Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For this latest Waiting on Wednesday, I check out an outstanding upcoming piece of Australian crime fiction with the intriguing thriller Dark Sanctuary by Sarah Barrie.
Over the past through years, one of my favourite Australian authors has been the impressive Sarah Barrie. An author of excellent and compelling crime fiction with some truly dark twists to them, Barrie successfully enthralled me through her Lexi Winter series. An excellent series, the Lexi Winter books followed a former vigilante hacker turned police officer as she attempts to bring down the worst criminals in Sydney, including the leader of a murderous paedophile ring who has a sinister connection to her. This great series started with the amazing read, Unforgiven (one of my favourite Australian books of 2021), and continued with the excellent follow-ups Retribution (one of my favourite Australian books of 2022), Vendetta (one of my favourite Australian books of 2023), and Endgame one of my favourite Australian books of 2024). All four books were quite exceptional, and it has made me very curious to see what sort of intense novel Barrie would write next.
Well, it looks like I’ll once again be able to enjoy the powerful and exciting writing of Barrie soon, as she has a new novel coming out in April 2026. This new novel, Dark Sanctuary, looks set to be a particularly compelling read, as Barrie will balance several complex and dark character arcs as part of an intriguing crime fiction read. I’m very curious to see how this awesome piece of Australian crime fiction comes together, especially as the awesome combination of storylines below has so much potential. I have no doubt that Dark Sanctuary is going to be a particularly gripping read, and it is one of the Australian books I am most keen to read in 2026.
Plot Synopsis:
A mother’s worst fear, a killer on the loose, a darkness visible… A gripping page-turner for readers of Candice Fox and Karen Slaughter from an award-winning author.
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.
The Unseen Library 