MY REVIEW:

The Canary List is speculative fiction that is based in part on facts which are referenced in the afterword. If Brouwer’s speculations were true, it would be truly frightening.

The primary character of this story is Crockett Grey, a schoolteacher who is drawn into a sinister web of danger and subterfuge when a frightened student comes to him for help. As his life spirals out of control, Crockett is determined to get answers about who is responsible and why. Crockett’s student Jaimie, a twelve-year-old girl, constantly feels that she is hunted by evil but doesn’t understand the cause. The two of them are pulled into an international conspiracy that extends all the way to the Vatican.

With frequent references to demons, exorcists, satanic rituals, child abuse and the involvement of the Catholic Church, The Canary List is a fairly dark tale. The spiritual aspects are contrasted by modern technology that includes hackers, genetic code, and powerful secret agencies. Crockett’s emotional response to his unwarranted accusations and subsequent events are realistic although some of his experiences seem to be somewhat extreme.

For the most part, The Canary List was an intriguing story that made me want to find out how everything turned out. However, there were times when I had to backtrack a few pages to be sure I hadn’t missed something. Brouwer has woven a twisted story that ended with more questions than answers. But then, maybe that was his intention all along.

If you enjoy speculative fiction and conspiracy theories, The Canary List should probably be on your reading list.

This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group Blogging For Books.



ABOUT THE BOOK:

Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?

She’s just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can’t—something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.

All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter’s death alone.

But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett’s one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie’s past and her strange gift. It isn’t long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world—the Vatican.

Read the first chapter of The Canary List HERE.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sigmund Brouwer is the author of eighteen novels with nearly three million copies in print. His recent novel The Last Disciple was featured in Time magazine and on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sigmund is married to Christian recording artist Cindy Morgan, and they and their two daughters divide their time between homes in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada and Nashville, Tennessee.

Praise for The Canary List and Sigmund Brouwer

“Speculative Christian fiction is rare, and Brouwer does it with the skills of an episodic storyteller that make a reader wonder when the movie is coming out.”
—Publisher’s Weekly

“Recommended for readers of visionary and science fiction and for larger Christian fiction collections.”
—Library Journal

“Sigmund Brouwer is one of my favorite authors. His versatility and the ease that he switches between genres and styles never cease to amaze me.”
—Melissa Willis, TheChristianManifesto.com