Siding Star

by Christopher Bryan

When an intruder dies mysteriously in Exeter Cathedral, Detective Inspector Cecilia Cavaliere’s investigation becomes anything but routine. An ancient book leads her to the doorsteps of the wealthy and powerful. Thwarted by her superiors, she finds an unlikely source of help in a family friend. But can a law enforcer believe a priest’s stories about an evil she cannot see?

Half a world away, a quiet astronomer makes a discovery of his own – his telescope reveals nothing less than the impending destruction of the planet.

This sharp thriller moves in the same universe as C.S.Lewis and Charles WIlliams, and takes the reader deep into the supernatural world, where something dark and sinister has been awakened.

"Bryan’s heroes aren’t just likable but lovable: intelligent, amusing, hard-working, even kind to animals. In contrast, the novel’s villains are truly spooky and disturbing; readers are always aware of in the urgency of stopping their evil plans. An enjoyable novel of spiritual mystery and adventure—well plotted, intelligent and deeply moving."--Kirkus Review (starred review)

Named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2013

Genres: Thriller

391 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2012

Reviews

[Kate]

A character's beloved cat died and this was described in a very emotionally evocative way in the first 25 pages. Day ruined, unable to be charitable, will not finish. It seemed an innocent wolf was next on the block before I put it down, which didn't incline one to persevere.

[David Dunlap · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Greek theologian comes to Exeter Cathedral and performs some occult ritual; his corpse is discovered the next day. A tame wolf escapes from a local fair and turns up at the Cathedral. An astronomer, mourning his cat, assembles a team to accompany him to Australia on a research project. A shadowy group of prominent people are meeting to discuss the ceremony necessary to bring about the end of the world. What, if any, are the connections between/among these seemingly disparate events? That is something Detective Inspector Cecilia Cavaliere means to find out, but her investigations stir up some powerful opposition that may prove deadly to her...or to her Italian immigrant parents. -- This book seems to gather strength as it proceeds. I was not too enamored of the occult plotline, to be honest, but as DI Cavaliere pursues the clues, the suspense and interest mounted. -- I'm not sure why the character of U.N. translator Natalie Lawrence was introduced 2/3 of the way through the narrative (except as a love interest for the heartbroken astronomer Charlie Brown), but I am amazed at how seemingly effortlessly the author manages to make her come alive in very few pages. -- Not sure, as yet, whether I will pursue the sequel, but I did end up enjoying this.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

It makes me feel uncomfortable to be critical about writing, with no mitigation, but this is possibly the most poorly written book I have ever read. It was selected by someone in my book group, so I read it honour bound, but that is the only thing that got me through it. The prose is astonishingly wooden and simplistic. It makes Dan Brown look like a virtuoso wordsmith. The characters themselves are two dimensional projections of a world view of stereotypes who behave in entirely unconvincing ways that no human being ever would. The plot is simply bizarre - and not in an interesting, quirky way, just non-credible, odd, and - surprisingly, given the "end of the galaxy" aspect of the plot - dull. What surprised me most was the tin ear the author seems to have for English and England, given his biog indicates significant time in England, with both tone and details off the mark.

If you, like me, believe that you can't judge a book by its cover, prepare to be disproved here. It looks like someone's young teenage nephew/niece has been let loose with photoshop, and hasn't yet quite got the hang of it. This shouldn't matter, of course, but here it accurately sets the tone for the whole book.

I honestly can't understand how this got published. I presume there must be a market for it, but it is beyond me to imagine who would like this. I note that the recommendation on the back come from one of the author's work colleagues, which at least encourages one eyebrow to raise when thinking about impartiality.

I hope that the author is good at something else, and can find another way to make a life and a living. In the meantime, please don't encourage him to write any more. Good Reads is full of . . . good reads. Go and find some of them instead.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun thriller, about the rise of a dark evil, and the ordinary people who come against it. Part Dan Brown, part CS Lewis, and very well written. The characters are all very real, and likable (well, at least the 'good guys' are). None is made out to have some kind of extraordinary skill or power, which I enjoyed. I also liked the fact that they were ADULTS. No teen angst here. Just real people who react in real ways. The story moves along at a clipping pace - I definitely didn't want to put it down! I do hope the sequel comes out soon - though the ending of the book wraps things up nicely and doesn't scream "SEQUEL", which is always refreshing. I also like the inclusion of animals in the story - the author must be a pet lover!

[Ty Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway a few months back but hadn't gotten to it until now. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what to think of it. It feels a bit like two different books at times. One book that could have ended about halfway through, and then another book that took elements of the story and kept them going. At times I felt like the writing was a little bogged down by an abundance of details, but it didn't happen so often that I was overly bothered about it. For the most part the story moved along at a good pace and had heroes you could get behind. It reminds me ever so slightly of Dan Brown, similar in style but the pacing is nowhere near as rapid as Mr. Brown's. Overall I liked the book and might consider picking up the sequel if I come across it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. At first I was discouraged by the lack of character development. It reminded me all too much of the good person/bad person dichotomy of the "Left Behind" series. But the development of the themes of damnation, redemption, and salvation were fascinating. It's often difficult to express an unusual Christian view of these themes without getting tied up in the baggage of ages of discussion. I'm looking forward to the next novel, as I think this novelist's mastery of character development will grow, and I would like to see a further exploration of these themes. This book reminded me very much of CS Lewis "That Hideous Strength."

[Missy Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to read this book. It was such a wonderful read. It even made speak to myself out loud at the end, "OH...I didn't want that to happen but I understand why it did." If good reads would have made it possible I would have rated this book 4.5 stars instead of just 4. It was an excellent story and again I am thankful that I got to read it.

[Daniel Weir · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mother would have called this a theological thriller, a genre in which Charles Williams was a master. While Christopher Bryan is not a match for Williams, I am thankful that he has given us a story in which I could glimpse something of God's mercy.

[Joanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Supernatural thriller about a demon (or something) released via black magic for a cartel which uses it to also create a star to destroy the earth...I think. I grew impatient with the premise and didn't read closely enough to find out.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had a difficult time putting this book down, I found the ending a bit odd but overall it was a good book.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. Suspenseful and intriguing. Worth a read for sure!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of suspense, good book.

[Bill Stiefel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very powerful book. I dare you to read it.