great historical mystery, very fast paced

Disclaimer: Received as a free Advanced Reader Copy from the First Reads Program.

I'm afraid I'm just not a big fan of mystery novels in general, although I like to think I can pick out a good novel even in a genre I don't care for. I think perhaps The Holy Thief was just a little too ambitious for a first time novel. There are some really great things going on here, namely the Thieves, particularly the mention of their tattoos; the street kids of Russia; and the author Babel. Sadly, we don't get to see much of this, and what we do see is kind of humdrum.

There are also some fairly distracting similes in this novel, two "favorites" being, "The lie tasted like meatballs in his mouth" and someone staring at someone "like he farted during the ballet." It was distracting and completely out of tone with the rest of the novel. If Ryan wanted some comedic relief, he could have done it better by using his characters, namely Babel. Want more Babel.

I would also say that this novel is trying to spread itself into three genres. We obviously know it's a murder mystery, because there's a dead body and it's "about" a police detective even if he is Soviet Militiaman (in Soviet Russia, murder mystery solve you?). However, I would venture that Ryan is also trying to write a historical fiction novel AND a political thriller. Sadly, it just doesn't work in this case. It's a little too watered down in certain areas because of the other genre influences to really satisfy any genre reader, and definitely not strong enough to stand on its own.

Finally...I would say that the ending was a little anti-climactic, but there was really no build-up in order for there to be a climax. This book is nothing but plateau. I guess if you're into being literally frustrated this might just be for you, but I need a little more...satisfaction. I have no idea how this book review turned into entendre, but there it is.

There are things that might be fixed before the final copy is released...but I don't think it will be drastically enough for me to change my rating. And there's no way I'm re-reading this.

The reviewer is a 2009 graduate of Kent State University's Master of Library and Information Sciences program, an alumna of Antioch College, and the author of the blog A Librarian's Life in Books.

The Holy Thief
By William Ryan
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Published In: New York City, NY, USA
Date: 2010
Pgs: 345

REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
A murder mystery sweeps Moscow in 1936. In the shadows of Stalin’s Great Terror, a investigator in the Criminal Investigative Division of the Moscow Militia is on the trail of a killer. The murderer tortures his victims. The Gangs of Moscow have an interest. The NKVD has an interest. Captain Alexei Dmitriyevich Korolev is being followed. His moral and political ideals are under scrutiny. He is a good soldier. He must find the criminal even if it means meeting with the devils of both the criminal world and the ones hiding in the halls of power in Stalin’s Russia.

Genre:
fiction, mystery, crime, russia

Why this book:
I’ve always been fascinated by Russia.

This Story is About:
duty and corruption

Favorite Character:
Korolev is a great character.

Least Favorite Character:
Larinin the weasel.

Character I Most Identified With:
Korolev

The Feel:
I expected a closer feel. More claustrophobic. The weight of a Moscow winter and the Soviet system sit heavily upon all those in the book.

Favorite Scene:
The opening scene with the first crime scene and what happened there.
The denouement scene where Korolev unties Valentina after the attack is sweet.

Settings:
The Church on Rankin Street, the precinct house on Petrovka Street, the football pitch of Tomsky Stadium, the apartment building on Bolshoi Nikolo-Vorobinsky,

Pacing:
It’s not a breakneck page turner pace, but it does move along well.

Plot Holes/Out of Character:
N/A

Last Page Sound:
The end could have ran on just a bit more. I would have liked to have seen a bit of the future of these characters.

Author Assessment:
I wish the villain of the piece wouldn’t have been telegraphed quite as hard as it was.

Editorial Assessment:
N/A

Did the Book Cover Reflect the Story:
A man in a heavy coat in silhouette walks away from us down a cobblestoned street with the Moscow skyline in front of him in sunlight...or cloudy bright snow clouds.

Hmm Moments:
N/A

Knee Jerk Reaction:
it’s alright

Disposition of Book:
Half Price Book stack

Why isn’t there a screenplay?
It could make a good movie.

Casting call:
The role of Korolev could lend itself to a couple different styles. Mickey Rourke or Michael Madsen could both work well in the role.
Michael Rosenbaum could fit well in the role of the junior detective in Korolev’s division, Semionov.
Nathan Fillion as Larinin would be playing against type, could be awesome.
Mark Harmon as Popov, the older leader of the CID detachment at Petrovka Street.

Would recommend to:
Russophiles, genre fans, crime novels, mystery

Ryan has done a fairly good job in recreating the realities of Moscow in 1936, and the plotting is ok, though nothing extraordinary. But the way how people talk is just awful. As if the slogans would actually have dominated everyone's consciousness. Watching a few Soviet films (the ones from 1950s would do) might have given the author a few glimpses into the mentality, even though these, too, were based on a grossly oversimplified psychology and used carefully censored language. And when it comes to interior monologues - where the stuffy officialese often dominates over personal feelings and fears just as well - the human credibility of the characters suffers even more. The most interesting people in the novel, as a result, are those we are told less about, and who do not matter as much to the story itself. Thus in this first volume at least captain Korolev is no match for Arkady Renko of Martin Cruz Smith. Which is not to say he has no potential.

I picked this as I really enjoyed [b:Child 44|2161733|Child 44|Tom Rob Smith|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255690645s/2161733.jpg|2167258] which is also set in Stalinist Russia, but this book never really gripped me. To much of what happened was predictable. A really obvious bad guy, people not being who they claim to be, not nice people getting exactly what they deserve, lots of horrible things happening to our hero but he gets the result in the end. All in all fairly undemanding stuff.

If you enjoy well written mysteries and the Stalinist Soviet Union, you'll enjoy this book.

this was ok. a decent story, but the storytelling leaves a lot to be desired. despite the grizzly crimes and the setting, Stalin's Moscow, there is very little edge to it. how could that happen?

The main character was interesting and likable, and the the historical setting was fascinating. Some of the plot points were pretty obvious.