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Robin Monarch #3
Thief
Robin Monarch is a man with a complicated past and dangerous present. He's been a soldier, a CIA agent, a freelance operative but first and foremost, Robin Monarch is a thief of the highest order. Orphaned at twelve, Monarch originally stole for survival, then he stole for his friends and cohorts, now he steals to order, and to give back to the to the woman who saved his life many years ago.
With the help of his team, Monarch breaks into the legendary Christmas party of Beau Arsenault, a shady investor and behind-the-scenes player at the very highest levels of power politics. Arsenault is not above bending or breaking the rules if there's illicit profit to be made. Monarch has decided that those illicit profits will be better used to take care of orphans and street kids. Using the party as cover to break into Arsenault's secret vaults, Monarch comes away with two unexpected things. One is a bullet--he gets shot when he's caught trying to escape with tens of millions of negotiable instruments. The second is a lead on what might be his most audacious exploit ever. A previously undiscovered tribe in South America may well have the secret to the most sought after knowledge in history--that of eternal life. And Robin Monarch must use all his skills--as an operative, as a thief--to keep this secret from falling into the worst possible hands.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published December 16, 2014
90 people are currently reading
636 people want to read
About the author
Mark T. Sullivan
38 books4,329 followersMark T. Sullivan (b. 1958) is an author of thrillers. Born in a Boston suburb, he joined the Peace Corp after college, traveling to West Africa to live with a tribe of Saharan nomads. Upon returning to the United States, he took a job at Reuters, beginning a decade-long career in journalism that would eventually lead to a job as an investigative reporter for the San Diego Tribune.
Sullivan spent the winter of 1990 living with a group of skiers in Utah and Wyoming, and used the experience as the foundation for his first novel, The Fall Line (1994). In 1995 he published Hard News, a thriller based on his work as a reporter, and a year later he released The Purification Ceremony, which won the WH Smith Award for Best New Talent. His most recent work is Private Games (2012), which he co-authored with James Patterson. Sullivan lives with his family in Montana, where he skis, hunts, and practices martial arts.
Sullivan spent the winter of 1990 living with a group of skiers in Utah and Wyoming, and used the experience as the foundation for his first novel, The Fall Line (1994). In 1995 he published Hard News, a thriller based on his work as a reporter, and a year later he released The Purification Ceremony, which won the WH Smith Award for Best New Talent. His most recent work is Private Games (2012), which he co-authored with James Patterson. Sullivan lives with his family in Montana, where he skis, hunts, and practices martial arts.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
March 19, 2024
Thief is the third book in a series about CIA operative, Robin Monarch. The other two books are short stories: Brotherhood and The Escape Artist. Thief is not a short story. Monarch continues to have extremely challenging assignments which he masterfully pulls off, despite the odds.
My first Mark Sullivan book was The Last Green Valley which I loved and rated five stars. I want to read Beneath a Scarlet Sky and his upcoming book All the Glimmering Stars.
My first Mark Sullivan book was The Last Green Valley which I loved and rated five stars. I want to read Beneath a Scarlet Sky and his upcoming book All the Glimmering Stars.
March 8, 2015
Thief is Mark Sullivan's crackling action packed third book in his Robin Monarch series. Thriller fans rejoice. Stay up to dawn and sate yourself on armed combat, ambushes ( in the air, on land, and on the ice) safe cracking, high technology, low morals, rich tycoons with bad manners, monstrous criminals and a cool modern setting. Monarch, an ex special forces and CIA agent, is a modern day robin hood who steals to support the good work of Sister Rachel, a nun who runs an orphanage and medical clinic for the poor in South America.
This time Monarch is going after a big score, stealing from tycoon Beau Arsenault, a wealthy industrialist who is not afraid to bend a rule or two to make millions or to use his great wealth to crush people. But Monarch's plans go awry and he is wounded. Unaccustomed to anyone brazen enough to steal from him, Arsenault vows revenge and soon finds out Monarch's identity and orchestrates the kidnapping of Sister Rachel, to get at Monarch.
But then Arsenault also finds out about a potential medical miracle and uses Sister Rachel to blackmail Monarch into stealing a secret so powerful it can change the world. Santos, a scientist, has found the secret location of her grandmother's Indian forbears. Now the race is on as Monarch finances and accompanies the beautiful scientist Santos' expedition into the Amazon basin to a hidden valley where Indian natives have a secret Ponce De Leon would envy. But two teams of armed men are also following. The valley has other wealth.
Meanwhile, Monarch's team (Chavez, Claudio and Barnett) is in Europe tracking down the people who helped Arsenault kidnap Sister Rachel, who they hope can reveal where she is being held. A daring raid on an ice lake will lead to a possible clue. And somewhere in South America, Hector Vargas, a ruthless member of the Monarch's former thieves guild is holding Sister Rachel and subjecting her to torture.
Will Monarch steal Santos secret or protect her from the armed men? Will his team find where Sister Rachel is being held before she is harmed any worse? Will Monarch exact revenge on Vargas, Arsenault and the others that stand in his way?
This time Monarch is going after a big score, stealing from tycoon Beau Arsenault, a wealthy industrialist who is not afraid to bend a rule or two to make millions or to use his great wealth to crush people. But Monarch's plans go awry and he is wounded. Unaccustomed to anyone brazen enough to steal from him, Arsenault vows revenge and soon finds out Monarch's identity and orchestrates the kidnapping of Sister Rachel, to get at Monarch.
But then Arsenault also finds out about a potential medical miracle and uses Sister Rachel to blackmail Monarch into stealing a secret so powerful it can change the world. Santos, a scientist, has found the secret location of her grandmother's Indian forbears. Now the race is on as Monarch finances and accompanies the beautiful scientist Santos' expedition into the Amazon basin to a hidden valley where Indian natives have a secret Ponce De Leon would envy. But two teams of armed men are also following. The valley has other wealth.
Meanwhile, Monarch's team (Chavez, Claudio and Barnett) is in Europe tracking down the people who helped Arsenault kidnap Sister Rachel, who they hope can reveal where she is being held. A daring raid on an ice lake will lead to a possible clue. And somewhere in South America, Hector Vargas, a ruthless member of the Monarch's former thieves guild is holding Sister Rachel and subjecting her to torture.
Will Monarch steal Santos secret or protect her from the armed men? Will his team find where Sister Rachel is being held before she is harmed any worse? Will Monarch exact revenge on Vargas, Arsenault and the others that stand in his way?
October 1, 2023
I enjoy the Robyn Monarch series. He is a thief, but more of Robin Hood. This book continues with a character from the last, Big Beau. Big Beau is awful and is ruthless to make money! Collusion with another unsavory character, Robyn is thwarted at every move. It was a great read.
December 16, 2014
4.5 stars.
Thief by Mark Sullivan is another pulse pounding thriller starring the very intrepid Robin Monarch. In this outing, the stakes are high for Robin as he, along with his trusted crew, race to save Sister Rachel Diego del Mar from ruthless kidnappers.
At the end of Outlaw, Robin was left with a few suspicions about billionaire Beau Arsenault's involvement in the kidnapping of a top US official. He digs a little deeper into Arsenault's life but the subsequent investigation fails to yield any solid evidence to support his theory. However he does uncover some very interesting information about the billionaire's financial dealings, and Robin embarks on a daring heist that leads to a hefty payoff and nets him a powerful foe.
Needing medical attention for the wounds he sustained during his escape, Robin is soon in the care of Sister Rachel, the nun who, years earlier, convinced him to walk away from his life in the Brotherhood of Thieves. Information he revealed during his escape from the robbery provides Arsenault with the information he needs to figure out Robin is behind the theft and he then devises a nefarious plot to gain Robin's cooperation in stealing vital research information. Arsenault puts in motion a plot to kidnap Sister Rachel and to save her, Robin must join forces with scientist Estella Santos and her fellow researchers as they journey deep into the Amazon jungles.
Robin is still clever and quick thinking but his concern for Sister Rachel causes him to ignore his instincts on more than one occasion. He has no choice but to finagle his way into Estella's research trip but their truce remains uneasy. Their journey is fraught with danger as they battle not only the harsh elements but a nemesis from Robin's past. Another complication arises upon their arrival at the remote village where Monarch struggles with a moral dilemma as he weighs the pros and cons of a decision he must soon make.
While Robin is occupied with Estella, his close friend Claudio Fortunato is hot on the trail of Sister Rachel. His investigation goes in an unexpected direction that leads straight back to his and Robin's days in the Brotherhood of Thieves. Secrets, lies and an almost maniacal thirst for revenge are just a few of the difficulties Claudio encounters as he frantically searches for Sister Rachel.
Thief is a spellbinding adventure with a unique storyline and intriguing setting. Unexpected plot twists and plenty of action keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Old and new enemies once again prove formidable adversaries for Robin Monarch and his elite team but thankfully, in the end, good triumphs over evil as Mark Sullivan brings the novel to a dramatic and highly satisfying conclusion.
Thief by Mark Sullivan is another pulse pounding thriller starring the very intrepid Robin Monarch. In this outing, the stakes are high for Robin as he, along with his trusted crew, race to save Sister Rachel Diego del Mar from ruthless kidnappers.
At the end of Outlaw, Robin was left with a few suspicions about billionaire Beau Arsenault's involvement in the kidnapping of a top US official. He digs a little deeper into Arsenault's life but the subsequent investigation fails to yield any solid evidence to support his theory. However he does uncover some very interesting information about the billionaire's financial dealings, and Robin embarks on a daring heist that leads to a hefty payoff and nets him a powerful foe.
Needing medical attention for the wounds he sustained during his escape, Robin is soon in the care of Sister Rachel, the nun who, years earlier, convinced him to walk away from his life in the Brotherhood of Thieves. Information he revealed during his escape from the robbery provides Arsenault with the information he needs to figure out Robin is behind the theft and he then devises a nefarious plot to gain Robin's cooperation in stealing vital research information. Arsenault puts in motion a plot to kidnap Sister Rachel and to save her, Robin must join forces with scientist Estella Santos and her fellow researchers as they journey deep into the Amazon jungles.
Robin is still clever and quick thinking but his concern for Sister Rachel causes him to ignore his instincts on more than one occasion. He has no choice but to finagle his way into Estella's research trip but their truce remains uneasy. Their journey is fraught with danger as they battle not only the harsh elements but a nemesis from Robin's past. Another complication arises upon their arrival at the remote village where Monarch struggles with a moral dilemma as he weighs the pros and cons of a decision he must soon make.
While Robin is occupied with Estella, his close friend Claudio Fortunato is hot on the trail of Sister Rachel. His investigation goes in an unexpected direction that leads straight back to his and Robin's days in the Brotherhood of Thieves. Secrets, lies and an almost maniacal thirst for revenge are just a few of the difficulties Claudio encounters as he frantically searches for Sister Rachel.
Thief is a spellbinding adventure with a unique storyline and intriguing setting. Unexpected plot twists and plenty of action keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Old and new enemies once again prove formidable adversaries for Robin Monarch and his elite team but thankfully, in the end, good triumphs over evil as Mark Sullivan brings the novel to a dramatic and highly satisfying conclusion.
September 6, 2017
With how the last book ended I knew we were going to have a battle between Robin and Beau, thought things might have been dragged out for a while. So when I realized it happened in this book I was happy. I loved how Robin got the better of Beau at the start, however that only made Beau more incensed. I found to be a piece of crap, he acted one way in public, but in private was different and no one was spared, including his family.
I hated how Beau got to Robin, hated that it seemed to throw Robin off a bit. Working a bit blind as Robin wasn't sure who was after him, he managed to do what he could and called in his team to find who was behind things.
While I hated that Robin had to deceive the scientists, but in his own way he was trying to help them too. How Robin got found out sort of made me laugh, only Robin would be found out this way. The group is lucky that Robin still felt protective of them as he was forced to their location after leaving.
I thought this one ended great. The bad guys got theirs, especially Beau, loved him getting taken down. But the best was Robin and his friends celebrating.
I hated how Beau got to Robin, hated that it seemed to throw Robin off a bit. Working a bit blind as Robin wasn't sure who was after him, he managed to do what he could and called in his team to find who was behind things.
While I hated that Robin had to deceive the scientists, but in his own way he was trying to help them too. How Robin got found out sort of made me laugh, only Robin would be found out this way. The group is lucky that Robin still felt protective of them as he was forced to their location after leaving.
I thought this one ended great. The bad guys got theirs, especially Beau, loved him getting taken down. But the best was Robin and his friends celebrating.
July 8, 2025
Thief is a great thriller. From the moment I put my headphones on, I did not want to stop listening. The audiobook is well-acted, the story is razor sharp, with tension on every page. I found myself staying on the treadmill longer so I could keep listening. Until I did this review, I did not realize that the book is #3 in a series. As a first-time reader of Mark Sullivan, the book stood by itself, though I want to go back and get #1 and #2. This book would make a great movie.
It's a definite recommendation for an engaging, fun and fast read.
It's a definite recommendation for an engaging, fun and fast read.
June 14, 2025
My fave of the Robin Monarch novels, the first that really hooked me. Glad I kept going with this series.
February 23, 2020
The cover of this book shows a desperate person running down a street, looking back apparently in great suspense. In reality, there was absolutely nothing suspenseful about this book. Over the course of 336 pages, the author built up no drama whatsoever. The book was a long sequence of events, in which, in place of drama, the author substituted instead some very sadistic cruelty. And in place of a captivating plot, the author asked us to simply be enamored of this jet-setting international thief who I found entirely unlikable.
The bad guys were one-dimensional, shallow caricatures who were transparent and predictable. Finally, how dumb is this thief to give his actual name in the course of the robbery at the beginning of the book? That stupid mistake caused pain and suffering to all of his friends and led to all of the misadventures of this entirely forgettable book.
The bad guys were one-dimensional, shallow caricatures who were transparent and predictable. Finally, how dumb is this thief to give his actual name in the course of the robbery at the beginning of the book? That stupid mistake caused pain and suffering to all of his friends and led to all of the misadventures of this entirely forgettable book.
January 14, 2019
Thief is a page-turner for the first half of the novel, then (though still interesting) gets bogged down in Amazon jungles.
The thief, Robin Monarch, is a likeable character introduced in earlier Mark Sullivan novels. Here he plans a robbery of a very wealthy, unethical businessman and plans to use the stolen money to help the woman who saved him from a life of crime. Sister Rachel runs an orphanage in the slums of Argentina and became like a mother to Robin.
The businessman, from whom Robin stole millions, sets his sights of getting even with the Thief. From here the story gets quite involved as the thief discovers Sister Rachel has been abucted and threatened with death. Robin must discover who and why.
The thief, Robin Monarch, is a likeable character introduced in earlier Mark Sullivan novels. Here he plans a robbery of a very wealthy, unethical businessman and plans to use the stolen money to help the woman who saved him from a life of crime. Sister Rachel runs an orphanage in the slums of Argentina and became like a mother to Robin.
The businessman, from whom Robin stole millions, sets his sights of getting even with the Thief. From here the story gets quite involved as the thief discovers Sister Rachel has been abucted and threatened with death. Robin must discover who and why.
January 12, 2026
2 1/2 stars. It would have been 3 or more if the story hadn’t dragged on. The storyline was good and I liked the characters until I started having to skim 3 or 4 pages at a time to move the story along. Instead of saying “we went down a trail in the jungle” he said “…the way got easier and they were able to weave in and around the stones and low growing trees with riotous purple flowers and waxy lime colored leaves shaped like elephant ears”… Also, IMO there were an unnecessary number of “fistfights” and “action packed” moments. We get it, they had confrontations along the way… I barely read the last 50 pages in order to see how it ended.
July 14, 2023
Robin is back and all alone in Patagonia. Life is good and then he is burglaring a rich man at Christmas. A well done plot with intrigue, revenge, kidnaping, lust and all manner of fighting. An international tale that did not require reading book 2 before finishing book 3. Revenge was good and the teaser at the end to start the next adventure is a good take on all of these books. The rich man take down and the funding from that take down was not explained well. The book ended in a hurry after the Sister was returned and the kidnaper killed.
July 15, 2017
The Thief is a former bad guy who seeks redemption in his own mind by stealing from crooks and giving to charity. He steals from a rich and powerful man, making an enemy determined to get revenge. The next assignment is a mysterious one, enemies from his past come out of the woodwork and converge in an action packed adventure at an amazing locale. I thought the plot was mediocre and hokey, the action just like any other action book, and the superhuman abilities were over the top.
March 9, 2018
Adolescent fantasy comic book adventure. A Robin Hood of sorts who takes a cut for himself. Mixed messages abound; it's OK to steal from the rich, since they abuse the poor, it's OK to lie to your benefactor, because the money you give is dirty - along with a message that good deeds wipe out prior very bad deeds. Come on, are we supposed to take anything seriously when the thief's first name is 'Robin'?
April 9, 2019
If you liked the Bourne books. If you were fascinated by Mission Impossible. This series is for you. But, fair warning, suspend your disbelief before you even start. In fact, take your beliefs, put them in a safe, spin the pin, and forget the number. If you can do that, you'll enjoy a fast-paced, complex, story of intrigue and adventure. Read them in order starting with 0. Yes, 0. It's a short story. Google it
August 10, 2021
Rated 5/10. I read this book the third of the three Robin Monarch books pretty much one after the other and was pretty much over it by the time I got to this one. I enjoyed "Rogue" his original story but went down hill from there. Still if looking for a bit of easy reading escapism go for it, just don't recommend reading in succession, better yet read them in reverse order.
September 22, 2020
I have read all of the Private series co-authored with Patterson, however this is the first solo Mark Sullivan novel that I’ve read and was not disappointed. Would say that the rating is more along the lines of a 4 1/2. Looking forward to reading more from Mark Sullivan.
July 7, 2017
Enjoyed this more than I expected to, some profanity. Series new to me but will read author again. Pleasantly narrated and recommended.
August 24, 2017
Love this series
September 7, 2017
Great ending (or is it?!) to thr three book Robin Murdoch series. I'll definitely be watching for another. Thank you Mark Sullivan for the wonderful entertainment!
July 4, 2018
Fast pace novel. It was a good read.
September 1, 2018
Enjoyable read.
April 11, 2019
A GOOD READ
A good read . The detail on the Amazonian tribe slowed the pace. While interesting it is not quite expected in the Monarch action genre. Hence only 4 stars.
A good read . The detail on the Amazonian tribe slowed the pace. While interesting it is not quite expected in the Monarch action genre. Hence only 4 stars.
July 3, 2020
The usual - great read
You're held in suspense to the end, even though you're pretty sure you know how it's going to end. Great job!
You're held in suspense to the end, even though you're pretty sure you know how it's going to end. Great job!
January 24, 2021
Descent read.
November 8, 2021
Complete and utter tosh
June 2, 2022
This book was a great addition to the series. Parts reminds me of a James Rollins novel with a Robin Hood twist
September 9, 2022
Much different from his historical fiction novels. Similar humor as Chasing Ivan by Tim Tigner. Very cheeky humor and engaging. Great developed characters. Must read.
December 5, 2022
.75 engaging series I am apparently starting in the middle
August 4, 2023
I want more of Robin Monarch! Excellent
July 26, 2024
Love Robin Monarch! Sad that there hasn't been a new one, but hoping for the future. This is my favorite of the RM series and my second time reading it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews