Monday, December 21, 2020

Sanctuary

Title: Sanctuary
Author: V. V. James
Published: September 8th 2020 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Genre: Paranormal

Heading into this book, I was a bit apprehensive. There are two definitive sides -- you either love it or hate it; is the hype worth it or just the work of an aggressive advertising team? For me, it was well-hyped and well worth reading. I am a person who likes to figure things out early, and when there was a subtle sentence in the first third of the book, I knew that I had found the zinger. That one thing that would put the end, whatever it may be, into perspective. Well, I was wrong, and the ending caught me by surprise. Well played, Mr. James.

Nothing like mass hysteria and a modern-day witch hunt to get the juices flowing. Witches are now a protected group in the United States; and when much loved high school football star Daniel Whitman falls from a balcony at a party house, which later catches fire, the town goes into hysterics after a video showing Harper, a non-magical and daughter of the local witch Sarah, placing what appears to be a curse on Daniel before he fell.

Told from many perspectives, the stories, and secrets of Sanctuary, Connecticut, come out. It appears that everyone has something to hide and, at one point or other, have used Sarah’s help when dealing with everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. And the biggest secret of all is what happened six years prior when Det. Maggie Knight met all the actors for the first time which set this tribunal in action.

A fascinating grab you from the beginning book. At first, I was concerned with all the characters thrown at me, but soon V. V. James slowed the pace a bit and let each tell their own story. There are a couple that remains in the periphery which only makes you wonder about them more. But don’t underestimate. Each one has their place by the time you reach the final chapter.

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