An Eye for an Eye: The Doll — John Saul

Master of terror in all its forms, John Saul now thrills us with a serial novel that brings to terrifying life the small New England town of Blackstone -- and the secrets and sins that lay buried there.

From the top of Blackstone's highest hill the old Blackstone Asylum casts its shadow over the village. Built in the 1890s, the Asylum has stood vacant for decades. But now, the wrecker's ball is about to strike, smashing into stone -- and unleashing a terrible evil, an unholy fear long locked within these walls. Soon, strange gifts will begin to appear on the doorsteps of Blackstone's finest citizens. Each bears a mysterious history. Each brings a horrifying power to harm. Each reveals another thread in the suspensefully woven web of ... The Blackstone Chronicles

PART 1
The editor of The Blackstone Chronicle, Oliver Metcalf, nervously presides over the ceremony to begin demolition of the old Asylum. But the building's fate hangs in the balance as financing problems halt the project. Contractor Bill McGuire, all set to proceed, can't hide his dismay: with a family and another baby on the way, he can't afford delays. Then a package arrives at the McGuires' -- a beautiful antique doll with long blonde hair. His daughter, Megan, wraps her arms around it; his wife, Elizabeth, remains suspicious. Who sent the doll? Who is it for? What neither Elizabeth nor Bill can know is that this innocent-looking gift brings with it a murderous menace...