Description

The author of the acclaimed Sanctus trilogy conjures an eerie epic of good and evil, retribution and redemption—the first novel in the mesmerizing Solomon Creed series in which a man with no memory of his past must save a lost soul in a small Arizona town.

On a hilltop in the town of Redemption, Arizona, the townspeople gather at an old cemetery for the first time in decades to bury a local man. The somber occasion is suddenly disrupted by a thunderous explosion in the distant desert. A plane has crashed, and it’s pouring a pillar of black smoke into the air.

As Sheriff Garth Morgan speeds toward the crash, he nearly hits a tall, pale man running down the road, with no shoes on his feet and no memory of who he is or how he got there. The only clues to his identity are a label in his handmade suit jacket and a book that’s been inscribed to him: both giving the name Solomon Creed. When Morgan tells Solomon that he is in Redemption, Arizona, Solomon begins to believe he’s here for a reason—to save a man he has never met . . . the man who was buried that morning.

Miles away, three men scan the skies for an overdue plane carrying an important package. Spotting a black cloud in the distance, they suspect something has gone badly wrong, and that the man who has sent them will demand a heavy price if the package has been lost.

To uncover the secret of his identity, Solomon Creed must uncover Redemption’s secrets too and learn the truth behind the death of the man he is there to save. But there are those who will do anything to stop him, men prepared to call on the darkest forces to prevent Solomon from seeing the light.

About the author(s)

Simon Toyne is the author of the internationally bestselling Sanctus trilogy (Sanctus, The Key, and The Tower), The Searcher, The Boy Who Saw, Dark Objects and The Clearing and has worked in British television for more than twenty years. As a writer, director, and producer he’s made several award-winning shows, one of which won a BAFTA. He lives in England with his wife and family, where he is permanently at work on his next novel.

Reviews

“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. . . .” - Daily Mirror (UK) on Sanctus

“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

“[Sanctus] might turn out to be the next great cliffhanger conspiracy thriller.” - Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“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

“Toyne cranks up the drama with the second entry in a conspiracy thriller series. . . . Well-written, fast-paced and delivered with an admirable economy of words, this book offers 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.” - Kirkus Reviews on The Key

“The Tower is the best of the three novels, no mean feat considering that the first two, Sanctus and The Key, were also exciting and thoughtful. . . . Toyne builds beautifully developed plots and fascinating thematic elements that separate his work from run-of-the-mill Dan Brown . . . Do not fail to read this unique and extraordinarily inventive novel.” - Examiner.com on The Tower

“Simon Toyne has fashioned one of the best and most original thrillers of the year with “The Searcher,” a nail-biting, relentlessly suspenseful effort that grabs us on page one and never lets go… It’s kind of Jason Bourne meets Kafka... He might be Solomon Creed, if the inscription inside a book is to be believed. Either way, in the grand tradition of the inimitable Jack Reacher, he finds himself in the aptly named town of Redemption, setting the stage a la Lee Child for a modern day Western… “The Searcher” lives up every bit to its terrific premise, a tale as wondrously conceived as it is brilliantly realized.” - Providence Journal

“One of the best and most original thrillers of the year… A nail-biting, relentlessly suspenseful effort that grabs us on page one and never lets go… “The Searcher” lives up every bit to its terrific premise, a tale as wondrously conceived as it is brilliantly realized.” - Providence Journal

“In Simon Toyne’s “The Searcher,” Toyne begins a new series with a page-turning thriller… Thriller fans should enjoy this vibrant and exciting story.” - The Missourian

“A combination of Lee Child-the Jack Reacher books-and Stephen King! How likely does that sound? But in fact the comparisons are apt… Vividly evoked action and electrically alive emotion. And a satisfying climax after breathstopping suspense. Look, just get started on this series. You’ll be glad you did.” - Sullivan County Democrat

“How do you create suspense?... That’s the defining strategy of THE SEARCHER, as Simon Toyne holds information tantalizingly out of reach over the course of his wild, mysterious novel… I read it in a two-day fever.” - New York Times Book Review

“Both marvelous and unsettling, full of myth and grounded in the real world, a bloody noir and a contemporary western, a mystery and a thriller. Written by Simon Toyne, who is a wondrous storyteller, it features a character named Solomon Creed, who is entirely original, even as he reminds you of everyone from Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon to Sergio Leone’s Man with No Name and John Connolly’s Charlie Parker… One of the best and most interesting books of 2015 thus far… Toyne keeps things steady as he shifts smoothly from one subplot to another toward their convergence. It’s a big book, but it moves and gallops, sings and excites.” - Bookreporter.com

“Both marvelous and unsettling, full of myth and grounded in the real world, a bloody noir and a contemporary western, a mystery and a thriller… Solomon Creed is entirely original, even as he reminds you of everyone from Lee Child’s Jack Reacher [to] Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon.” - Bookreporter.com

“Intrigue, mystery, atmosphere . . . it will draw you in and hold you there. Solomon Creed is a thriller with smarts and class.” - Scott Mariani

“Who is Solomon Creed? He’s the hero of a fabulous new series of thrillers. Simple as that.” - Mark Billingham

“Top-shelf writers aren’t made--they’re born, and you can tell in two pages when you’ve found one. Simon Toyne has got the gift, and THE SEARCHER proves it-his imagery, his language, and the cool mystery surrounding Solomon Creed and where he’s going. I think you’ll love this one.” - Greg Iles, author of Natchez Burning and The Bone Tree

“Not a dull page to be found anywhere. A thriller gem. Simon Toyne is a first class talent, speeding in the fast lane to the top of the genre.” - Steve Berry

“Compelling, vivid and profound, I loved it. It stays with you long after you’ve finished the final page.” - Peter James

“Toyne has turned out a subtle yet compelling religion-flavored thriller that engenders a “one more page, one more chapter” urgency, much like his previous trilogy.” - Library Journal (starred review)

“Fascinating, brilliantly conceived and executed, and filled with the kind of profound symbolism and thematic gravitas that separate Toyne’s work from others of the genre… The plot itself and the aura of mystery around Solomon Creed’s identity will keep you involved from beginning to end. But then read it again and discover for yourself a whole new level of excellence, thought-provoking and profound layers of meaning. “The Searcher” is a fine piece of literature.” - Examiner.com

“Fascinating, brilliantly conceived and executed, and filled with the kind of profound symbolism and thematic gravitas that separate Toyne’s work from others of the genre. . . . Will keep you involved from beginning to end. . . . A fine piece of literature.” - Examiner.com

“How do you create suspense?... That’s the defining strategy of THE SEARCHER, as Simon Toyne holds information tantalizingly out of reach over the course of his wild, mysterious novel… Toyne grabs our attention, and he keeps it… The book moves so swiftly in part because it’s told roughly in the span of a day…the stakes escalating while mysteries pile on top of mysteries… I read it in a two-day fever.” - New York Times Book Review

“Toyne’s descriptive skill makes for a story that is cinematically vivid. . . . The relentless pace makes the action addicting.” - Publishers Weekly on The Tower

“Toyne cranks up the drama with the second entry in a conspiracy thriller series. . . . Well-written, fast-paced and delivered with an admirable economy of words, this book offers an edge-of-the-seat story filled with action and adventure.” - Kirkus Reviews on The Key

“The Tower is the best of the three novels, no mean feat considering that the first two, Sanctus and The Key, were also exciting and thoughtful. . . . Do not fail to read this unique and extraordinarily inventive novel.” - Examiner.com on The Tower

Praise for The Sanctus Trilogy: “A huge, bold thriller, Sanctus is a bloody, twistedly perverse story about a battle against a secretive group of heretical, conspiring monks . . . . The most engaging writing I?ve read in months.” - San Jose Mercury News

“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. . . . Highly enjoyable.” - The Globe and Mail

“[A] cool, confident debut. A talented new writer who instinctively grasps the broad rules of superior action thrillers and adapts them with pace, grace, humor and a keen eye for cinematic effect.” - Daily Telegraph (UK)

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