Release Date: Feb. 22, 2011
More Info: Amazon
Series: no actual series but the third book to feature the protagonist
Book Blurb:
Michael St. Pierre, a reformed master thief, thinks he has left his criminal days far behind him, when he receives word that his best friend, Simon, has been locked up and sentenced to die in a brutal desert prison. Breaking into jail for the first time in his checkered career, Michael is stunned to discover that his new girlfriend, KC, is connected to Simon’s case.
With a madman on their heels, the three adventurers make their way to Istanbul in search of the mysterious artifact that landed Simon behind bars in the first place: a map containing the location of a holy place lost to the mists of time, a repository of knowledge and treasure predating Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Testing their courage and wits, Michael and his team are forced to plot a series of daring thefts that take them inside some of the city’s most celebrated (and heavily guarded) sanctums, from the imperial harem of Topkapi Palace to the tombs of the Hagia Sophia itself. More than priceless artifacts are at stake—the lives of loved ones and perhaps the fate of humanity itself hang in the balance.
A globe-trotting adventure that wings from the glittering banks of the Bosporus to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, The Thieves of Darkness confirms Richard Doetsch’s place as the modern-day master of pulse-pounding suspense.
My Thoughts:
"The Thieves of Darkness" is an enjoyable read from beginning to end. Doetsch has a engaging style of writing that draws you in and holds you all the way. He takes you on an excursion through mystery, suspense, murder, romance and faith all in one book. The book is almost 500 pages and rarely slows down. The story could have been tightened up a bit but it held my attention and kept me reading. There are surprises around every corner and some that took me surprise but the clues and hints were there. The plotline and the religious themes reminded me somewhat of Dan Brown's books but with more, IMO, depth of characterization and detail. Doetsch clearly did his research and it shows.
I was a little uncertain at times exactly what the real nature of the treasure was but after reading the entire book and thinking about it, I have a better understanding and I think Doetsch was purposefully vague. The very nature of the treasure involves some vagueness. There are some unlikely coincidences, and the motives at times are fuzzy but the story held my attention. There's a lot of grey in the book, not everything is a clear case of black or white, good or evil. The characters make the best choices they can and hope for the best. The main bad guy has no redeeming qualities but he was an exception and even he was at times someone I could almost empathize with or understand.
Doetsch is ambitious, "Thieves of Darkness" is another thriller with everything but the kitchen sink and I can easily see it as a movie but overall, it's a fun, engaging and even thought provoking action thriller.
This paperback was received from the publisher for review.
