The Key - Simon Toyne

 The Key is the second book in Simon Toyne's debut trilogy. I was hooked by the first book - Sanctus (my review) - and have been eagerly waiting to see what happens next.

If you have not read the first book and plan to, you may want to skip this review - I don't want to spoil it for you. And really, to fully appreciate The Key, you should read Sanctus first.

Liv Ademson has escaped from the Citadel - the enclave of an ancient sect of secretive monks known as the Sancti. She's in the hospital, unable to remember what happened before the explosion.....

Something momentous did occur, but there are those who are determined that Liv should not live.... (sorry, couldn't resist)... the Vatican, the monks and a mysterious man known as The Ghost. But she must survive..... "The fate of man lies in the hands of one woman."

I won't go into much more detail than that. In The Key, we get to know more of the history of The Citadeland past characters such as Gabriel, Inspector Arkadian and more return.  Toyne kept my interest from first page to last.  He successfully combines history, mystery, intrigue, action and yes, romance in a fast paced page turner. And again, he has left us with a wonderful cliff hanger ending. I can't wait to see where book three goes - although I have an idea.

Although I read the first book, I chose to listen to The Key in audio book format. The reader was one of my favourites - Simon Vance. He has a rich, powerful voice - just perfect for this type of book. His English accent is quite easy to understand and the different voices he provides for each character are believable. Listening to this type of book brings the tension and action to life. I was hard pressed to shut it down and head inside to work!

Readers with strong religious beliefs may not enjoy Toyne's alternative views. But fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry and of course, Dan Brown will enjoy it.

Listen to an excerpt of The Key or read an excerpt. You can find Simon Toyne on Twitter and on Facebook.