The Priest's Graveyard

The Priest's Graveyard is the newest story from New York Times bestselling author, Ted Dekker. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking. It will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It will keep you up at night, turning pages, eager to find out what happens next. There are surprises and twists and this story is definitely not predictable. The core of this story comes down to love, and what love is. A central theme is also that of judgment - judge not, lest you too be judged. Renee Gilmore, a heroin addict strung out on the streets, finds her world being turned around when she is rescued by Lamont Myers. Lamont keeps her in a glass house as his wife, and she is happy until her world is shattered one day. Intent on justice, Renee begins a dangerous hunt. Danny Hansen is a Catholic priest who witnessed a great deal of trauma when he was a young man living in Bosnia. He moved to America, hoping to begin a new life. What he found was that the world was in need of a judge - one man who could find the people in power who used the law for their own gain and take their fate into his hands. Danny has become that judge. When Renee and Danny's paths cross, they embark on a dangerous endeavor that threatens both their lives. Neither of them will escape unscathed. The mood of this story is different than Dekker's other novels. This book was advertised as being about a vigilante priest, so one would assume this book would be as dark as BoneMan's Daughters, Adam, or The Bride Collector. However, I felt this story was more centered around Renee, a fragile young woman full of naivete and innocence. Because of this, the story was lighter, heartwarming, and at times humourous. Don't think that Dekker is going soft, though - there was enough thriller and adrenaline to keep me up until 3:30 in the morning to finish the book. Danny's journey is more ragged and raw, giving the classic edge to the story that Dekker does so masterfully. Something else Dekker has an incredible talent for is presenting his characters' emotions and feelings in a way that feels real. I could identify with Danny's struggle and Renee's pain because it was believable. Dekker gives so much personality and dimension to these characters they could walk off the page! This story is a tale of rebirth, love, and judgment. It is raw and thrilling, while taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs. From the first page, it is compelling and will keep you turning pages until you reach the last word on the final page. You might shed a few tears before the story is over. This is definitely one of Dekker's finest works. If you're already a Dekker fan, this is a must-have for your collection. If you're new to Dekker, this is a great book to start your collection with - because once you read this one, you'll want to read more.

My favorite books by Ted Dekker are Blink, Three, Adam, The Bride Collector, and Immanuel's Veins. I am a huge fan of his. All of these books gripped me from the first word and did not let go, making me feel like I was living rather than reading the story. Sadly, The Priest's Graveyard was not like those books. Don't get me wrong, I did like the book and it made some very good points and for that I gave it four stars. So I will first list the things I liked about the book. The main theme was "Judge not, that you be not judged." Overall, the story was about the Law and how it was impossible to live up to those expectations of perfection, and so Grace was implemented so we could escape punishment for not being perfect. We are taught that yes, the world is indeed flawed and in need of cleaning up, but not one of us by judging another can fix anything because we are no better than anyone else. I loved this part of the story. I could understand how Danny thought and why he felt the way he did, and I felt myself agreeing with him and rooting for him many times even though I knew his actions were wrong. The story is told from the perspective of two different people, and I like the way you get each person's thoughts and feelings about the same situation, which at times are totally different. The ending was beautiful, which I won't give away here, but will only say that Danny did come to his senses in a wonderful way. So perhaps it will seem that I am judging when I say what I didn't like about this book! I just sometimes felt like Ted was distracted while writing the book. For one thing there were several inconsistencies that I just couldn't get past, which I found odd for such a talented author as Ted, who is usually a perfectionist about his writing. One of the main characters mentions a cover up and that is never fully explained. In another part, the same main character takes a cab to a residence to perform her own brand of justice, and when it is over she says she drove back home. Yet another time it is told that the second main character killed the three men who killed his family the same day they killed them but farther into the book it says he killed them a year after they killed his family. Maybe I am being too picky but these things just bother me. Early on in the book I began to notice the story just wasn't taking hold of me the way most of Ted's books do, and I felt like that was because he was writing from a woman's perspective and perhaps was trying to be softer. While I was reading Danny's parts, I would start to feel like the story was picking up momentum, only to be slowed down again when it was Renee's turn. There were many times I wanted to slap Renee because she was such an idiot, and I found myself hoping someone would catch her or take her out! She was portrayed as very co-dependent and I felt that Danny, for all his faults, deserved better. So I did like the book, but if I were trying to introduce the author to someone who had never read his work, I would pick one of the books I listed at the beginning rather than this one.

A very deep and exciting novel, whose dimensions I can't possibly begin to unravel until I read it again. So many themes explored by Ted Dekker. Thoroughly impressed. A proper review is inevitable in due course, in the meantime, read it! You won't be disappointed!

Always love the gripping story and the lessons entwined throughout. Highly recommend this book or any by Ted Dekker. Heart changing

I am a Dekker fan and have been for quite a few years now, so I knew that I would most likely enjoy the book. I was not wrong. I gave it four stars because it has a good plot, is well written and in true Dekker fashion has you intrigued from start to finish. It did not get the full 5 stars because I felt that something was missing - something to make it stand out from other books of its kind. That being said I still gave it 4, it is good and I would recommend it.

This was my first Ted Dekker book and I can assure you that is won't be my last.....this man can really tell a story!!!

Ted Dekker is a wonderfully talented writer, but this story was too dark for me. I put it down about halfway through.