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A review by wyntrchylde
The Holy Thief by William Ryan
2.0
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
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