SANCTUARY

COMING APRIL 28, 2026

Published by
Penguin Random House, USA
HarperCollins, UK
as well as in Germany, France and Italy

“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 is 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.

PRAISE FOR SANCTUARY


"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

“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, New York Times bestselling author of The Line Between

“A cautionary tale so vividly told that I kept stopping and looking out the window to check that the world was still there. In short: A masterpiece. Gripping, fast-paced and frighteningly believable.

— CJ Parson

“…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

“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, “Most Anticipated Crime Novels, Mysteries, and Thrillers of 2026


US RELEASE

Book cover titled "Sanctuary" by James Cleary, featuring a lightning storm striking a silo in a green field with two soldiers walking towards it, and a tagline "Survival isn't a fair fight."

PRE-ORDER

Hardcover Release: 04/28/2026


INTERNATIONAL RELEASES

Book cover with stormy sky and lightning over a landscape, title 'Sanctuary' by James Cleary, with the tagline 'Who will you save when the world ends?'

UK

Book cover featuring the title 'Santiago' by James Clary, with an orange, red, and black textured background. The author's name appears at the top, and a small logo with a paw print and the word 'Gallmeister' is at the bottom right.

FRANCE

Éditions Gallmeister
(coming soon)

Book cover for James Cleary's 'Sanctuary' featuring a stormy sky with lightning striking near a cylindrical building on a grassy field.

GERMANY