The Priest's Graveyard, by Ted Dekker

Wow. I am once again impressed with Ted's storytelling. A few of his recent offerings were mediocre at best, in my opinion, but Dekker's latest thriller had me captivated from the start.

This is perhaps Ted's darkest novel to date—and if you're familiar with Dekker's writing at all, you'll know that he doesn't normally shy away from the gritty, gruesome, and gross. But in his other works, there was a clear theological theme or symbolic motif that framed the story and put the darkness into perspective. Priest's Graveyard, although it covers the topic of grace and justice in the form of a vigilante...it's different. Maybe it's because the issue at stake is a difficult one, maybe it's because the book was published through the secular market, maybe it's because Dekker wrote it so well, or maybe it's because I just didn't fully understand it. In any case, I am still trying to sift through the ideas to understand what he was trying to say—unless his point was to get his readers to think, in which case: job accomplished.

I was mesmerized by the story. Ever since I read a preview of the prologue and first chapter online, I knew that this was going to be a good one. When the reviews started coming in, I only got more excited. And I'm happy to say that the anticipation was well worth it; the book did not disappoint. The characters were well-drawn; I thought Dekker did a good job with the female first-person point of view, and for once, he actually made a male protagonist who seems different from the male protagonists in his other books. The plot is interesting and fast-paced and I don't really want to give too much away; read the synopsis or a few other reviews if you want to know the details. And yes, there is a twist, and it's a doozy I didn't see coming. However, it's this twist, the consequences of it, and the ultimate outcome that have me confused as to what Dekker was trying to imply, because I thought I had the symbolism all figured out until it got chucked out the window.

And then there's the vigilante theme. It's a very intriguing premise, an interesting portrayal, and it raises some very tough moral questions. It's also why I call it Dekker's darkest book. Because in this story, the good guys are actually very, very bad guys, and it's complicated because he makes you root for them anyway, and you want to root for them because you know that inside they are good people and they are only trying to do what is right, and the scary thing is that it all makes sense. But you follow them on murderous escapades full of torturous details, most of which are lengthily premeditated and planned. And that's why I say it's dark.

The Priest's Graveyard is a very good book, though, that I would recommend to anyone who knows what they're getting themselves into. Utterly absorbing, absolutely fascinating, and ultimately shocking; it's one of Ted's most original works in quite some time. You don't want to miss it.

4.5 out of 5