- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Press; First Edition edition (4 Nov 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0593046579
- ISBN-13: 978-0593046579
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,412,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Sanctum
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Product Description
Review
The story is told by way of Lachlan Harriot's diaries, following the conviction of his wife Susie for murder of serial killer Andrew Gow, a prisoner in her care. She is a respected forensic psychiatrist, and Lachlan knows she will receive a life sentence unless he can put together a successful appeal. To this end he laboriously goes through all her papers, but comes up with more questions than answers. For instance, why had she stolen a set of prison files and then lied about it? What was in her study that she did not want him to find? Lachlan battles on with his life, his young daughter looked after by the fat Spanish au pair. What he discovers makes a riveting account of humans under intolerable stress. This is an incredibly powerful novel, full of atmosphere, by the author of the much-acclaimed Garnethill trilogy
The Big Issue
‘Gripping … Mina’s touch is adept and sure … It’s a good book.’
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Denise Mina is now one of my all time favourite writers. Ever since her debut novel, her writing and skill as a story-teller has matured as her career progresses, becoming better and better with each book. Indeed, "Resolution", the final novel in her Garnethill trilogy was almost a masterpiece. With this, her first stand-alone novel, she gets even better.
The story she tells is fascinating, told in beautifully compelling prose laced with the raw emotions felt by a man whose wife has been sent to jail for the brutal murder of a serial killer. (The story is told as the diaries of Lachlan Harriot, husband of the woman who is accused and imprisoned over the killing of five-times killer Andrew Gow.) The way the story is gradually unfolded through the diaries is absolutely fascinating, and propells the reader through the book in search of the next twist, the next bit of information.
The characters are drawn really well, often a hard task when writing in the first-person. Lachlan Harriot is very likeable, and it is very enjoyable to follow the story through his eyes and perceptions.
The issues Mina tackles are handled well, and she makes their exploration fasinating.
the plot is very strong, and refreshingly original, and the final solution is completely unexpected, and some of the revelations are rather shocking, in fact.
Overall, this is a fascinating, excellently written, compelling book which i would reccomend to absolutely anyone. Denise Mina's talent is growing and growing, to the extent that this book is one of the best things i've ever read.
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
“Sanctum” is Denise Mina’s fourth novel, but the first not to feature former psychiatric patient Maureen O’Donnell as the central character.
Lachlan Harriot’s wife, Dr Susie Harriot, has been convicted of murdering a notorious serial killer; she’s also been accused of having sexual relations with the man prior to the murder taking place.
Lachie is convinced that his ‘darling wife Susie’ is completely innocent and is determined to uncover evidence that will help to overturn the murder conviction.
The book is written from the point of view of Lachie through a series of diary entries that he composes in Dr Susie’s secret study each night. He documents his progress (or lack of) in coming up with evidence to make an appeal possible; he has as his disposal a plethora of information as his wife was actually the psychiatrist of the man whom she was accused of murdering. Lachlan is also struggling to come to terms with the forced changes in his life: he has a young daughter to look after with no mother around to help; the press are taking photograph’s that make him look fat & ugly; and horror upon horrors – his Mother and Father are coming to stay.
As the story progresses, Lachlan is forced to examine the fact that things at home have never been quite the way he always assumed them to be. Maybe Susie did commit the murders after all. But what reason could she possibly have to do so?
“Sanctum” is far removed from Denise Mina’s Garnethill trilogy: although murders have taken place and there are a few shocks and surprises as the story unravels, the atmosphere of the book is nowhere near as dark and disturbing as Mina’s previous novels.
The writing is wonderful – as we have come to expect from the author – and it’s quite possible that reading a shopping-list written by Denise would be a rewarding experience. One particular description of the Selfridges sweetie department had me salivating at the mouth; my plain old dairy-milk chocolate bar didn’t taste so good that night.
Overall: top quality plot, characterization and prose make this book a welcome addition from an exceptionally talented Scottish writer.
Lachlan Harriot’s wife, Dr Susie Harriot, has been convicted of murdering a notorious serial killer; she’s also been accused of having sexual relations with the man prior to the murder taking place.
Lachie is convinced that his ‘darling wife Susie’ is completely innocent and is determined to uncover evidence that will help to overturn the murder conviction.
The book is written from the point of view of Lachie through a series of diary entries that he composes in Dr Susie’s secret study each night. He documents his progress (or lack of) in coming up with evidence to make an appeal possible; he has as his disposal a plethora of information as his wife was actually the psychiatrist of the man whom she was accused of murdering. Lachlan is also struggling to come to terms with the forced changes in his life: he has a young daughter to look after with no mother around to help; the press are taking photograph’s that make him look fat & ugly; and horror upon horrors – his Mother and Father are coming to stay.
As the story progresses, Lachlan is forced to examine the fact that things at home have never been quite the way he always assumed them to be. Maybe Susie did commit the murders after all. But what reason could she possibly have to do so?
“Sanctum” is far removed from Denise Mina’s Garnethill trilogy: although murders have taken place and there are a few shocks and surprises as the story unravels, the atmosphere of the book is nowhere near as dark and disturbing as Mina’s previous novels.
The writing is wonderful – as we have come to expect from the author – and it’s quite possible that reading a shopping-list written by Denise would be a rewarding experience. One particular description of the Selfridges sweetie department had me salivating at the mouth; my plain old dairy-milk chocolate bar didn’t taste so good that night.
Overall: top quality plot, characterization and prose make this book a welcome addition from an exceptionally talented Scottish writer.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I couldn't put down this book. I was intrigued, desperate to make sense of the conviction of Lachlan Harriot's wife for the murder of Andrew Gow, a self-confessed serial killer who had been inexplicably released on appeal.
One's sympathies are torn apart. It seems so real: the vagaries of the British Justice System with the many documented cases of innocents in prison, a husband-and-wife relationship that turns out to be less than it seems, the almost mundane revelation that people change, we change, and that we can never really know what goes on inside another person’s head.
Denise creates a lifelike quality by cleverly maintaining several doubts in your mind. Are these case notes for real? (I had to do a search on the internet to satisfy myself about this.) Did Susie Harriot really murder Andrew Gow? She didn’t surely? And if she did then how and why? What really happened at Cape Wrath? Was he really innocent of murder? Surely not? And where does Donna, Andrew’s correspondence bride, fit in?
Other than a few, hardly noticeable lumpy moments in writing style, the book is extraordinarily well-crafted. Everything fits so well together. It’s worth reading a second time, now with the perspective of hindsight, to experience the story in a different way.
I am still occasionally arrested in my thinking to marvel at the interconnectedness of the plot and the wholly unexpected conclusion.
One's sympathies are torn apart. It seems so real: the vagaries of the British Justice System with the many documented cases of innocents in prison, a husband-and-wife relationship that turns out to be less than it seems, the almost mundane revelation that people change, we change, and that we can never really know what goes on inside another person’s head.
Denise creates a lifelike quality by cleverly maintaining several doubts in your mind. Are these case notes for real? (I had to do a search on the internet to satisfy myself about this.) Did Susie Harriot really murder Andrew Gow? She didn’t surely? And if she did then how and why? What really happened at Cape Wrath? Was he really innocent of murder? Surely not? And where does Donna, Andrew’s correspondence bride, fit in?
Other than a few, hardly noticeable lumpy moments in writing style, the book is extraordinarily well-crafted. Everything fits so well together. It’s worth reading a second time, now with the perspective of hindsight, to experience the story in a different way.
I am still occasionally arrested in my thinking to marvel at the interconnectedness of the plot and the wholly unexpected conclusion.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Mina at a dead-end
This book was written after the Garnethill trilogy and before the Paddy Meehan series and, for me it is a relative failure. Read more
Published 1 month ago by old dude
Review of Sanctum
I usually love Denise Mina's books and I loved this one until
almost the end. I didn't find the ending credible--it finished
up too quickly with not enough background. Read more
almost the end. I didn't find the ending credible--it finished
up too quickly with not enough background. Read more
Published 2 months ago by meowlory
Publication date misleading
The actual original publication date of this work should have been included. I had read this before and was led to believe that it was recently published. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Classic
as enjoyable as ever
Mina's Garnethill trilogy and the more recent series featuring Paddy Meehan put her in the top echelons of British crime writers today. Read more
Published on 31 Jan 2010 by W. J. S. Kirton
Absorbing and controlled...
This is a little different from the usual thriller fare; both in the narrative process and the starting point. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2009 by bloodsimple
A little too simple
I chose this book to start reading Denise Mina. I've heard such good things about her two series, but I thought a stand alone would be a good place to start. Maybe not. Read more
Published on 9 Nov 2006 by Mathilda
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