The Priests Graveyard

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That being said, the times it does come are very shocking and may deter the sensitive readers.

The Priest's Graveyard

For example a man gets cut up in pieces, lots of people are shot, and a man gets his tongue cut off while in a drugged sleep. None in action, lots of past references, and a girl is threatened sexually once. Passionate kissing in multiple scenes. Again, nothing taken in action, but a lot of references to Heroin since the main character was addicted by it.

But despite all the violence, this is an amazing book with a great message. Skip to content May 22, June 7, Lucas W.

Ted Dekker, The Priest’s Graveyard, Review.

Spoiler Alert At the end Danny and Renee realize that everyone is guilty, not only the ones who hurt others. But then one day Lamont never returns, forcing Renee to seek out the man she believes killed him. Thus it is that Danny and Renee meet, forging a friendship that based on their mutual interest in one man. His ability to keep the reader glued to the page just gets better and better as he weaves a unique tale about a very unlikely duo.

Danny only kills those who despise redemption; Renee seeks vengeance for a great wrong. The story that precedes is totally written for the twist, bringing the novel thematic depth and personal introspection. From a thematic aspect, Dekker is completely in his element, penning one of his most interesting takes on Law and Grace yet. In the process of telling a page-turning story, Dekker engages the eyes of those that can see and the ears of those who can hear to ask deep questions about the nature of morality, the purpose of the Law, and the power of Grace.

Dekker challenges those who think they have their lives together, suggesting that the monster within is something they are not without and that it is but by Grace can we stand victorious. The only question is whether or not Danny and Renee will discover this to be true before they are judged with the same judgment through which have judged.

More than just an author who seeks to solely entertain, Dekker is a Storyteller—one who laces their tales with meaning, purpose, and passion for the sake of helping the reader discover some new Truth. Good thing too, because Dekker has recently revealed that his April release is going to be a sequel. Powered by Facebook Comments. I am so excited! The anticipation is killing me! Ted Dekker is my favorite author of all time!

Hope we connect soon. This one sounds intriguing, Josh. I was completely sucked into this world. What I liked best about the book was how I was continually being challenged on my own personal thoughts and beliefs while reading the book. I found myself judging the characters and pondering the questions posed to them and themselves while reading. I loved the suspense and edge of your seat events that happened. I am a fan of serial killer type books. One could argue whether this is a serial killer book or not, but I do love to read these.

This is a level above the rest because it is not cheesy and actually through it all causes the reader to actually think about what we would do in certain situations. I was interested in finding out how he was going to bring these two characters together and it worked out perfectly.

Not what I expected, but even better. The ending caught me off guard. I was not expecting the ending, but it was better than expected. It actually gave me pause to go back and rethink everything I was thinking during the reading. I look forward to a book club with the novel not only on FB, but also in person I run a book club and this would be a great one to discuss. I have only read one other book by Ted Dekker, but after reading this book, I need to go back and read some of his other works.

This is a perfect summer read. I won't leave a rating but I really did not care for this novel. I listened to 35 of tracks over two hours on an airplane trip and could not enjoy this story. I really wanted to like it but did not enjoy listening about a refugee who kills people whom he disagrees with- apparently in the name of religion. The other main character- a reformed drug addicted prostitute- who is apparently held captive in a Malibu, CA mansion on the ocean as a "sex slave" for lack of a better term by an OCD germophobe.

It seemed well written but not a topic or plot that I wanted to follow to the end. I won't deep six the novel's rating but I can't recommend it. You can decide for yourself- but it doesn't get my vote. Mar 17, Renee rated it liked it.

Lucas W. Munachen

I preordered this months ago because it sounded so good. Okay, so I devoured this book. The pace and tension are excellent. Now and then I paused, unable to suspend disbelief quite as much as Dekker required for some bits, but the action kept me moving forward, and able to let those parts go. The only major I'm so excited. The only major problem I have with this book is that the characterization felt weak. I felt that Renee tended to slip completely out of character now and then, beyond what would be acceptable for someone with her obvious issues.

Some of her dialogue and actions just felt so off the wall that it was hard to relate to her and hard to like her. Actually, her character annoyed me. This is probably the biggest reason I wouldn't give this novel 5 stars. Yes, she annoyed me that much. Every time I read her name, I made up a different name in my head just so we'd have nothing in common.

Yes, sometimes I'm a child. Danny felt very similar to the protagonists in Thr3e and Bride Collector. While he had obvious differences, as a reader, I felt as though I'd followed this character before. Is that a bad thing? All writers put a bit of ourselves into our characters, primarily the protagonists. I think that these particular characters reflect some of Dekker's stronger traits.

Danny didn't annoy me. I can't help but admire Dekker's ability to weave a plot that seems so basic and yet, at the end so very layered. The ending is not what I expected. For me, personally, I found it kind of weak, but that's a personal thing and doesn't reflect the actual goodness or badness of the ending at all. I guess with all of that action, I expected Do I recommend it? Yes, very much so. The Priest's Graveyard is an entertaining, fast paced read that I guarantee will surprise you at least once in your journey.

View all 11 comments. Mar 17, Sharon Salonen rated it it was ok. This is the first Ted Dekker book I've read and it didn't appeal to me as much as I'd hoped. I liked the idea of a priest seeking vengeance on the evil people of the world, and if we'd had more of Father Danny Hanson's exploits in the book I think I may have enjoyed it more. The trouble I had was with the character of Renee Gilmore. For all that she had been through basically orphaned, addicted to drugs, treated badly by some shady men, etc.

I should have felt compassion and been on her side, This is the first Ted Dekker book I've read and it didn't appeal to me as much as I'd hoped. I should have felt compassion and been on her side, but I became more and more annoyed to the point that at the end of the book I disliked her and didn't care what happened to her. Her dialogue at times and the way she behaved was too over-the-top for me, as was the plot at times I don't know how she got away with doing some of the things she did without even an inkling of interest from the authorities.

She seemed so manic and crazed at times, and behaved rather stupidly at others, that she lost my support. And for a newbie to the world of vengeance, Renee did not balk much at, or indeed have any adverse reaction to, some of the things they did of a murderous nature. If someone can suggest another of his books to try, I'm game, but this particular one didn't work for me. View all 5 comments. May 06, Jenny rated it did not like it.

I don't understand these ratings. Did I read the same book!? Apr 11, Wall-to-wall books - wendy rated it it was amazing Shelves: You have no idea what a thrill it was for me to one of the few chosen to review this book, being the huge fan that I am of Ted Dekker's.

It has been a while since I have read a Dekker book about 6 mo. I am so glad that this book did not disappoint. Within the first chapter this book jumps out at you with all its suspensefulness! Dekker also has a way with the characters. Just after the first couple of chapters I was in love with the three main ch You have no idea what a thrill it was for me to one of the few chosen to review this book, being the huge fan that I am of Ted Dekker's.

Just after the first couple of chapters I was in love with the three main characters. Renee' is just plain adorable! She is needy, sweet, kind, thankful, nice Danny is suppose to be the bad guy?

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Then why do we like him so much? And there's Lamont - sweet guy, Angel, Renee's Savior? Wow, Guess we didn't really know him at all! Are these 3 people bad guys turned good, or good guys turned bad? It is really hard to tell. I could have easily sat and read this whole book in one sitting, but everyday life gets in the way.

So I read it in 2 days! This book is suspense at its very best. It literally keeps you guessing on each page. Towards the end - I thought "No! I still couldn't believe it until I read more. This is one of Ted Dekker's best! If you have never read a book by Ted Dekker, first let me tell you how much you are missing out! Are you into very suspenseful books? Do you love being on the edge of your chair at the turn of every page? Do you love books that make you gasp out loud? You have got to try one. This is a good one to start with! Call me twisted, but I love the way Dekker's mind works.

Whenever I read his thrillers I always vacillate between being freaked out and being impressed by his subtle theology. In the end I am always edified by his insight into the human condition, which is the most important thing for me when I read a book. The takeaway value of Dekker's thrillers is priceless I get something out of each story and it's not merely thrills and excitement. I think about spiritual things, which is Call me twisted, but I love the way Dekker's mind works. Like I said, call me twisted, but I love them! His novels are always page-turners for me, too.

And the depth of the love themes is mind-blowing to me, but only because I see it. I'm sure many people miss the message because they aren't looking for it, but I see how he shines light in the darkness every time. It's funny because I never feel grossed out or disgusting after I read one of his novels. My pulse gets pounding and my adrenaline goes up because I am truly worried for the people in the book which is nuts because they aren't real, or so I keep telling myself and somehow Dekker manages to make me smile at the end of each and every book of his that I read.

Dekker "gets" how complex the human heart is and he does a fantastic job with redemption themes. This story shows how it's impossible for man to live by the law and how grace is the only answer They may be killing for what seems to be noble reasons, but in the end they are still killing.

Yet at the same time he makes them fully human. He shows how trauma twists the way people view things. All brilliantly portrayed and executed I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that I loved this book! View all 3 comments. Ok, well, maybe a one star rating is a bit too harsh, so I will up it to 1 and a half , but I have read Ted Dekker novels before and felt this one was just not "right".

The beginning of the book had a great premise, that of a priest turned vigilante going after all those bad guys that the law just couldn't or wouldn't touch. I enjoyed his character and the background of what made him chose to follow the path he does. Even the inclusion of the druggie, soon to be sex slave was not bad, However, Ok, well, maybe a one star rating is a bit too harsh, so I will up it to 1 and a half , but I have read Ted Dekker novels before and felt this one was just not "right". Even the inclusion of the druggie, soon to be sex slave was not bad, However, when Dekker put these two together as a team, I felt the novel fell right apart.

The premise of the story is that these two, Renee the druggie sex slave and Danny the priest track and kill the men responsible for the killing of Renee's lover, Lamont. Along the way, as Renee trains for her soon to be new occupation, there is a bevy of bad guys who of course meet their maker, and the eventual falling in love of the two protagonists. This book was extremely hard for me to swallow. It seemed improbable and very contrived. Of course the question of who is the one to deliver justice is handled without any conclusion.

Judge not, lest you be judged is brought up and the moral conscious of the soon to be ex priest is touched by this dilemma. I know that I am in a huge minority by not liking this book. I can honestly say it rubbed me the wrong way surprise huh? Jun 05, Linda rated it really liked it Shelves: This theme is rather exceptional. Father Danny Hansen is a most unusual priest who does the most unusual things in his spare time, because of his horrible past. He rids the world of evil, but only those proven guilty. If the badguy turns down his offered choice of repentance he judges him and uses the kind of punishment he finds appropriate - most likely the worst.

For every life he takes, he saves a wife, children or involuntary prostitutes. When punishing the guilty for their sins, Danny does i This theme is rather exceptional. When punishing the guilty for their sins, Danny does in fact consider himself God's judge on earth and he tries to be objective, though it's difficult. He follows an ethic that's influenced by a kind of consequential moral utilitarianism when he judges people. When his path is crossed by a young woman named Renee Gilmore, everything becomes complicated. It's fascinating to follow Danny's inner struggle between killing the guilty and remain a role model for Renee, who's just entered the deadly business.

As Renee becomes more engaged into the messy brutality of judging and killing, Danny begins to question his own nature, whether his objective consequential moral reasoning is just an illusion and whether he's much better than the guys he's judging. It's really fascinating and tragic. Reminds me a little of Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" when it comes to the reasoning of the possibility that evil people hide behind the law, which might be an obsticle for justice.

Apr 19, J. Lawrence rated it it was amazing. I am slowly but surely reading through this author's books.

To date, this book is Dekker's best. Choose to pass on it and you have missed out. No spoilers from me! Just read it and be blown away. Aug 22, Philip rated it it was amazing Shelves: I've only read one other book by Ted Dekker, but this one is a good read. I had left a previous review, that I added more about the book. Now, I decided that this book is one of Ted Dekker's books that you need to be read. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys mystery and thriller.

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