Customer Reviews

The Last Sanctuary

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Craig Holden's The Last Sanctuary is the good old-fashioned pot-boiling thriller, filled with lots of blood, explosions, and plot twist, but nearly devoid of human characters. In this story, Joe, while hitchhiking in Montana becomes involved with members of a radical religious group (like the Branch Davidians, only this time in Alaska), and is implicated as a suspect when a gun deal gone bad results in multiple deaths. A mark of the contemporary thriller is its political correctness, in this instance making the crackerjack rebel cop both female and minority - Leanne Red Feather. Both the genre of police thrillers and our nation having endured generations of white male rule, it is a good thing in general that both society and fiction mirror the composition of the modern community. I only wish Holden hadn't been so obvious - and, it feels, almost exploitative - about his choice of hero. As the genre requires, this book chugs along nicely, and the drama never flags. The characters, however, neither make an impression nor evoke any empathy from the reader. For this reason, I must consider this book a disappointment.

I read this book after having read Four Corners of Night and the River Sorrow (the author's other books). The other two books are superior. The Last Sanctuary is predictable and implausible, but an OK beach read.

I have read all of Craig Holden's books and thought this was his best. The main character is a gulf war vet / regular guy, who becomes mixed up with murdering, thieving, scheming cult members looking for a patsy to take the fall. A gutsy female ATF agent and a conflicted cult member are strong, believable characters, as well. Lots of plot twists and unusual, well developed characters. A great read!

I think that the plot was great. I think that the plot could've gone anywhere! That he has a life now that could include anything... But his writing style.. so many times I had put the book down, and wondered if I should pick it back up. Luckily I am stubborn. There were some parts that weren't even really believable, especially the parts about Rick.

Holden has a great grasp on the tragic American hero and is also able to spin highly-infectious stories. The resultant combo is best displayed in The River Sorrow. While this book starts strong and has a vice-like hold on the reader through the middle sections, I found the last section to be predictable, and even a bit corny. I was downright disappointed with Holden on this latest offering, but as I hold him to an exceptionally high standard, I still must give the book a decent review. A great one to bring to the beach; make sure you apply enough suntan lotion before starting the book as you'll have a hard time putting it down for much of the story

This is a good read. The characters in the story are very three dimensional. I especially like the FBI agent RedFeather. The ending is a bit surprising, but I don't like it. Apart from that the whole plot is quite well-organised. Read it on the beach, or during a long flight. You should not be disappointed!

I liked the novel, it kept me reading until the end. I did not like the ending though. (I'm not going to give it away) This is a good cottage book. I will try Holden's other books as well.

"The Last Sanctuary" sat on my bookshelves for the past couple years, collecting dust. I finally picked it up after completing Holden's first novel, "The River Sorrow," anxiously looking for more of the same excellent suspenseful story telling. I was not let down.

While the main character, Joe Curtis, is not all that memorable as heros go, the pace of the novel more than makes up for this. With plausible situations and personalities, entertaining twists and a climactic ending, "The Last Sanctuary" proves that Holden is as entertaining as Clancy, without all the technical writing. Can't wait to get started on Mr. Holden's third novel!

I liked Craig Holden's first book, The River Sorrow, so this was something of a disappointment to me. The plot is interesting, the characters are quirky and innovative, and the action's good enough to keep your interest, but somehow the sum added up to less than the parts.

Joe Curtis is trying to go to Seattle to bail his brother out of trouble when his car breaks down. He decides to hitchhike the rest of the way, and winds up getting picked up by a couple. The male half of the couple robs a convenience store, shoots three people, and then tries to frame Joe for the killings. The three of them then split up, and the chase begins.

There are several characters in the story, including a Native American ATF agent, an Asian one too, members and a leader of a strange religious cult, and other interesting people. Somehow, none of them are particularly compelling. You don't care, really, if any of them live or die, and you don't wonder what's going to happen to them. When the action begins, you're uninterested in what's going to happen next.

I enjoyed The River Sorrow, and I suppose someone else might be more interested in this than I am. There are several annoying errors also (the Branch Davidians didn't have a .50 cal. MG, as the ATF alleged) and they detract from the story. I wouldn't recommend this book unless the person was aware of what they were getting into.

The author has written a book that is better than his first - which is hard to do! This book is well written and builds at a pace which captivates the readers interest throughout (in other words it's hard to put down!!!). Highly recommeded.