The Key - (Sanctus Trilogy) Large Print by Simon Toyne (Paperback)

About the Book

Simon Toyne's breathtaking international bestseller, Sanctus, had critics everywhere cheering, calling the author the new Dan Brown (TheDa Vinci Code) or Steve Berry (The Jefferson Key), while praising Toyne's debut thriller as "remarkable," "thrilling," "provocative," "haunting," and "spectacular."

The adventure continues with The Key, returning readers to the dark world of a sinister religious order older than Christianity and their Vatican-like secret citadel high in the Turkish mountains--as one courageous woman must fulfill an enigmatic prophecy that could determine the ultimate fate of humankind. James Rollins, Raymond Khoury, and Chris Kuzneski fans will not want to miss this one.

Book Synopsis

Simon Toyne's breathtaking international bestseller, Sanctus, had critics everywhere cheering, calling the author the new Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) or Steve Berry (The Jefferson Key), while praising Toyne's debut thriller as "remarkable," "thrilling," "provocative," "haunting," and "spectacular."

The adventure continues with The Key, returning readers to the dark world of a sinister religious order older than Christianity and their Vatican-like secret citadel high in the Turkish mountains--as one courageous woman must fulfill an enigmatic prophecy that could determine the ultimate fate of humankind. James Rollins, Raymond Khoury, and Chris Kuzneski fans will not want to miss this one.

From the Back Cover

Hunted. Hounded. Haunted.

She is the most important person in the world. She is The Key

Journalist Liv Adamsen has escaped the highly-secretive Citadel in the ancient city of Ruin and now lies in isolation, staring at hospital walls as blank as her memory. Despite her inability to recall, she feels possessed by an unexplained sensation and plagued by whispers only she can hear: "KuShiKaam," the key.

To others the meaning is clear. For "the Ghost," a mercenary operating in Syria, Liv may hold the key to history's most powerful secret. For the monks in the Citadel, her return to Turkey may be their only chance at survival. And for a powerful faction in the Vatican, her very existence threatens the success of a desperate plan.

Hunted from Turkey to New York to the deserts of the Middle East, Liv races to uncover a revelation dating from the creation of man in this electrifying follow-up to the international bestseller Sanctus.

Review Quotes

"Hard to think of it as a debut, better to think of it as the beginning of a massive new adventure, and a so-long to Dan Brown. . . ." - The Daily Mirror (UK) on Sanctus
"I am sure Toyne's debut will be a success--and it deserves to be. In this thriller, he creates an intriguing and engaging centrepiece--The Citadel, a secretive base for an ancient sect set in the brilliantly named Turkish city of Ruin . . . . Unlike [Dan] Brown, Toyne does understand how to string a sentence together and he does seem to understand how to develop a character . . . . Relentless pace . . . An exciting and interesting read. I look forward to a return to Ruin, where there are plenty of stories waiting to be told." - The Sun (UK)
"Toyne enters Da Vinci Code territory with considerable elan, delivering a provocative and engaging yarn." - The Independent
"When you read Sanctus, you'll see just how frightening, ruthless and relentlessly entertaining an order of monks can be. Haunting in the best way." - Brad Meltzer, New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle
"Well-written, fast-paced and delivered with an admirable economy of words . . . an edge-of-the-seat story filled with action and adventure, as well as a puzzle that the main characters must somehow put together before the world simply disappears. . . . [A] taut thriller." - Kirkus Reviews on The Key
"[Sanctus] might turn out to be the next great cliffhanger conspiracy thriller." - Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sanctus
"If you like your secrets deeply hidden and your action breakneck, then Toyne's sophomore thriller is just the ticket. . . . As in his debut, Toyne delivers a gripping, intricate story of religious and political intrigue that's sweeping yet somehow intimate and very personal. Wow." - Booklist (starred review) on The Key
"Remarkable . . . Its 'just one more page, one more chapter' urgency keeps you reading into the night, and the final revelation of the Citadel's secret is haunting." - Library Journal (starred review) on Sanctus
"In British author Toyne's stellar first in a projected trilogy, a thriller in the Dan Brown tradition . . . The truly mind-boggling revelation will leave astounded readers eager for the next installment." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Sanctus
"In British author Toyne's stellar first in a projected trilogy, a thriller in the Dan Brown tradition, an ancient sect of monks . . . have been protecting a secret, "the Sacrament," since before the Christian era . . . . The truly mind-boggling revelation will leave astounded readers eager for the next installment." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A far better written, smarter book than The Da Vinci Code . . . Sanctus has enough delicious plots and counterplots to fill a cathedral. . . . What elevates Sanctus above the pack is that Toyne is a compelling writer who covers this ground with confidence and flair. . . . Toyne handles all of the disparate narratives with aplomb . . . it's a fun roller-coaster ride. . . . Sanctus is highly enjoyable." - The Globe and Mail
"A cliffhanger . . . that aspires to towering heights . . . Toyne has a realistic bent and the derring-do and scriptural intrigue never get too unwieldy or too unworldly. His characters, too, are well-rounded and credible . . . A bonus: Toyne's battery of good guys include strong women characters, with no condescension; too many books of this kind treat women as afterthoughts, if not mere love interests. And there's some nice elaboration of the plot, keeping the reader guessing whether the heretics are good guys or bad . . . A promising debut . . . . the right ingredients are all here." - Kirkus Reviews
"Remarkable . . . Toyne has written a well-developed, exciting debut, the first volume of a projected trilogy, that doesn't tip off the ending midnovel like so many of its kind. Its 'just one more page, one more chapter' urgency keeps you reading into the night, and the final revelation of the Citadel's secret is haunting." - Library Journal (starred review)