Sanctuary

By: James Cleary

Narrated by: Xavier Casals

“The meek shall inherit the Earth, unless the rich get there first.” That’s the reality of the post-apocalyptic world in this electrifying debut thriller.

The near future…

Climate disasters have crippled the United States. With half the country under water and the other half a dust bowl, civil unrest would soon escalate into something darker, something unstoppable. Billionaire John Brandt anticipated this and channeled his money, power, and influence into being prepared for the great unraveling.

Now Brandt, his family, and his security team must retreat to Sanctuary, their underground bunker—a vast luxury mansion beneath the parched earth of the Nebraskan Great Plains. But they are not alone. Above ground a group of raiders are desperate to survive and will use any means possible to accomplish that goal.

As tensions mount both inside and out, battle lines are drawn— between the haves and the have-nots, between decency and expediency, between life and death. In this game, everyone's a loser.

Critic reviews

“A relentlessly paced and thought-provoking thriller about the life-and-death struggle between the haves and the have-nots amidst a world in ruins. Intelligent, chillingly real, and utterly profound, this novel left me breathless.” —Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hard Line, a Gray Man Novel


"James Cleary's Sanctuary is gripping and terrifying, but also moving and heartfelt with grace notes sprinkled throughout. Along with utterly human characters and exceptional storytelling, this pitch-perfect near-future tale shines a bright and unforgiving light on the American moment we're all living in right now." —Nick Petrie, author of The Dark Time and the Peter Ash series


"A breakneck and thoughtful thriller of ultimate stakes and questions of modern virtue—where the cost of survival might be our very humanity." —Tosca Lee, NYT bestselling author of The Line Between


"If Michael Crichton had written about billionaires, bunkers, and the fall of the United States, I suspect it would have been a lot like Sanctuary. Fascinating, horrifying, and all too believable, it's easily one of the most gripping and tense books I have ever read. So, open the blast doors, descend into the darkness, and see for yourself..." —Catherine Ryan Howard, bestselling author of 56 Days

“Cleary has crafted an epic speculative thriller set at the moment of collapse, and as propulsive as it is imaginative. Essential reading for the literary prepper.” —CrimeReads