Reviewers have compared Sanctus to Dan Brown's DaVinci Code. They both delve into the mysteries and possible abuses by organized religion -- particular sects of the Catholic Church. They also share an accessibility and a fastpaced style. Sanctus draws you into the mystery from the very start. The book opens with an errant monk who somehow escapes knowing the secret of the powerful group and his very public repudiation of the sect. The monk seems to be a good person, we sympathize with him and wonder what it is that the group is hiding in the inner sanctum, what is the secret that gives these monks such long live, good health and power?


Toyne keeps the tension quite high as we learn about the sect's hierarchy, politics, and ruthless policies. Aside from the brothers, there are guards with guns who patrol the area to make sure that no strangers and no unauthorized brothers enter the secret areas.

The more interesting characters include the escaped brother, Samuel; Inspector David Arkadian, the police investigator who is assigned to his mysterious death; Father Thomas, the tech genius who is the expert in the preservation of ancient documents and is friends with the rebel brother Athanasius and the escaped brother Samuel; Athanasius who after brother Samuel's death has begun to question the practices and secrets in their order.

I love thrillers and couldn't put Sanctus down. I enjoyed the layers of mystery, conspiracy and the underlying mystical/religious slant. It's fast-paced, complex, and very satisfying.

ISBN-10: 0062038303 - Hardcover $25.99
Publisher: William Morrow (September 6, 2011), 496 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.