An ancient citadel hides many secrets which the resident religious order would kill to protect. Those who try to find out what is hidden there are in constant mortal danger.

I’ve made a point of never reading any Dan Brown because of the hype surrounding his work and due to a hilarious comedy routine about his writing style by Stewart Lee, so when I received a copy of Sanctus my heart sank a little as it is very much in the same mould. However, I’m willing to admit after racing through the book that it’s not bad at all, as long as you’re happy to accept it as a page-turning thriller and not expect anything more than that.

The book romps along at top speed with the emphasis on plot over description or characterisation, but that’s fine for this kind of novel. The writing style is plain and clear, making the reader focus on the action rather than be distracted by peripherals. I tore through it trying to find out what exactly the huge secret is and have to say that I was a little disappointed by the big reveal at the end of the book. I don’t feel there was enough explanation of the mystery so it felt like the author was keeping a lot back to ensure that readers have to buy the planned sequel(s). But apart from that I enjoyed it much more than I expected to.

So if you’re looking for something undemanding and exciting to read, this may well be the book for you.