Sanctus

By: Simon Toyne

Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble

The bestselling thriller debut of 2011 – the apocalyptic conspiracy thriller that has set the world alight…

REVELATION OR DEVASTATION?

The certainties of the modern world are about to be blown apart by a three thousand year-old conspiracy nurtured by blood and lies …

A man throws himself to his death from the oldest inhabited place on the face of the earth, a mountainous citadel in the historic Turkish city of Ruin. This is no ordinary suicide but a symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is witnessed by the entire world.

But few understand it. For charity worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others in the know, it is what they have been waiting for. The cowled and secretive fanatics that live in the Citadel suspect it could mean the end of everything they have built – and they will kill, torture and break every law to stop that. For Liv Adamsen, New York crime reporter, it begins the next stage of a journey into the heart of her own identity.

And at that journey's end lies a discovery that will change EVERYTHING …

SANCTUS is an apocalyptic conspiracy thriller like no other – it re-sets the bar for excitement and fascination, and marks the debut of a major talent in Simon Toyne.

©2011 Simon Toyne (P)2011 HarperCollins Publishers Limited

Critic reviews

'A fast moving, thoroughly enjoyable, adventure – plenty of action, plenty of intrigue and a wonderfully imaginative reinterpretation of a slice of religious history. The sort of novel to devour in one sitting’ KATE MOSSE

‘A cool, confident debut … A talented new writer who instinctively grasps the broad rules of superior action thrillers and adapts them with pace, grace, humour and a keen eye for cinematic effect’ DAILY TELEGRAPH

‘In this thriller Toyne creates an intriguing and engaging centrepiece in The Citadel … Relentless pace … An exciting and interesting read. I look forward to returning to Ruin, where there are plenty of stories waiting to be told’ THE SUN

‘High concept, debut conspiracy thrillers don’t come with higher expectations than this. Hard to think of it as a debut, better to think of it as the beginning of a massive new adventure, and a so-long to Dan Brown’ MIRROR

So Much Better than the DaVinci Code!

A lot of the reviews are comparing this to the DaVinci Code. But Toyne, although not exactly literary, is a far better craftsman than Brown. The dialogue is better, the motivations are more convincing and the plot held me all the way through.

It would be fairer to compare this to a more 'thrillerish' cross between Foucault's Pendulum and The Name of the Rose with a little apocalyptic hinting thrown in for good measure.

Some of the reader's accents are a little annoying, but it didn't stop me from enjoying this fast-paced thriller.

WE NEED A NEW GENRE !

First of all I must compliment the narrator, whose excellent work helped me to keep plodding on through the thick and thin of this audio book.
I do think it somewhat unfair of me to criticise what so many others (I read reviews on several other websites) have praised , but this book did not live up to my expectations.
Hung on a very small hook of a mysterious ancient secret are lots of humdrum shootings, high-tech jargon,irrelevant padding(Bonnie and Myron),kidnappings and general mayhem.
Perhaps I am just sated with this sort of mumbo-jumbo ,and I read/listen to books of this genre only once in a blue moon,hoping for something new ,but after The Da Vinci Code it seems very difficult to produce anything other than variations on a theme.
After correctly identifying who/what The Sacrament is/was when about half-way through, (the author gives plenty of clues) I just wanted to get it over with.
Having said all that, IF this was the first book of the genre which I had read/heard then I may have enjoyed it differently, and I must admit that the final few chapters,(when the good guys and bad guys finally come face to face) were suspenseful.
Also on the plus side were the short chapters and good writing.I think that the author can use his talents well if he can come up with a new genre.
The $64,000 question is- will I download the next book(s) of the trilogy ? At the moment, I think not.

Fast-paced mystery of a protected ancient secret

What made the experience of listening to Sanctus the most enjoyable?

While the story was captivating, fast-paced and totally perfect for listening, I've become a huge Jonathan Keeble fan. The narrator really does make all the difference. Not too fast, not too slow, good voice and accent, superb voices for characters and he changes pace and energy in his voice when the sections of the book demand.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

It definitely did. Each chapter flips to a different scene, picking up various characters and lines of the story. The chapters are sufficiently short that you don't forget what has come before and this also adds to the increase in pace of the story. They all come together later in the book and they keep you wondering, 'What is going to happen to them?" until the next time the thread is picked up again.

I also felt that we were given good background information on many of the characters - they are strong and fleshy and credible.

I really didn't expect the sacrament to be what it turned out to be. Very unexpected. Great twist.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the descriptions of the citadel - the rooms, corridors, the library and the lighting... The opening scene really did it for me and had me completely lured into the book within minutes.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Probably when the old guy died to protect his daughter and grandson. And the revelation of the sacrament.

Any additional comments?

I'm searching Audible now for more books narrated by Jonathan Keeble and more book by Simon Toyne. I enjoyed this one that much!

Couldn't be better!

What a read! Hard to believe this is a debut novel - it is a sophisticated work from a very clever intellect!
Well worth the effort.