Sanctuary is a small town with a history linked to witches.
Sanctuary's own witch, Sarah Fenn, is someone that the inhabitants of the town turn to for help, but when the popular quarterback Daniel dies, Sarah's own daughter, Hazel, is accused of murdering him.
Then Hazel makes an accusation of her own against Daniel and things go from bad to worse as life in Sanctuary starts to unravel and spin out of control.
Was Daniel's death an accident or murder?
What secrets will be revealed during the investigation?
Will the town of Sanctuary ever be the same again?

The premise for Sanctuary really intrigued me - a book about a potential murder committed in a small town with some magic thrown in? Yes, please!
There were several protagonists, the main ones being Detective Maggie Knight, Abigail (who was Daniel's mother), and Sarah (Sanctuary's resident witch and the mother of Hazel, the girl accused of using witchcraft to murder Daniel). It was interesting to see events from these different points of view, but I did at times wish that there was more from Maggie's perspective seeing as she was the one trying to solve what had happened.
I liked most of the characters, but no one in particular stood out for me.
The setting was interesting, as were the relationships between the people of Sanctuary.
I really liked the diversity in this book.
I found the first half of Sanctuary more enjoyable than the second half, preferring the set-up of beginning to learn about the town and characters. At times during the second half of the book some things did feel very over the top for me, but I'm pretty sure that was intended.
I guessed some of the twists early on, but there were some that I didn't see coming.
The writing style was easy to follow and understand.
The magic/witchcraft was interesting.
I am a bit disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more as I was really looking forward to it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read.

Does Witchcraft really exist. This is the question everyone in the small town of Sanctuary will ask itself. It will even drive some of its residents mad.
Detective Maggie Knight returns to investigate the death at a party of Daniel. Everyone thought it was an open and shut case, an accident. Each chapter is the investigation from the point of view of different characters which can slow the pace of the story. The tempo really picks up at the finish for an exciting twist.
I was given an ARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Where to start a review for this book? Well, I guess by saying it's absolutely brilliant! "Sanctuary" gripped me right from the beginning and as the tension built I found it harder and harder to stop reading. The characters are so believable, the writing is of a very high standard, and the plot... oh boy, the plot... A breath of fresh air with a taint of smoke...

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Overall opinion of the book:

Wow. What a journey this book takes you on. I was engrossed in the plot from start to finish. Sanctuary was SO interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before, crime but with magical realism and witches?! Yes please!

The book has multiple narratives, focussing on Detective Maggie Knight, Sarah and her coven, and their children. This multiple narrative compliments the plot so well and is the perfect way of telling the story. It enables readers to have great insight into each character’s thoughts and association with the deceased teenager Dan. Usually I prefer one or two narratives in a story, but the way in which multiple narratives were used in Sanctuary was great and easy to follow, instead of being confusing. It built up suspense well and I was keen to continue reading. Many chapters ended with a cliff hanger, leaving me wanting to find out what happened next! Alongside the narratives there were snippets from police transcripts and the Sanctuary Sentinel, which complimented the over riding arch well.

There is so much to unpack in this book, but first I want to talk about the witchcraft and magic mentioned. The magical system used is fictional, yet so intricate and well thought out. It was fascinating to read about and it’s clear that James spent a long time planning it. The other witches mentioned in the book were interesting and if more books were written about these characters or based in the same world, I’d love to read them!

What’s so great about James’s writing is that although there are a lot of characters involved in this story, they are all so distinguishable from each other and each have a significant role to play. Although there are a lot of characters to think about at first, James provides readers with a principle character list at the beginning of the novel to refer back to if you’re ever unsure of which character is which.

Sanctuary is a book about witchcraft and a detective solving what could or could not be a murder, but there are also a lot of important and sensitive topics discussed, such as rape and molestation. These topics don’t make for an easy read, but James tackles them in a sensitive way and brings to light the importance of listening to victims and how damaging victim blaming can be.

The way in which witches are treated shines a light on how society as a whole can disregard people in a community for being different, whether that’s because of their sexuality, race, religion or gender. It emphasises that rape culture needs to be addressed and how slut shaming and victim blaming are serious issues.

It was interesting to read about how a seemingly perfect town can quickly display the cracks it has. I enjoyed how the plot unravelled as each secret was revealed. There were many unexpected twists and turns and just when I thought I’d figured out what had happened – I was proven wrong. This is definitely a sign of a great novel and it’s clear to see why this book is a Sunday Times top-ten bestseller!

The plot is unravelled at a good pace and there were many parts to the plot I didn’t anticipate happening. Sometimes you find in crime novels that the twist is so unrealistic that it takes away from the book itself, but Sanctuary is so well thought out and everything slots together perfectly at the end.

The intricacies of the coven were particularly interesting to me and how their relationship changed throughout the novel. I also particularly enjoyed hearing about Harper and the time she spends at Green Point. I would have enjoyed to have read more about this even though I know it wouldn’t have been key to the plot line.

The book emphasises the lengths families will go to protect themselves and each other, regardless of who will suffer because of it and the psychology behind their actions made me intrigued to read more.

I would have liked to have read more about the aftermath of the ending when everything settles down and seen some interactions between the coven and main characters. While the ending was great and brought the plot together well, it would have been interesting to have had a few more chapters from different character’s points of view about what happened. That’s just my personal opinion however and I still thoroughly enjoyed the ending.

Without giving too much of the plot away, what I did find quite amusing was that there were mentions of flu and quarantine. As I was reading the book I was thinking about the characters and the freedom they have compared to us all being currently in lockdown. I did let out a little giggle at the irony of the book I’m reading during isolation mentioning a whole town quarantine!!


Final Thoughts:

I really enjoyed Sanctuary – it was unique, interesting and completely unlike anything I’ve read before. The plot was well thought out, character driven and drew me in from beginning to end. Each character had its own important role to play and all were intriguing to read about, especially Sarah and Harper.

I’d love to read more about these two characters, the characters from Green Point and the magical system in this book in the future. There’s so much potential for there to be a sequel or more books set in this world – I’d personally love to read that!

The writing, punctuation and grammar were fantastic and I loved James’s writing style; it was easy to follow and kept me entertained throughout. There are some heavy aspects to this book, but James handles them in a sensitive way and sheds an important light on them.

After wanting to read this book since before the hardback was released, I can confirm that it didn’t disappoint at all and the hype surrounding this book is completely justified. It’s fantastic and certainly worth a read, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

I don't know if this is a dark urban fantasy with some women's fiction and thriller aspects or what it is.
I just know I liked the mix of fantasy and realistic descriptions.
It's a gripping and entertaining read, it kept me on the edge and it was an excellent reading experience.
The most terrifying part was how easily a witch hunt could start and how easily the one who do not completely fit could be targeted.
The character and plot development are fascinating, the story is told by different characters and we can read their POV. Documents and interviews are also part of the story and makes it even more realistic.
The relationship between the women and their children are well described and it's hard to find anone likeable. They're all faulted and in a grey moral area.
The world building is interesting and I was fascinated by the magic system.
It was an exciting reading experience, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Sanctuary was a highly involving drama set in a world where Witches are a part of society, much regulated and oft viewed with suspicion. 

A terrible accident and an accusation of witchcraft sets a group of long term friends at odds - with the death penalty ingrained for anyone who murders by witchcraft the stakes are high. 

Sanctuary is in effect an allegorical tale of prejudice and outsiders. Happy to use their local witch when it suits them, now the community turns on them with one mother's grief fuelling the fire all the way.

The author manages to twist and turn the mystery element beautifully whilst also keeping one eye on the prize - making us take a long hard look at ourselves, our ingrained assumptions and prejudices 

This was a stellar piece of storytelling and I thoroughly enjoyed it, the ending hits home with all the elements coming together in one explosive finale 

Recommended.

I'd go as far as saying this was ok but it's not my usual genre and hot something I've really read before so thought I'd come out of my comfort zone and give it a go. Sadly fantasy/mystery thriller just isn't for me.

Way too many short chapters and so many POV's that I was left going back and forth and losing my bearings. It wasnt easy to tell each POV apart which I found quote problematic at times. There were at least 4-5 that I can think of off the top of my head. I suppose this is where the character list at the beginning comes in handy.

In my opinion it just didnt flow at all and had no consistency in the way it was written. Strangely short chapters that felt they were ending on something important but the next chapter would start in exactly the same place, random tweets and transcripts thrown in and the structure just ended up feeling messy.

I tried, I really did but I will most definitely not be reading this genre again.

Oh but I did enjoy the plot twist at the end though!

1*

With thanks to netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC.

The premise of this book is interesting, but the overall story was pretty predictable and I found the writing style quite ineffective. It tells the story of a police investigation following the death of the star football player at a party in Sanctuary. The investigation takes a turn when the ex-girlfriend of the dead boy is accused of witchcraft.

The Positives: The pacing is good and the short chapters ensure that it is a page turner. I also thought there was some interesting commentary about the nature of a witchhunt.

The Negatives: There were too many missed opportunities. As I said, there was some commentary, but there was so much available to explore that just wasn't. I thought that the plot was predictable and quite formulaic. The way in which the characters behaved at times was really whiplash-inducing and the speed of the escalation of events just didn't seem remotely plausible.

Overall, I thought this was pretty disappointing.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Murder,mystery with witches/witchcraft added in. More a story of how easily public opinion can be swayed with the help of the press and social media.Entertaining with a big twist at the end.

This was an incredible novel that drew me in and never let go. I felt emotionally invested in the characters’ lives and couldn’t stop reading.

3.5 stars


Small town America rocked by crime,but with a difference.
The difference being that witches are real ,acceptable and come with their own laws.
A set of four close friends blown apart by the death of one of their children,and as time goes on and more secrets uncovered,everyone is dragged into the mess.
It's alarming and all too believable the way a town gets caught up in hysteria and 
turns against each other.
By the time I got to the end,I wasnt sure anyone was who they'd been portrayed as at the beginning of the book.
Page turner.

#Sanctuary #NetGalley
It left me breathless. A must read for 2020. It will blow your mind.
When I started this book its pace was slow but in the middle it became pacy and the ending left me breathless.
Dan's death was a tragic accident.
The rumours about his ex-girlfriend are just local gossip.That mystery illness is no concern.Detective Maggie Knight has it all figured out.She's wrong.
Its characters were creepy as one found in thrillers.
Narration of the story is a bit slow in starting but then it becomes good.
Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me an advanced copy.

Sanctuary is a small town murder mystery with a twist... A little bit eerie, a little bit shocking, and a little bit magic.

Full of dramatic twists and turns, the plot builds the suspense beautifully. The characters are fully realised and their relationships and interactions with one another are masterfully done to build sympathies, anger and distrust.

Besides being a clever mystery, Sanctuary is also a terrifyingly believable portrayable of a community turning on itself which hits a little close to home in this political climate! I couldn't put it down and read through the night - this is definitely a book that will stay with me.

I love it when a book surprises me, and with that ending... Just wow! I'm completely obsessed with this book and cannot wait to see what V V James does next!

This review has been posted to Goodreads, Waterstones and Amazon (pending approval on Amazon).