The Thieves of Darkness    by Richard Doetsch Order:  USA  Can Atria, 2010 (2010) Hardcover, e-Book      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson If you enjoy larger than life adventure with large dollops of romance, history, and mysticism, and exotic settings, then you'll revel in Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch, who also wrote The 13th Hour. The thriller opens on a daring rescue from legendary (in no good sense) Chiron Prison in the desolate Akbiquestan Desert. Reformed (though this status could be argued) master thief Michael St. Pierre, accompanied by ex-cop Paul Busch, rushes to the rescue of his best friend, priest Simon Bellatori, who awaits execution there. Michael is shocked to find another prisoner awaiting death alongside Simon - his gorgeous new girlfriend Katherine Colleen 'KC' Ryan, who had matched him in every way before suddenly disappearing from his life. After this breathtaking meeting with the good guys, Doetsch brings in the villains of his piece - thoroughly evil billionaire Philippe Venue, whose empire is crumbling around him; and psychotic Iblis, a ruthless assasin who has a surprising history with KC. Meanwhile the quest that led KC and Simon to Chiron now sends them, along with Michael and his sidekick Paul (and Cindy who unexpectedly arrives in search of her sister KC) to Istanbul. There they plan to steal a very old letter and sea chart. There are kidnappings and rescues, revelations and betrayals, break-ins and -outs, plots and counterplots, and plenty of cliffhangers and near misses in this dizzying, explosive adventure. Michael's and KC's quest ultimately takes them to the Himalayas, seeking 'some things that are never meant to be learned, some things that are never meant to be found.' James Rollins rightly calls The Thieves of Darkness a masterwork; don't miss it! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews