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    The Searcher: A Novel
    The Searcher: A Novel
    The Searcher: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    The Searcher: A Novel

    Written by Simon Toyne

    Narrated by Joseph Balderrama

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The author of the acclaimed Sanctus trilogy conjures an eerie epic of good and evil, retribution and redemption—the first novel in the mesmerizing Solomon Creed series in which a man with no memory of his past must save a lost soul in a small Arizona town.

    On a hilltop in the town of Redemption, Arizona, the townspeople gather at an old cemetery for the first time in decades to bury a local man. The somber occasion is suddenly disrupted by a thunderous explosion in the distant desert. A plane has crashed, and it’s pouring a pillar of black smoke into the air.

    As Sheriff Garth Morgan speeds toward the crash, he nearly hits a tall, pale man running down the road, with no shoes on his feet and no memory of who he is or how he got there. The only clues to his identity are a label in his handmade suit jacket and a book that’s been inscribed to him: both giving the name Solomon Creed. When Morgan tells Solomon that he is in Redemption, Arizona, Solomon begins to believe he’s here for a reason—to save a man he has never met . . . the man who was buried that morning.

    Miles away, three men scan the skies for an overdue plane carrying an important package. Spotting a black cloud in the distance, they suspect something has gone badly wrong, and that the man who has sent them will demand a heavy price if the package has been lost.

    To uncover the secret of his identity, Solomon Creed must uncover Redemption’s secrets too and learn the truth behind the death of the man he is there to save. But there are those who will do anything to stop him, men prepared to call on the darkest forces to prevent Solomon from seeing the light.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateOct 6, 2015
    ISBN9780062395221
    Author

    Simon Toyne

    Simon Toyne is the bestselling author of the Sanctus trilogy: Sanctus, The Key and The Tower. He wrote Sanctus after quitting his job as a TV executive to focus on writing. It was the biggest-selling debut thriller of 2011 in the UK and an international bestseller. His books have been translated into 27 languages and published in over 50 countries. Solomon Creed is the first book in a new series. Simon lives with his family in Brighton and the South of France.

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    Reviews for The Searcher

    4.5/5

    17 ratings10 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I've just finished reading this, and immediately looked for the second book in the series. Blast! It's not been published yet!I nearly gave this title a miss — I dislike this growing practice of adding a "puff" as a subtitle — but I read the blurb and was intrigued enough to download a sample. When I got to the end of the sample, I bought the book and carried on reading.It begins with a man running from a plane crash in the Arizona desert. He doesn't know who he is, or how he got there. All he knows is that he is there to save a man. There is a name in his suit: Solomon Creed; and a book in the pocket with the inscription: Gifted to Solomon Creed by James Coronado. He is convinced that James Coronado is the man he is there to save. At the same time as the crash, in the historic cemetery on the hillside above the nearby town of Redemption, there is a funeral taking place. A man called James Coronado is being buried. Temporarily derailed from his mission, Creed gets involved with the townspeople fighting the fires started by the exploding plane. He realises that he knows exactly what needs to be done, without knowing how he knows.As the book progresses Creed discovers within himself more skills, more knowledge, some of which horrifies him in its implications. But Creed is not the only one with secrets. There is something dangerous going on in Redemption, and a growing threat from across the border.The story is well crafted, and well written. There is some violence without it being gorily graphic, and the use of strong language is confined to those for whom it seems quite natural - a refreshing change! This is a writer who is able to maintain pace and tension without resorting to cliches, and to startle you with an unexpected twist.I want to read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      From The Book Cover:

      The first novel in the mesmerizing Solomon Creed series in which a man with no memory of his past must save a lost soul in a small Arizona town. On a hilltop in the town of Redemption, Arizona, the townspeople gather at an old cemetery for the first time in decades to bury a local man. The somber occasion is suddenly disrupted by a thunderous explosion in the distant desert. A plane has crashed, and it’s pouring a pillar of black smoke into the air. As Sheriff Garth Morgan speeds toward the crash, he nearly hits a tall, pale man running down the road, with no shoes on his feet and no memory of who he is or how he got there. The only clues to his identity are a label in his handmade suit jacket and a book that’s been inscribed to him: both giving the name Solomon Creed. When Morgan tells Solomon that he is in Redemption, Arizona, Solomon begins to believe he's here for a reason—to save a man he has never met . . . the man who was buried that morning.

      My Thoughts:

      It is mesmerizing from the beginning with a man running from a fire, with no shoes and no idea of who he is... only that he has a sense that he is there to save someone. That someone has just been buried. What follows is an intriguing mystery. Who is Solomon Creed and why is he at a town called Redemption? His questions will lead him to a town full of secrets, to people that have something to hide, where the lines between good and evil are drawn and some will have to decide which side to be on. It had some great twists and turns that I was not expecting with a touch of the supernatural thrown in for that extra kick. I really liked the character of Solomon Creed and the mystery of who or what he could be. The book follows 2 plot lines that merge... one of Solomon Creed and one from the point of view of the founder of the town in the form of a diary. 4.5 stars and I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 5/5
      Loved it. This author brings out the character and views of the good guys and bad guys with equal clarity. Many different characters in this book tell a weaving story story of redemption. I will look for more from this author. Great story!
    • 4/5
      A plane crashes near a small town in the Arizona desert and someone is running away from the scene - a survivor or who? Creed doesn't remember anything about himself but does have quite an array of talents. The town is run by corrupt officials who want/have to keep it that way and will do anything to do so. I liked Creed, the "baddies" were bad and the story was chilling. Plenty of action to keep the reader turning the pages with great punchy chapters. I do hope Solomon Creed will appear again in future books - can't wait to meet him again!
    • 5/5
      As the story of “The Searcher” opens, for the first time in more than sixty years, the townspeople are gathered in the historic cemetery overlooking their town. They've come for the funeral of a local man, but the service is interrupted by a plane crash; the resulting fire threatens the town of Redemption, Arizona. A man running from the crash thinks he might have been on the plane, but he has no memory, doesn’t know his own name, doesn’t know how he arrived in Redemption, doesn’t know anything except that he believes he's come to save a man named James Coronado . . . the man being buried in the cemetery when the plane crashes.The name in his handmade suit and in a copy of the book that recounts the history of Redemption is Solomon Creed. The man finds that the name feels right, but how can he be certain? And why does he believe he is there to save a man who is already dead? As Solomon seeks his own past, he uncovers long-buried secrets that some in the town would rather keep hidden. Can Solomon uncover the truth behind the death of the man he has come to save as he seeks the answers to his own identity? Or will the secrets of Redemption condemn them all? As each tantalizing clue is revealed, the answer only leads to another question. The mystery of the man and the town intertwine with relentless suspense and pulse-pounding action. Crisp writing, well-developed characters, and the compelling story of Solomon Creed and the town of Redemption will keep readers spellbound until the final reveal.Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      This author was new to me, but since this book is the first in the series about Solomon Creed it was a good place for me to begin, and I hope to continue with the series. Creed is an intriguing character - an albino amnesiac who finds himself shoeless and running frantically along a road that he doesn't recognize, and away from a danger that he doesn't understand. He is in the Arizona town called Redemption, where people make unusual choices in order to preserve the town and their lives. The book has a twisty plot with three interrelated threads. The first is Creed's reason for being in Redemption. It had ghosts and other mystical features that I wasn't expecting, but I guess it is part of Creed's backstory. I preferred the more kick-ass aspects of his character. Creed has a lot of skills and knowledge for which the source remains a mystery to him. The second thread involves a psychopathic, Mexican drug lord seeking revenge in Redemption. The last thread is told via entries in an autobiography written by the founder of Redemption, who built a giant church there and opened a copper mine that brought prosperity to the community. The meshing of these three threads was not entirely seamless. The drug lord story seemed to have some holes in it. I'm not going to give spoilers, but even psychopaths need reasons for their actions. They shouldn't just do things for dramatic effect. Also, the ending was too neat. I did enjoy the epilogue though.All in all the book was suspenseful and definitely told an unusual story. I liked the book a lot and want to know more about Creed.I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
    • 4/5
      When a plane crashes outside the town of Redemption, a man walks out of the fire. He has no memory of who he is or why he is here or even if he was on the plane. Yet he seems to have a great deal of knowledge about medicine, firefighting, and the town. He gives the name of Solomon Creed although he is not sure if that is right. He is convinced he is here to save a man except the man is already dead and buried. Yet, he can’t shake the feeling and he is determined to stay and discover what he came to do. The town’s leading citizens seem less than happy to have Solomon in their town but they are determined to make sure he doesn’t leave. Redemption has deadly secrets and Solomon is just one loose end too many.The Searcher is the first in a new series by author Simon Toyne. It reminded me of John Connolly’s Charlie Parker series especially in the Solomon Creed character and, at least for me, that’s a very good thing. It’s a fast-paced thriller with just a touch of the supernatural and a smidgen of the old west and it kept my attention from beginning to end. Definitely a big Yes! from me. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series.
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed The Sanctus series and was looking forward to reading The Searcher and I have to say that it did not disappoint. The book was hard to put down and the character of Solomon Creed is quite unique. It is well written, fast paced, good character development, action, history, with a touch of supernatural. I am now anxiously awaiting the second book in the series.
    • 4/5
      This book has one of the most intense openings scenes I've ever read. A terrified man is running down a road. He has no shoes, has no idea who or where he is, and no idea why he's so terrified. He just knows he has to keep running. Although I knew the book was touted as suspense/thriller, I thought it could easily be the beginning of a post-apocalyptic story, or one of several other genres. Anyway, it's really effective.The book is indeed a thriller, about a town in which a small plane has crashed and which is under threat of the resulting fire that is speeding across the Arizona desert towards it. This man is running from the crash site, although it's clear he couldn't be a survivor. The plane that crashed is part of a scheme the town leaders have been using to keep the town afloat, and the nameless man will be for them a handy scapegoat to the forces who will want to punish someone for the crash. That is, if they can manage to hang on to him long enough to serve him up.The nameless man (whose jacket says he's Solomon Creed) is an enigma. He knows about medicine, science, weapons, and old aircraft; he can smell what animals smell and tell what's around him by this; he can fight hand-to-hand combat; he doesn't know who he is but believes he's at this town to save a man who's been buried just that morning. Sounds a lot like an amnesiac Jack Reacher, but there are definite differences here, most disconcertingly a supernatural aspect which is unmentioned in accompanying blurbs. It's this unannounced angle for which I've given the book 3.5 instead of 4 stars. I found it jarring, although I guess it's inclusion will explain Creed's actions, or appearances, in future entries (as of this writing there are two books in the series). As long as you go into this knowing it's not straight genre thriller, you should find it entertaining. I did think it was quite a good suspense novel, but that supernatural thing didn't work for me.
    • 4/5
      Many books I read are somewhat formulaic and predictable - you know what role the characters play and early on already have a basic outline of the plot in your mind. This books is not one of them. From the outset, and right throughout, I didn't really know who these people were, where the story was heading or what to expect. I found it somewhat refreshing and it made for an interesting read. Things take unexpected turns and things aren't what you think.