The Canary List gives a very powerful and very real warning: Evil is all around us, looking for a crack in our Armor.
Having never picked up a Sigmund Brouwer novel, I found myself interested purely by the recommendation of his book by another of my favorite authors, Tosca Lee. I thought if a writer I loved was praising the book, then it MUST be worth reading…
…BINGO! I was hooked from the Prologue, only putting it down after about half-way through because as a mom of 2 busy boys, I rarely get a whole afternoon to myself for finishing a novel.
Brouwer’s book gave me the chills I get from reading a Frank Perretti book (this is a good thing!). The Canary List gives a powerful and very real warning: Evil is all around us, looking for a crack in our Armor. Jamie is a 12-year-old girl who has the daunting “gift” to sense the evil (the presence of demons) in others. Crockett Grey is just a normal guy and Jamie’s school teacher. Because of her decision to turn to him for safety one night, he becomes entwined in a labyrinth of secrets, cover-ups, Satanism, and genetic mysteries – all pointing Crockett to the Vatican and decades of deadly secrets.
The best part of this book was that I could not predict what would happen next. I was unsure until the last pages if one of the main players, Cardinal O’Hare, was good or evil. This was the case with many of the characters – with such great writing and such twisted secrets, it was a joy to see the plot unfold in a way I did not expect! A fascinating look into the realm of supernatural spiritual warfare – and the part that very real war plays in our everyday lives. I would highly recommend The Canary List to those who enjoy authors like Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker.
The scary part of this masterfully woven tale, is that it is not merely speculative. C.S. Lewis said it best:
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. The themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”
Read the First Chapter of The Canary List HERE – oh, and make sure to have your wallet handy, because you’re going to want to buy the rest of the book by chapters end!
***I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.***