Our country was founded on the premise of freedom of religion so if a state chooses to display the Ten Commandments and allow prayer in schools good for them. If a particular town doesn’t want Christmas displays let them put up Hanukkah candles. In other words, respect the rights guaranteed in our constitution and in the next election look for someone who fight to minimize the federal government and restore the economy.

The thoroughly sinister aspect of Saul’s novel, The Devil’s Labyrinth, was enough to convince me that Saul must have studied under the auspices of the parochial school system and exaggerated his feelings of injustice and control to deliver such a scathing and unholy plot. This piece of roller coaster horror could have only been achieved by someone both familiar with the system and gifted in telling a work of fiction.

The setting takes place in the school halls of St. Isaac’s, under the care of charismatic Father Sebastian, a supposed expert in exorcisms. However, it soon becomes obvious that there is much more to Father Sebastian than what is presented to the other clergy and the student’s parents. One is also led to believe that on the surface the good Father is exceedingly popular with the students until they are forced to come face to face with the demonic evil he projects into their lives.

Struggling to overcome the emotional turmoil brought on by his father’s death and the new man in his mother’s life 15-year-old Ryan McIntyre finds himself enrolled at St. Isaac’s where he discovers a terrible secret and as a result soon finds himself another of Father Sebastian’s victims. Ryan like the others will find himself involved in a plot to assassinate the Pope who, aware of Father Sebastian’s apparent success with student exorcisms, plans a visit to Boston to observe the cleric’s techniques.

Fortunately, however, Ryan’s father had given him a crucifix that he had found in Iraq that was supposed to protect him from evil. The question then becomes will the crucifix indeed protect Ryan and the others from the evil that Father Sebastian has planned thus saving the Pope’s life or will the diabolical work come to fruition?

I felt that Saul managed to write to another thrilling novel, even though it did get a little slow in the middle, as he covered the very controversial and little-known subject of exorcism. Otherwise the author managed to build the intensity throughout the book until the story was ultimately brought together with well-developed characters that the reader could identify with. I would recommend the book as a first-rate supernatural thriller that will keep the readers interest but I have read many reviews by readers that did not agree with my assessment. Therefore, I will suggest that you get a copy from your local library rather than purchase it unless you can find a deal on Amazon, that way you are not out the expense and can decide for yourself if the read was worth the time or not.