Dark Sanctuary
The new 2026 gripping crime thriller for readers of Candice Fox and Karin Slaughter
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
A mother's worst fear, a killer on the loose, a darkness visible... A gripping page-turner for readers of Candice Fox and Karin Slaughter from an award-winning author
'Explores the terrifying idea that intelligence and moral conviction can coexist with extreme violence. Chilling, smart and impossible to put down. Fans of Barrie's Lexi Winter series, will find plenty to love in this dark, exhilarating thriller.' - Angie Faye Martin, author of Melaleuca
Sergeant 'Hex' Rexford is the detective who caught the infamous serial killer Dr. Witcherton. Now, with a series of gruesome murders unfolding inside Coast Sanctuary - a hospital for the criminally insane - Witcherton claims to know who's behind them. Hex takes the case, determined to uncover the truth, even as his own body is failing him.
Beth Thompson is desperate to keep her children safe. Her violent ex is stalking her, her son's behaviour is growing strange, and his beloved teddy bear, Theo, might be more than just a toy. When an elderly woman offers Beth a remote cottage, it feels like a chance to breathe - but safety is an illusion.
Meanwhile, true crime podcasters Eve and Zane are chasing the story of the murders. But as Eve edges closer to the truth, the danger closes in.
As past and present collide, and the body count rises, the threads connecting them all begin to tighten - and something terrifying is watching from the dark.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Sarah Barrie has always excelled at dark Australian crime fiction, but Dark Sanctuary may be her most ambitious thriller yet. Set largely within a hospital for the criminally insane, the novel deftly intertwines the stories of detective ‘Hex’ Rexford, a mother desperately trying to protect her children and two true-crime podcasters chasing the story of a lifetime. As bodies begin to pile up, Barrie explores the unsettling overlap between intelligence, morality and monstrous violence, never letting the tension slip. The novel’s shifting perspectives help maintain an atmosphere of unease from beginning to end. And then there’s the teddy bear...
