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    Sanctuary
    Sanctuary
    Sanctuary
    Audiobook5 hours

    Sanctuary

    Written by Gary D. Svee

    Narrated by L. J. Ganser

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Western writer Gary Svee has won two Spur Awards, including one for this tale of a righteous man who brings his own brand of justice to 1880s Montana. The town of Sanctuary is controlled by a fanatical preacher and a vicious rancher. But then a hard-drinking, gun-toting preacher named Mordecai arrives-and everything changes.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 16, 2011
    ISBN9781461812555
    Author

    Gary D. Svee

    Gary D. Svee grew up along the banks of the Yellowstone, Stillwater, and Rosebud Rivers in Montana. His novels include Spirit Wolf, Showdown at Buffalo Jump, The Peacemaker’s Vengeance, and the Spur Award winner Sanctuary. Svee lives in Billings, Montana.

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    Reviews for Sanctuary

    3.5/5

    205 ratings15 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 2/5
      An archaeologist, a rouge CIA agent, and a mad scientist walk into a bar... only one walks out, but by the end of the story you wont care. Only recommended if you love the Lost Templar subgenre, all others should sit this one out.
    • 4/5
      An interesting and enjoyable read, 3.5 stars. The story moves apace and there is a small link with the Templar Knights and the Inquisiton. It is based around the search for an ancient book. Unusually most of the book is set in Beirut. If you enjoy this type of book, it will be enjoyable and has plenty of twists.
    • 3/5

      This was a decent action-packed thriller.  I liked the back and forth narration between history and modern day.  Usually it distracts me, but this time, I felt like it filled in holes for the modern-day story.  The story didn't really slow down much, the action was constant.  It was really hard to keep track of who was the good guy" and who was the "bad guy".  No one could seem to decide who they wanted to be.  I like twists and turns in my stories, but you kind of needed a score card for this one.  It was worth reading, though.

      "
    • 3/5
      Good read. However, not having a central character in the story left a lot to be desired
    • 3/5
      Many novels have been written on the subject of ancient relics, lost in time or guarded by a small elect group, and currently pursued by a select few with personal agendas (good and bad alike). There is no deciphering of codes in this story, but rather a cat-and-mouse race by opposing parties to be the first one to land their hands on it. As with such books, there is the (seemingly) obligatory mention of how it must not be allowed to fall into the wrong hands, and end up being used for evil. This in all makes the book a rather predictable read, but the intertwining relationships of all the characters does redeem it somewhat. This is my second read by Khoury, which I certainly enjoyed more than 'The Last Templar', which I found to be extremely dry.
    • 3/5
      A rattling good read for the most, though ultimately a disappointment.
      For four fifths of the book, I was captured, but the final sections did seem to let the previous chapters' side down.
      Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, as it took a while for the book to let on - or was it that I was just slow on the up-take? - as to what it all turned on. Once I knew this, then it all enters the realms of fantasy.
      With others of this genre, where they're looking for treasure or secrets buried, or lost, in ancient times, usually with a religious connection; you can think 'well, that could happen.' 'Maybe it did happen like that?' 'Wouldn't it be interesting if that was the case?' 'Maybe there is a secret sect that know the answer.' With that kind of book, the author has done his/her research, come up with a theory and the book is in some way or other, a speculation of what might have happened, clothed in historical 'facts', that support such speculation. With 'The Sanctuary', once the object of their searching was obvious, I was 'yeah, right'. Then, when the search was over, the aim reached, the 'thing' found, it failed to carry me with it and I found it a bit of a let-down. I could see them all walking and fading away into a golden sunset, bright clouds around them, up-lifting classical music playing in the background. Personally, I think it might have made more sense if whatever they were searching for, had stayed out of reach, stayed lost - but still tantalisingly findable. A bit like life.
      There were however, some interesting ideas broached underway, some interesting speculation and question about our lives, our humanity what it is and perhaps what it could be. The action sequences were good, convincing and tense and that's pretty much what I'll remember this one for, rather than the final -for me - unsatisfactory ending.
    • 4/5
      It seems that Raymond Khoury’s novels all have same basic scheme – dame in distress (usually expert in this or that scientific field), mysterious man-of-action and shadowy organizations (both good and bad) lurking at the edge of the story only to enter the stage at the very end.Don’t get me wrong, author manages to put all this in one great story. Interesting topic, but maybe slightly too many twists and turns.Recommended.
    • 3/5
      Having read and enjoyed Khoury's first novel - The Last Templar I was quite looking forward to reading The Sanctuary. It is a very different story from Templar and although it took me a while to get into it and quite a while to finish it, I found it fairly enjoyable. The story starts in Beirut with the kidnapping of an archaeologist and the author takes a from there to a hunt for the most sought after prize of the ancient alchemists - The Elixir Of Life.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed Khoury's first novel, "The Last Templar." Khoury's considerable screenwriting talents drove the plot, making the story play like a movie inside my head as I read it. As he has mentioned in numerous interviews, Khoury originally created "The Last Templar" as a screenplay, and the book was accordingly cinematic from beginning to end.Good as "Templar" is, Khoury's second novel, "The Sanctuary," is far richer. In "Sanctuary" we find Khoury maturing as a true novelist, rather than a screenwriter. The characters in "Sanctuary" are not created for the screen, but for the page. They are deeper, more nuanced, and most interestingly, more flawed than the ones in "Templar." The "Sanctuary" characters are as multifaceted, and at times as unpredictable, as Beirut, the fascinating city in which much of the story occurs. Beirut itself, a city where what one feels is often incongruent with what one sees, is as much a character as the people Khoury propels through the enthralling action in "Sanctuary." The city mirrors the characters' individual struggles to balance hope and despair, joy and terror, survival and destruction.The most compelling aspect of the novel is its theme, urging us to assess not only the benefits, but the consequences and responsibilities of living lives much longer than those afforded us by current actuarial tables. The novel wisely suggests our instinctive desire for materially extended lifespans be contemplated with as much focus on the qualitative as on the quantitative. It may not be so axiomatic whoever breathes longest, breathes best."The Sanctuary" is a very entertaining novel, by a very astute novelist. It's the best novel I've read this year. I recommend it highly.
    • 4/5
      A well-crafted tale about an ancient secret and those who protect it. The twists and turns were great and the action solid. I was a little disappointed with the ending, but this otherwise was a great read.
    • 3/5
      Mia Bishop, an American geneticist, takes an assignment in Lebanon to be close to her archaeologist mother, Evelyn. Soon after Mia's arrival, her mother is kidnapped and she finds herself thrown into an unfamiliar life of danger. Local authorities quickly accuse her mother of antiquities smuggling, specifically a book featuring a strange symbol called the ouroboros. In a short time span, Evelyn's kidnapping garners the attention of not only U.S. Embassy officials but also several men with a very keen interest in her work and the book.Enter Jim Corben and Bill Kirkwood, two men who make Mia very uneasy in terms of their motives, but without any other options and lack of both police and government help, she trusts both to keep her safe and assist in finding her mother. Corben, an “economics counselor” from the U.S. Embassy with an unusual proclivity for handling guns and defensive driving, drags her in and out of several precarious situations. Bill Kirkwood, a frequent funder of Evelyn's work, has a particular interest in finding both Evelyn and the book but is very elusive in his explanations for wanting both.From start to finish, Khoury keeps the action coming, throwing in new characters and events throughout. His mythology surrounding the mysterious book, the ouroboros, is well thought out and provides an engaging storyline on its own. There are a few flashbacks throughout which introduce the reader to new characters and add back story which helps to round out the history of the book and why it's of so much interest. There are a few moments where it feels as if the main story is put on hold to offer more information through these flashbacks but Khoury puts the story back on track very quickly.In terms of action scenes involving Mia and Corben, while intriguing and do a fine job of moving the story along, one is hard pressed to believe a mere citizen would be dragged into a shootout on the street. However, it is not a deterring factor as the scenes do fit within the context of the story.There are plenty of plot twists and character revelations that keep reader interest high. However, near the end, each scene involves an ever growing cast of characters which are written in and out very quickly, making some of the action scenes a bit hard to follow as the reader is forced to remember who is entangled with the sought after book at this point.While readers may not buy the very tidy ending, the ride itself seems to be what the author is after and in that regard he does not disappoint. “The Sanctuary” is a fast read with potent action scenes and entertaining twists that keep the reader guessing until the very end.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the story, but the writing style bothered me. I enjoyed The Last Templar much more than this one. I wanted to find out how this story ended, but it was a chore to keep reading it.
    • 4/5
      Some mysterious history form 1750 intersects with events in Baghdad in 2003 to create an exciting adventure in which several groups race to discover a secret elixir which will lead to an extended life. Tom Webster has the formula for a longevity potion which will change the world, but he doesn't want to release his knowledge until the elixir is available to both men and women. He has a daughter, Mia, that he never knew about, and ruthless opponents who want what Tom seeks, but not for such altruistic purposes. A great read. Dan gave it to me for my birthday in 2007.
    • 3/5
      Some time ago, when it first came out, I read this author's The Last Templar and, well, disagreed with the hundreds of people who loved it. Now I find myself in the same boat with Sanctuary. And, as with the Last Templar, the book started out so well that I was convinced it was going to be great. But here's my problem with this book...it has the feel of a novel where the author has set it up to eventually become a movie. Highly implausible, it spans time from the mid 18th century up to the present, and focuses on the search for an ancient tome which has on its cover the Ouroborous, the mythical snake which swallows its own tail. In alchemical and other occult circles, this signifies immortality, and it is the quest for this book that occupies pretty much of the entire book. There's a crazy mad scientist who performs maniacal experiments on human subjects, a young woman whose mother has been kidnapped, a member of the US government, and a guy from the United Nations, all hoping to get the book before any of the others may acquire it. I won't go into any more detail as far as the plot is concerned, in case you're planning on reading it.People who like suspense may enjoy this one; I wouldn't actually say I'd recommend it to a friend because it is (imho) a bit too over the top for my own preference. I do wish writers would just write with their reading audiences in mind, rather than with the hope that their books might get picked up as a film someday.
    • 5/5
      This is a fun read. Lots of action and a bit of romance. The focus of the story is a book that contains the secert to longer life. Evelyn Bishop and her daughter Mia are caught up in a race for the book. They meet CIA Agent Jim Corben and an UN agent Kirkwood who appear to work on the same side but are they? This is a page turner of the Dan Brown type.