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The Holy Thief

Name: The Holy Thief
Author: William Ryan
ISBN: 9780312552695

by William Ryan

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Overview

Moscow, 1936, and Stalin’s Great Terror is just beginning. In a church, a woman is found dead, her body on display. Captain Alexei Korolev of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia is assigned, but the NKVD is watching and exile is a real possibility. Committed to the case, Korolev enters the realm of the Thieves, rulers of Moscow’s underworld. But as more bodies are found, Korolev begins to question whom he can trust and who are the real criminals.

With Alexei Korolev, William Ryan has given us one of the most compelling detectives in modern literature, a man who will lead us through a fear-choked Russia to find the only thing that can save him—the truth.

About the Author, William Ryan

WILLIAM RYAN was born in London in 1965 and attended Trinity College, Dublin. He practiced briefly as a barrister before completing his Masters in Creative Writing at St Andrews University. His work has appeared in the short story collection, Cool Britannia. He lives in London with his wife. The Holy Thief is his first novel.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

Praise for The Holy Thief

“Without a doubt, The Holy Thief is one of the best historical mysteries I’ve read in the last ten years.”

—David Liss

“One of the year’s most exciting [debuts] . . . While the search for Russian icons will bring to mind Martin Cruz Smith’s brilliant Gorky Park, Ryan puts a fresh, original spin on the briskly paced The Holy Thief.”

—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun-Sentinel

“Ryan, who merits comparison to Tom Rob Smith, makes palpable the perpetual state of fear. . . . Readers will hope Korolev has a long career ahead of him.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Publishers Weekly

Set in 1936, Ryan's impressive debut introduces Capt. Alexei Korolev of the Moscow Militia's Criminal Investigation Division, who looks into the murder of a young woman found butchered in a church. Signs of torture suggest the killer may have been trying to get information out of the victim. Colonel Gregorin, an NKVD officer who takes an interest in the case, believes the crime has "a political element." With Gregorin's help, the captain identifies the woman as an American nun, who may have been involved with smuggling valuables out of the Soviet Union for sale abroad. After a second similar murder, Korolev enlists the help of a motley assortment of allies, including a contingent of would-be Baker Street Irregulars and acclaimed writer Isaac Babel. Ryan, who merits comparison to Tom Rob Smith, makes palpable the perpetual state of fear of being reported as disloyal, besides dramatizing the difficulty of being an honest cop in a repressive police state. Readers will hope Korolev has a long career ahead of him. 125,000 first printing; author tour. (Aug.)