The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker

Danny Hansen has a long prison term ahead of him after murdering two abusive men.  Facing a life sentence, he is determined to live the best life he can.  However, his real struggles begin outside of prison when his girlfriend, Renee Gilmore, is threatened.  Feeling helpless, he desperately seeks a way to protect her.

Ted Dekker’s “The Sanctuary” is a fast paced thriller that pulls you into the story immediately with two parallel storylines.  There are some great messages woven in such as the reference to a solid foundation that Christians will recognize from scripture.  You can build your house upon a rock but what if it’s the wrong rock?  It also touches on issues surrounding today’s correctional system.

I have a few criticisms of this novel.  For a Christian author, I was surprised there was little mention of God.  However, Dekker did leave out sex and profanity so it was more appropriate for a Christian audience.  (Be aware though there is violence.)  The ending was rather far fetched so readers need to be open to something a bit “out there” to not be frustrated with how it wraps up.  Overall, it was an entertaining book, but I wish I had read his previous book to have more background on the main characters.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Hachette Book Group in exchange for an honest review.