A review by ingypingy2000
Het heiligdom by Ted Dekker

2.0

So, I started the book gagging on the first two chapters. Seriously, I didn't think I was actually going to be able to finish. The overly melodramatic 'love story' that could rival Twilight was not supposed to be in a book that had a synopsis of 'terrifying game of life and death' and 'vigilante priest'. I got to the point where I was almost horribly fascinated by the thought provoking issues the author raises about crime/punishment within the US. I was almost drawn to Danny's chapters, but when they returned to Renee I just wanted to gag. By the end of the book I felt like I should be shaking the author. He did the dark spine chilling helpless suspense of prison well! I truly felt a few of the scenes and he wrote them well! Why would he throw in such overdone nauseating romantic-drama that overpowers what his writing strengths obviously are. Dude, if you want to work on your romance writing then get a nom de plume and have at it, but don't let it overshadow the good stuff. Even if you were to take out all the stupid romance (don't get me wrong, I have nothing against romance or love stories even in my suspense/thriller books, but this was WAY over the top in a way that only pubecent lovesick girls could understand) you're left with a guy who has the strength and the motivation to 'save the weak' and he's that way through the entire story which is what gets the readers behind him, but then you're left with some weak bimbo chick who throws a gun around acting tough in the name of love only to end up pleading for Danny to save her because she can't do it. Honestly, this read to me like Twilight minus the vampire/werewolf thing.

I wanted to rate this a one star, but by the end of the book I'd found the authors strong suit. He'd just hidden it.