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The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer

by E.A. West

February 14, 2012

When we first meet Crockett Grey, a teacher his troubled students affectionately call “Mr. G.”, he’s determined to get as drunk as possible in an attempt to dull the pain of losing his daughter. He thinks he’s seeing her ghost at his window, but then he realizes it’s one of his students. Jaimie Piper is terrified and Mr. G. is the only person she can trust to keep her safe from Evil, which she can feel hunting her. Unfortunately, her arrival draws Crockett into a complex and frightening conspiracy that extends all the way to the Vatican. In order to protect Jaimie and regain control of his own life, Crockett must work with child psychologist Dr. Madelyne Mackenzie and a hacker named Catfish to uncover the truth.

Author Sigmund Brouwer doesn’t disappoint with this speculative fiction thriller. From the beginning, readers are drawn into a dark and scary conspiracy that takes the standard “what if” question to a whole new level. The main question explored in The Canary List appears to be “What if a Satanist holds a high position in the Catholic Church?” As expected, this leads to a plot full of twists and turns, fraught with danger, and many references to make readers wonder if demons are real.

This book is not for the faint of heart. However, if you enjoy conspiracy theories, thrillers, suspense, complex mysteries, or speculative fiction, this may be the book for you. The Canary List contains all of this, along with a very disturbing look at what could happen if certain key elements of the story were real. The story grabs readers from the first page and holds them captive until the very end. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Brouwer’s work in the future.