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Michael St. Pierre #2
The Thieves of Faith
Beneath the Kremlin lies a shocking ancient truth.
And it’s about to be stolen.…
Since the times of Ivan the Terrible, generations of Russian leaders have turned the Kremlin into a fortress within a fortress, stocking its labyrinthine underground with secret vaults, elegant chambers, and priceless treasures. Now a master thief has the ultimate motivation to stage an assault on the Kremlin’s inner sanctum. Two lives depend on it. Thousands of years of religious faith hinge on it. And a man’s conscience, skill, and passion will not let him fail.
For Michael St. Pierre, history’s most daring heist is only one piece of an intricate puzzle reaching from an ancient monastery in Scotland to a hideaway in Corsica—where a madman has built an empire of terror. Haunted by his own family secrets, and surrounded by the precious few people he can trust, Michael will take on a mission that will make him the most hunted man in the world. But when an astounding truth, buried deep beneath the Kremlin, erupts with shattering force, he may unleash a relic too dangerous to possess.…
And it’s about to be stolen.…
Since the times of Ivan the Terrible, generations of Russian leaders have turned the Kremlin into a fortress within a fortress, stocking its labyrinthine underground with secret vaults, elegant chambers, and priceless treasures. Now a master thief has the ultimate motivation to stage an assault on the Kremlin’s inner sanctum. Two lives depend on it. Thousands of years of religious faith hinge on it. And a man’s conscience, skill, and passion will not let him fail.
For Michael St. Pierre, history’s most daring heist is only one piece of an intricate puzzle reaching from an ancient monastery in Scotland to a hideaway in Corsica—where a madman has built an empire of terror. Haunted by his own family secrets, and surrounded by the precious few people he can trust, Michael will take on a mission that will make him the most hunted man in the world. But when an astounding truth, buried deep beneath the Kremlin, erupts with shattering force, he may unleash a relic too dangerous to possess.…
529 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
52 people are currently reading
418 people want to read
About the author
Richard Doetsch
14 books301 followersA Mesmerizing Thriller Told in Reverse
(Yep, you start at the last chapter and go backwards)
Richard Doetsch returns with a stand-alone sequel to his international bestseller, The 13th Hour, published in twenty-two countries.
“At long last, Richard Doetsch returns to the clock-spinning world of THE 13TH HOUR. Its ingenious sequel, THE 13TH HOUR: CHAOS, is a jigsaw puzzle in book form—but that’s not all. It’s a love story, a political potboiler, and a thriller that upends expectations with every turn of the page. It carried me from heartbreaking opening to the razor edge of its ending in one sitting. My foot is already tapping as I wait impatiently for a third installment!”
James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Last Odyssey
“I haven’t read a race against time this intense… The 13th Hour: Chaos is a time-bending adventure of epic proportions and scary consequences." Best Thriller Books
“Times flies—only backward—in this riveting new thriller! And the pages fly by, too! The story starts with a bang and hurtles in reverse toward a climax as clever as it is shocking.”
Robert Masello, author of The Haunting of H.G. Wells
“A clever story, cleverly told, by a master storyteller.”
Steve Berrry, New York Times Bestselling Author
A surprising and utterly original thriller, The 13th Hour: Chaos delivers pure, page-turning suspense—full of double-crosses, shocking turnabouts, and the inexorable power of love.
"The Thieves of Legend stole my breath with the sheer audacity of its storytelling, proving yet again that this series gets better with every installment. Bold, richly told, and rollicking with adventure, here is a thriller that demands to be read in one tension-wrought sitting. Count me a fan for life!"
James Rollins, New York Times Bestselling author of Bloodline
"The tension leaps off the pages in this classic, ticking-clock thriller. Watch out. You'll grip the pages so tight your knuckles will turn white."
Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
"Doetsch continues to demonstrate why he's one of the best thriller writers in the business." Booklist - Starred Review
Half-Past Dawn,
"One of the best thrillers of the year," -- ABC News
"A shocking thriller," -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Gut wrenching" -- The Huffington Post
"Half-Past Dawn is a superb character driven suspense tale." SDSR
"As hard as it is to believe, Half-Past Dawn is even better than The 13th Hour." The Journal Review
Jack Keeler has 24 hour to stop fate before it catches up with him... and the rest of the world.
From the international bestselling author of The 13th Hour and The Thieves of Darkness(both soon to be be major motion pictures) comes a "pulse pounding, mind-bending thriller that rewrites the genre"
Awakening to the mistaken headline that he and his wife, Mia, have been killed, District Attorney, Jack Keeler has only until dawn tomorrow to uncover an ancient mystery hidden in the depths of one of the country's most heavily guarded prisons.
A thriller spanning time, an Asian people out of legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, and a diary who's contents foretells the future, Half-Past Dawn is a race through the boarders of life and death, insanity and reason, and dreams and reality.
Everything else aside, it's a really fun read that will make you think even after the last page.
The Thieves of Darkness,
A bestseller around the world seems a bit strange for someone like me; I barely speak English, yet I’m published in 34 languages.
The 13th Hour (Atria Books;)—described as a cross between “The Bourne Identity” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife”—was acquired by New Line Cinema with Michael De Luca as producer and Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted” / “3:10 to Yuma”) as screenwrite
(Yep, you start at the last chapter and go backwards)
Richard Doetsch returns with a stand-alone sequel to his international bestseller, The 13th Hour, published in twenty-two countries.
“At long last, Richard Doetsch returns to the clock-spinning world of THE 13TH HOUR. Its ingenious sequel, THE 13TH HOUR: CHAOS, is a jigsaw puzzle in book form—but that’s not all. It’s a love story, a political potboiler, and a thriller that upends expectations with every turn of the page. It carried me from heartbreaking opening to the razor edge of its ending in one sitting. My foot is already tapping as I wait impatiently for a third installment!”
James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Last Odyssey
“I haven’t read a race against time this intense… The 13th Hour: Chaos is a time-bending adventure of epic proportions and scary consequences." Best Thriller Books
“Times flies—only backward—in this riveting new thriller! And the pages fly by, too! The story starts with a bang and hurtles in reverse toward a climax as clever as it is shocking.”
Robert Masello, author of The Haunting of H.G. Wells
“A clever story, cleverly told, by a master storyteller.”
Steve Berrry, New York Times Bestselling Author
A surprising and utterly original thriller, The 13th Hour: Chaos delivers pure, page-turning suspense—full of double-crosses, shocking turnabouts, and the inexorable power of love.
"The Thieves of Legend stole my breath with the sheer audacity of its storytelling, proving yet again that this series gets better with every installment. Bold, richly told, and rollicking with adventure, here is a thriller that demands to be read in one tension-wrought sitting. Count me a fan for life!"
James Rollins, New York Times Bestselling author of Bloodline
"The tension leaps off the pages in this classic, ticking-clock thriller. Watch out. You'll grip the pages so tight your knuckles will turn white."
Steve Berry, New York Times bestselling author of The Columbus Affair
"Doetsch continues to demonstrate why he's one of the best thriller writers in the business." Booklist - Starred Review
Half-Past Dawn,
"One of the best thrillers of the year," -- ABC News
"A shocking thriller," -- San Francisco Chronicle
"Gut wrenching" -- The Huffington Post
"Half-Past Dawn is a superb character driven suspense tale." SDSR
"As hard as it is to believe, Half-Past Dawn is even better than The 13th Hour." The Journal Review
Jack Keeler has 24 hour to stop fate before it catches up with him... and the rest of the world.
From the international bestselling author of The 13th Hour and The Thieves of Darkness(both soon to be be major motion pictures) comes a "pulse pounding, mind-bending thriller that rewrites the genre"
Awakening to the mistaken headline that he and his wife, Mia, have been killed, District Attorney, Jack Keeler has only until dawn tomorrow to uncover an ancient mystery hidden in the depths of one of the country's most heavily guarded prisons.
A thriller spanning time, an Asian people out of legend, an assassin who will stop at nothing to avenge his death sentence, and a diary who's contents foretells the future, Half-Past Dawn is a race through the boarders of life and death, insanity and reason, and dreams and reality.
Everything else aside, it's a really fun read that will make you think even after the last page.
The Thieves of Darkness,
A bestseller around the world seems a bit strange for someone like me; I barely speak English, yet I’m published in 34 languages.
The 13th Hour (Atria Books;)—described as a cross between “The Bourne Identity” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife”—was acquired by New Line Cinema with Michael De Luca as producer and Michael Brandt and Derek Haas (“Wanted” / “3:10 to Yuma”) as screenwrite
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 20, 2023
Grundpremissen - en skattletarhistoria där en konsttjuv försöker hitta ett bysantinskt schatull i Moskvas Kreml - är en bra idé. Utförandet är lite för melodramatiskt för att ta vara på de kvaliteter som finns i den idén, och sättet författaren vandrar mellan religion som sanning och religion som myt är inte riktigt tillräckligt skickligt.
September 27, 2010
Not a bad story. I find myself reading these book equivalent of summer movie blockbusters more often lately - mainly because a friend of mine gave me a stack of books that she is done with. This type of story - lots of chases, mysteries to be solved, hard-nosed bad guys and harder-nosed good guys, nick of time escapes, etc - aren't my usual fare, but I do enjoy them when I read one. Thieves of Faith is a good one, very enjoyable. *Spoiler* I like the fact that, as opposed to many other similar books, this one stuck with the "supernatural" explanation rather than a more mundane, although realistic, turn at the end.
Main negative is that it is over 500 pages. It took me way longer to read this book than it should have.
Main negative is that it is over 500 pages. It took me way longer to read this book than it should have.
January 6, 2009
Rachel did it good on this one. I love the complicated scenarios and botched jobs that suddenly turn out OK. The relationship between Michael and Susan evolves with trust and through the struggles they went through. They realized that the other was of substantial material also. The switches that Michael puts everyone through keep the story going.
May 17, 2010
Phenomenal follow-up to his first book The Thieves of Heaven. This time, Michael St. Pierre has to infiltrate a secret treasure trove under the Kremlin in order to save the life of the father who abandoned him at birth. Again, well-written and exciting. And I think I may have enjoyed this more than the first. If you like the Dan Brown books, you will enjoy these.
December 21, 2011
This book is a novel in the style of Davinci Code, just without the great writing and only mediocre plot twists. Journey to an underground world beneath the Kremlin in order to stop a madman from acquiring a sacred ancient relic. There were a few typos and at times I felt like the author put chapters in just to fill pages. An easy read, but not a great one by any means.
June 22, 2017
This book takes reality and put it though a meat grinder. Should only read by people on gilligans island, because that's how believable it is. If there were negative stars this disaster deserves some. Sorry, do not enjoy leaving poor reviews but couldn't remain silent.
April 7, 2009
Couldn't even get halfway through. Ugh. Too bad, because the premise is cool.
January 13, 2010
Rapid unrelenting action with many 'players.' An international thriller set in New York, Moscow and Corsica. Not entirely believable but so what.
July 14, 2010
should be a movie!
September 24, 2010
Great book. If I would chose for my leaving examination Russian I will have great information about Kreml for that examination.
November 1, 2017
the writing was so horrible I only got to page 97 and gave up.
It also was badly edited, with repeating phrases a few pages apart .
I do not want to read anything else by this author.
It also was badly edited, with repeating phrases a few pages apart .
I do not want to read anything else by this author.
July 12, 2024
Completely bad book,
it has really repetitive irrational story,
the author came up with some americanish christian steorotypes - that are not true at all,
- like that catholic church does believe in literal explanation of Genesis, which it does not since st. Augustine (4th century)
- that there are stories from all the world about the great flood
- ,...
also author made little to no research about the actual history
- Rommel didn't die in North Afrika
- religion was not banned entirely in SSSR (it was just sligthly suppressed, but actual people especially on villages had no real problems with their religion) - repeated like 10 times
- ,...
overall it seems to me that the author more tries to convince people about his highly steorotyped worldview than actually tell a good story, it's a shame I really love this type of books
it has really repetitive irrational story,
the author came up with some americanish christian steorotypes - that are not true at all,
- like that catholic church does believe in literal explanation of Genesis, which it does not since st. Augustine (4th century)
- that there are stories from all the world about the great flood
- ,...
also author made little to no research about the actual history
- Rommel didn't die in North Afrika
- religion was not banned entirely in SSSR (it was just sligthly suppressed, but actual people especially on villages had no real problems with their religion) - repeated like 10 times
- ,...
overall it seems to me that the author more tries to convince people about his highly steorotyped worldview than actually tell a good story, it's a shame I really love this type of books
June 22, 2017
Wanted to look ve thos book so much. Unfortunately it was ridiculously repetitive. Michael was impressed with Susan about a trillion times, felt like it was all in the proximity of 30 pages too. There was little conversation among characters but everything was exchanged in "anger". No one was patient. A little bizarre. The story has promise and wasn't a total waste but I was skimming pages to get past all the overdone descriptives. Might consider another book before I give a total thumbs down.
November 19, 2019
Book two instantly transports the reader back into the lives of Michael St. Pierre and his loyal friends. The story leaves you wondering what is fact, what is legend, and what is Doetsch's own creation. The platform of heaven versus hell is revisited in a unique way sending a chill down the reader's spine and instilling a curiosity for history undiscovered.
Doetsch again creates characters easily loved. Often creating a character, invoking emotion from the reader, and destroying the character within mere pages.
Doetsch again creates characters easily loved. Often creating a character, invoking emotion from the reader, and destroying the character within mere pages.
May 3, 2017
A very exciting book by Richard Doetsch. It is the second in the Michael St. Pierre series, and there is more action that you would have in a lifetime. There isn't a dull moment in the book. A box is hidden under the Kremlin that holds a mystery that may change the world.
May 3, 2022
Love this series.
I love these characters and I love this series. I love the blending of the real and the surreal. I will reread the next book and then dive into the next one without delay.
I love these characters and I love this series. I love the blending of the real and the surreal. I will reread the next book and then dive into the next one without delay.
July 9, 2023
Not a bad thriller if you don't minds bloopers like the novel's saying the Roman Catholic Church is opposed to science and believes in Creationism. Unfortunately, that's a more bothersome blooper in a religious thriller than it would be i9n most.
April 29, 2018
I could not put this book down and plan on reading the next three books with the same character.
June 19, 2015
You do not read the first book within this series Thieves of Heaven as this book does do a great job in filling most of the back story. However, Thieves of Heaven is a fantastic read and I think you should read it just for that basis.
Richard Doetsch brings Michael St. Pierre who is given an assignment of impossible proportion, breaking into the Kremlin:
Michael St. Pierre was a master thief who has been trying to stay in retirement and recover from the death of his wife, but Michael is about to be pulled into a very intricate web of puzzles that only he can solve and they are all surrounded by the mystery that is the Kremlin. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible the Kremlin has been created into more and more of a labyrinthine fortress to protect the treasures and secrets of the Soviet Union and now Russia. A madman has built an empire of terror based around the teachings of God, promising the impossible and he is convinced that the secrets lie within the depths of the Kremlin. Michael is about to be the most hunted man in the world as he must find the pieces of the puzzle and destroy them before Hell is unleashed on Earth.
Thieves of Heaven was a fantastic first novel in this series, and I am sorry that it took me this long to get to Thieves of Faith. Doetsch just has a way of writing and creating an intricate plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat and not let you go. Doestsch is the master of plot twist, turns and red herring (although I will admit at times that they may be a bit farfetched) that you never really know how the book is going to end and who is going to make it. Doestch knows how to form a plot and mix that with his amazing skill for research. You feel like you are there and you have another must read from Doersch. After reading this book I wanted to pick up every book I could about the Kremlin and the secrets hidden within.
Michael is a great character and although he may have been a master thief in his time, you can tell that he is trying to reform, but there is just something about the excitement and thrills that you can tell that he will never be done with it (but you can say that he now only steals for the great good now). I really like Michael’s skill set both mentally and physically. Mentally, he is a caring person and really just wants to protect those around him, additionally, his problem solving skills are amazing, which I suppose comes with being a master thief, but they astound me at time. Physically, I like that he has taken the time to develop skills like diving, rock climbing and repelling, you can tell that he was dedicated to his trade as a master thief.
There was much more of Busch in this book than the first one and I think that Brush is needed there to balance out Michael at times. Busch is a cop who is now in retirement and he has a thing to say about right and wrong and he does a good job of rounding out all the rule breaking that needs to go on, he is essentially everyone's moral code, even Simon, but never under estimate him. I wish there was more Simon in this novel; I missed him from the first book. He is such an interesting character who is full of contradictions. I would complete read a novel that just had him as a main character as I find him that interesting.
I would not classify Doetsch books as easy reads, as you really need to pay attention to everything that is happening, so if you are looking for something more complex, his books are for you. Doestch knows how to draw the reader in not only with his intricate plot, and research but also with his different and dynamic characters. I cannot wait to pick of the next book in this series and I'm not going to wait as long to read the next one.
Enjoy!!!
Richard Doetsch brings Michael St. Pierre who is given an assignment of impossible proportion, breaking into the Kremlin:
Michael St. Pierre was a master thief who has been trying to stay in retirement and recover from the death of his wife, but Michael is about to be pulled into a very intricate web of puzzles that only he can solve and they are all surrounded by the mystery that is the Kremlin. Since the time of Ivan the Terrible the Kremlin has been created into more and more of a labyrinthine fortress to protect the treasures and secrets of the Soviet Union and now Russia. A madman has built an empire of terror based around the teachings of God, promising the impossible and he is convinced that the secrets lie within the depths of the Kremlin. Michael is about to be the most hunted man in the world as he must find the pieces of the puzzle and destroy them before Hell is unleashed on Earth.
Thieves of Heaven was a fantastic first novel in this series, and I am sorry that it took me this long to get to Thieves of Faith. Doetsch just has a way of writing and creating an intricate plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat and not let you go. Doestsch is the master of plot twist, turns and red herring (although I will admit at times that they may be a bit farfetched) that you never really know how the book is going to end and who is going to make it. Doestch knows how to form a plot and mix that with his amazing skill for research. You feel like you are there and you have another must read from Doersch. After reading this book I wanted to pick up every book I could about the Kremlin and the secrets hidden within.
Michael is a great character and although he may have been a master thief in his time, you can tell that he is trying to reform, but there is just something about the excitement and thrills that you can tell that he will never be done with it (but you can say that he now only steals for the great good now). I really like Michael’s skill set both mentally and physically. Mentally, he is a caring person and really just wants to protect those around him, additionally, his problem solving skills are amazing, which I suppose comes with being a master thief, but they astound me at time. Physically, I like that he has taken the time to develop skills like diving, rock climbing and repelling, you can tell that he was dedicated to his trade as a master thief.
There was much more of Busch in this book than the first one and I think that Brush is needed there to balance out Michael at times. Busch is a cop who is now in retirement and he has a thing to say about right and wrong and he does a good job of rounding out all the rule breaking that needs to go on, he is essentially everyone's moral code, even Simon, but never under estimate him. I wish there was more Simon in this novel; I missed him from the first book. He is such an interesting character who is full of contradictions. I would complete read a novel that just had him as a main character as I find him that interesting.
I would not classify Doetsch books as easy reads, as you really need to pay attention to everything that is happening, so if you are looking for something more complex, his books are for you. Doestch knows how to draw the reader in not only with his intricate plot, and research but also with his different and dynamic characters. I cannot wait to pick of the next book in this series and I'm not going to wait as long to read the next one.
Enjoy!!!
August 9, 2017
Good but predictable
While the book kept my interest and I like it I was able to figure out what was going to happen to the characters and story line 3 to 4 chapters ahead
While the book kept my interest and I like it I was able to figure out what was going to happen to the characters and story line 3 to 4 chapters ahead
May 12, 2023
The Thieves of Faith (Michael St. Pierre Book 2) by Richard Doetsch
Even though this is the second in a series, it's a stand-alone book. You don't need to read the prior volumes to enjoy it.
Michael St. Pierre has been instructed to steal a painting: 'The Bequest' by Chaucer Govier. Doing a favor to his good friend, Genevieve Zivera, he gets away with it and finds a map of the bowels of the Kremlin attached to the painting. Following Genevieve's instruction he destroys the painting and the map.
Soon after that, on a final request from his dying ex-wife, Michael is reunited with his biological father: Stephen Kelley. But as he meets his father, Michael is forced to see Lucien Zivera kidnap his father, and in order to save the life of both his biological father and Genevieve, Michael has to retrieve a gold box hidden inside those labyrinthic tunnels under the Kremlin.
But unbeknownst to Michael, the map he destroyed was a series of tunnels built by Ivan the Terrible who hid immeasurable treasures that have been lost to humanity. Now a master thief has the ultimate motivation to stage an assault on the Kremlin’s inner sanctum. Two lives depend on it. Thousands of years of religious faith hinge on it. And a man’s conscience, skill, and passion will not let him fail.
After finding the second Govier painting, 'The Eternal' Michael retrieves a second map that will enable him to enter the tunnels and retrieve the golden box.
Unfortunately, Michael and Zivera are not the only ones looking for the box. For Michael St. Pierre, history’s most daring heist is only one piece of an intricate puzzle reaching from an ancient monastery in Scotland to a hideaway in Corsica—where a madman has built an empire of terror. Haunted by his own family secrets, and surrounded by the precious few people he can trust (Fater Simon Bellatory and Paul Busch), Michael will take on a mission that will make him the most hunted man in the world. But when an astounding truth, buried deep beneath the Kremlin, erupts with shattering force, he may unleash a relic too dangerous to possess.
Narrated from the third person point of view, this is a fascinating, quick, and hard-to-put-down book. The plot is complex, interesting, and filled with a large amount of research. As you walk through the Kremlin, you feel you are there with Michael. The plot is amazing and is filled with multiple turns and twists that will keep you melted to the book. The characters are alive and come out of the page.
I loved it and highly recommend it.
Even though this is the second in a series, it's a stand-alone book. You don't need to read the prior volumes to enjoy it.
Michael St. Pierre has been instructed to steal a painting: 'The Bequest' by Chaucer Govier. Doing a favor to his good friend, Genevieve Zivera, he gets away with it and finds a map of the bowels of the Kremlin attached to the painting. Following Genevieve's instruction he destroys the painting and the map.
Soon after that, on a final request from his dying ex-wife, Michael is reunited with his biological father: Stephen Kelley. But as he meets his father, Michael is forced to see Lucien Zivera kidnap his father, and in order to save the life of both his biological father and Genevieve, Michael has to retrieve a gold box hidden inside those labyrinthic tunnels under the Kremlin.
But unbeknownst to Michael, the map he destroyed was a series of tunnels built by Ivan the Terrible who hid immeasurable treasures that have been lost to humanity. Now a master thief has the ultimate motivation to stage an assault on the Kremlin’s inner sanctum. Two lives depend on it. Thousands of years of religious faith hinge on it. And a man’s conscience, skill, and passion will not let him fail.
After finding the second Govier painting, 'The Eternal' Michael retrieves a second map that will enable him to enter the tunnels and retrieve the golden box.
Unfortunately, Michael and Zivera are not the only ones looking for the box. For Michael St. Pierre, history’s most daring heist is only one piece of an intricate puzzle reaching from an ancient monastery in Scotland to a hideaway in Corsica—where a madman has built an empire of terror. Haunted by his own family secrets, and surrounded by the precious few people he can trust (Fater Simon Bellatory and Paul Busch), Michael will take on a mission that will make him the most hunted man in the world. But when an astounding truth, buried deep beneath the Kremlin, erupts with shattering force, he may unleash a relic too dangerous to possess.
Narrated from the third person point of view, this is a fascinating, quick, and hard-to-put-down book. The plot is complex, interesting, and filled with a large amount of research. As you walk through the Kremlin, you feel you are there with Michael. The plot is amazing and is filled with multiple turns and twists that will keep you melted to the book. The characters are alive and come out of the page.
I loved it and highly recommend it.
March 17, 2012
The Thieves of Faith really is just not good enough. It's not entirely in dreadful Clive Kussler territory, but in the foothills of such absurdity, that's for sure.
The story is something or other to do with breaking into The Kremlin after some golden box with something in it, or maybe with nothing in it, to help save some woman who may or may not be dead. Mostly.
The villains are 100% bad, but with, of course, what the author is obviously convinced is absolutely impeccable taste and the illicitly gained millions to indulge their slightest whim.
The goodies are 100% good, talented and handsome or beautiful. The main man is also, of course, a master thief with a photographic memory and an ability to commit even the most complicated ancient maps of the Kremlin underground tunnels to memory after merely glancing at them. The goodies love(d) their wives/partners with every fibre of their beings. The main man's wife has recently died and the grief he feels about her loss has "hollowed his heart." Actually, there needs to be a bit of room in there, because his wife's last note to him, that he finds after she's dead, says; "I will always be with you, eternally within your heart." Bit creepy that, if you ask me.
Another thing that annoyed me about the main goodie was that he gets adopted at birth. That's ok, given the circumstances, but why in this kind of book is it never by a Mr. Mrs. Smith, Jones or Pratt? But always by a Mr. Mrs. St. Pierre, as here. Lucky, that.
The author has obviously been very thorough with his research and tried to be very thorough with the background of his characters - unfortunately, it's just that it all contributes to making them thoroughly unbelievable.
I was mopping up some of the books at the back of my Amazon Wish List, you really shouldn't bother wasting your time on it.
The story is something or other to do with breaking into The Kremlin after some golden box with something in it, or maybe with nothing in it, to help save some woman who may or may not be dead. Mostly.
The villains are 100% bad, but with, of course, what the author is obviously convinced is absolutely impeccable taste and the illicitly gained millions to indulge their slightest whim.
The goodies are 100% good, talented and handsome or beautiful. The main man is also, of course, a master thief with a photographic memory and an ability to commit even the most complicated ancient maps of the Kremlin underground tunnels to memory after merely glancing at them. The goodies love(d) their wives/partners with every fibre of their beings. The main man's wife has recently died and the grief he feels about her loss has "hollowed his heart." Actually, there needs to be a bit of room in there, because his wife's last note to him, that he finds after she's dead, says; "I will always be with you, eternally within your heart." Bit creepy that, if you ask me.
Another thing that annoyed me about the main goodie was that he gets adopted at birth. That's ok, given the circumstances, but why in this kind of book is it never by a Mr. Mrs. Smith, Jones or Pratt? But always by a Mr. Mrs. St. Pierre, as here. Lucky, that.
The author has obviously been very thorough with his research and tried to be very thorough with the background of his characters - unfortunately, it's just that it all contributes to making them thoroughly unbelievable.
I was mopping up some of the books at the back of my Amazon Wish List, you really shouldn't bother wasting your time on it.
January 9, 2017
I wish I could divide this book into halves and review them separately. The first part of the book, the background and the set up, dragged for me, and I would give it two stars, two and a half at best. The writing somehow got dramatically worse from the first novel to the second (when does that happen?), and there was way too much telling versus showing. Suddenly I had to have the complete backstory for every character, including why a lot of otherwise minor villains had turned evil. In all honesty, I don't need to know why every villain, except perhaps the main antagonist, is evil. I just need to know that's who we're fighting, and at least half the time I can be done there. Stopping the book three different times to catch me up with three different parts of his evil backstory just made me check out.
On the other hand, once we got to the second part of the book, and we were into the action, most of my complaints went away. I couldn't put the book down--I read the second half in one day. I still think that Doetsch overcomplicates his plots, and there were a few too many last minute twists and switches, but that didn't stop me from reading as fast as I could to see where he was going. I would have preferred a lot more Simon and a little less Susan, but you can't have everything in life.
I have to stay that I was disappointed in . I knew that one would show up eventually, I just hoped we'd go longer than book 2.
On the other hand, once we got to the second part of the book, and we were into the action, most of my complaints went away. I couldn't put the book down--I read the second half in one day. I still think that Doetsch overcomplicates his plots, and there were a few too many last minute twists and switches, but that didn't stop me from reading as fast as I could to see where he was going. I would have preferred a lot more Simon and a little less Susan, but you can't have everything in life.
I have to stay that I was disappointed in . I knew that one would show up eventually, I just hoped we'd go longer than book 2.
February 25, 2014
This is the 2nd in the series featuring Michael St Pierre.
You gotta love this thief who is always one step ahead of everyone else.
Again, another one that I could not put down until I read the very last sentence..I will say I was really happy on this one that it ended the way it should!
Michael has been left a note from his wife Mary, to find his parents.
Michael was given up for adoption but never wanted to find his parents as his adopted parents were all he needed..But Mary's last wish is that he find his father and have someone in his life.
When his friend, Genevieve contacts him and asks that he break into the Kremlin and find a box to destroy it, he is hesitant to start back into his life of crime. After finding his father, he is forced to steal the box in exchange for his father's life.
Love his friends - Simon and Paul. They are always there to help him out.
The only problem I am finding with these books, I only have two more to go before I have to wait for the next one to come out. Richard Doetsch is now at the top of my favorite authors.
You gotta love this thief who is always one step ahead of everyone else.
Again, another one that I could not put down until I read the very last sentence..I will say I was really happy on this one that it ended the way it should!
Michael has been left a note from his wife Mary, to find his parents.
Michael was given up for adoption but never wanted to find his parents as his adopted parents were all he needed..But Mary's last wish is that he find his father and have someone in his life.
When his friend, Genevieve contacts him and asks that he break into the Kremlin and find a box to destroy it, he is hesitant to start back into his life of crime. After finding his father, he is forced to steal the box in exchange for his father's life.
Love his friends - Simon and Paul. They are always there to help him out.
The only problem I am finding with these books, I only have two more to go before I have to wait for the next one to come out. Richard Doetsch is now at the top of my favorite authors.
June 20, 2008
Before I write this review let me just say that I stalled about a quarter of the way through this book.
With that said, I don't think the book was the reason I stalled.
Once I picked it back up it was a non-stop page turner.
I ended up really liking it.
Very fast paced and action packed. The only drawback was that now I need to go read the first one in this series (although, I didn't know it was a 2nd book, you can easily read this without reading the first.)
With that said, I don't think the book was the reason I stalled.
Once I picked it back up it was a non-stop page turner.
I ended up really liking it.
Very fast paced and action packed. The only drawback was that now I need to go read the first one in this series (although, I didn't know it was a 2nd book, you can easily read this without reading the first.)
August 22, 2011
The Thieves of Heaven was a much better book than this one, however this was still an excellent read. Doetsch's novel reads like an awesomely bad action movie; I don't think he's completely honed his writing skills yet, but it's still very entertaining. It doesn't really pick up until the second half, but from that moment on you will not be able to put it down.
May 14, 2012
Excellent thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The story takes you around the world with excitement at every turn of the page. From America to Russia, then under the Kremlin and a flight away for Russia to Corsica. There was danger and death at every turn.
July 4, 2013
The story line is ok....a bit unbelievable, of course. The back history of Russia and the Kremlin is cool. Quick read, with a blockbuster feel. I enjoy books like this that are entertaining, that just make me think a little.
February 2, 2014
A page turner, and although some cliché points, still a very good read! First book is not available, didn't appear to have any references to precluded understanding this one. Looking forward to the next one!
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