Sigmund Brouwer, The Canary List

The Canary List

Sigmund Brouwer

WaterBrook, Jun 21 2011, $13.99

ISBN 9780307446466

In Santa Monica, twelve years old Jamie Piper is a serial foster care child who has been in and out of many homes. She senses being stalked by "evil" and not the homeless who seem to follow her; but the frightened child has few people to turn to so goes to the only authority figure currently in her life that she somewhat trusts, her teacher Mr. (Crockett) Grey who is getting drunk on the anniversary of his beloved daughter Ashley's death. Instead of offering the tweener solace, he is accused of child molestation and arrested.

A psychiatrist Dr. Mackenzie takes her away with him and sends her DNA for testing. Meanwhile Crocket struggles to uncover what has happened to him and where did Jamie go. As the mess gets darker and nastier, Crocket finds the Vatican watching him though he cannot fathom why, but believes he knows the next stop in his odyssey to regain his lost life.

This is an exciting Vatican intrigue with a possession twist (and late nod) to the Brownian thriller. Containing a different tone from Simon Brouwer's morality tales (see Broken Angel); The Canary List is much more action oriented. Although Crockett, already emotionally broken with his daughter's death from cancer, seems to adjust to the molestation charges too easily, this incredibly fast-paced storyline hooks fans especially when the demon fighters appear.

Harriet Klausner