Book review: Sanctus - Simon Toyne

Title: Sanctus

Author: Simon Toyne

FICTION

Genre: Mystery

Ranking: 8.0 out of 10.0

Buy: Yes

Borrow: Yes

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004R1PZW6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Summary:  A monk, Samuel, throws himself off the top off The Citadel, an ancient sanctuary in the middle of Turkey with its own jurisdiction much like the Vatican. In fact it predates the Vatican.

His sister, Liv,  discovers that her that this monk is her long lost brother of eight years ago. She rushes from the US to identify him. In the process, the powers behind the Citadel want to capture her as they believe she is the key to their historic mission to resolve the Sacrament held in the Citadel for all those centuries.

Fortunately, Liv has a friend in Police Superintendent Arkadian and also in Kathryn, a charity worker, who is from an ancient tribe that are sworn enemies of these monks.  Her son, Gabriel, is an ex-special forces soldier, works with the police to help Liv outwit the monks.

Main review: 

A monk, Samuel, 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.

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 his sister, Liv,  the discovery that the monk is her brother who disappeared eight years ago is a shock. She rushes from the US to identify him. In the process, the powers behind the Citadel want to capture her as they believe she is the key to their historic mission to resolve the Sacrament held in the Citadel for all those centuries.

Fortunately, Liv has a friend in Superintendent of Police Arkadian and also in Kathryn who is from an ancient tribe that are sworn enemies of these monks.  Her son, Gabriel, is an ex-special forces soldier, works with the police to help Liv outwit the monks.

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

Further reading suggestion: The Key - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006I1CH1A/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1