Ex-priest Danny Hansen is serving time in prison after being sentenced to fifty years for the murder of two men. His love for Renee Gilmore and finding peace with God led him to confess and take a vow of non-violence. That new vow is tested when Renee receives threats against Danny’s life. The new, experimental prison Danny has been transferred to has her cut off from him, so she has to play this game on her own. If Renee fails, Danny dies. If Danny fails, Renee dies. Both are pushed to the limits of what they believe is right and wrong, forced to make choices to save the ones they love.
“The Sanctuary” is the follow-up to Dekker’s “The Priest’s Graveyard,” and I liked this one better than the first. The story moved along more quickly, and I had more compassion for the characters. Once again, the major theme is love. Judgement is also prevalent as we see Danny go back and forth between empathy and anger. The story will force you to put yourself in Danny’s and Renee’s situations. What would you do? How far would you go to stop injustice? To protect the ones you love? Is it an eye for an eye, or do you turn the other cheek no matter what the circumstance?
1) Overall Plot = 4.5
2) Characters = 4.5
3) Flow/Pace of the story = 5
4) Is the story easy to follow? = 5
5) Overall Enjoyability = 4.5
Average of score 4.7
Overall grade = B+
Jess Boudreaux 