The Thieves of Heaven
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4.5 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The most closely Guarded treasure on Earth.
An explosive ancient secret.
A breakneck journey into the heart of the Vatican.
In a small, heavily fortified room just north of the Sistine Chapel, a master thief is about to strike. All he needs is an instant–to steal the most important treasure in the Vatican museum: two antique keys–one gold, one silver–that protect the secret of salvation….
But a surprise awaits Michael St. Pierre deep inside the Vatican, an ancient secret so explosive, it sends him running for his life—from the streets of Rome to a small stone church in Israel—with two stolen keys and a terrible realization: the consequences of his desperate, brazen act are far greater than he could ever have imagined.
For the treasure he has uncovered—the gleaming prize buried within the most clandestine structure on earth—is about to bring him face-to-face with an enemy more shocking, frightening, and insidious than anyone can guess....
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Michael St. Pierre is a retired master thief taking on one last score knocking over the Vatican in Doetsch's first novel, an effective papal thriller. When his beloved wife, Mary, is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Michael reluctantly agrees to a burglary for a mysterious German businessman, August Finster. Finster will pay all of Mary's medical expenses if Michael steals a set of keys, one gold and one silver, from the Vatican. Michael pulls off the job, but naturally there's more to it than a simple robbery: Finster has sinister plans for the keys, which hold the power to keep humanity out of heaven forever. With the help of Michael's cop buddy and a Vatican priest, Michael must steal the keys back from Finster and return them to Rome. Doetsch wisely keeps the supernatural elements to a minimum, putting the focus on his characters and fusing horror and international thriller while avoiding the usual suspects (no Knights of the Templar here). Though some plot elements don't hold to close scrutiny (one paranormal character is omnipotent only when it's convenient to the plot), Doetsch's debut is an enjoyable and suspenseful read.
Customer Reviews
A Gripping Novel With A Lot of Weight!
The Thieves of Heaven is a great read full of action, crime, philosophy, and the Catholic faith (however I wouldn't go so far to call it a religious book, it is simply a plot element) but at its heart is a love story. The intense love that the main character has for his wife and his desire to stop her suffering leads him back into the life he vowed to forget and into a world of which he doesn't fully believe. The story does venture into cliche territory a few times but nothing "cringe-worthy" that takes away from the novel. The Main character finds himself accepting a job for a certain shady individual, which unravels into a magnificent conflict full of twists and turns that never feel cheap or illogical. The ensuing international adventure makes the stakes feel high but still manages to feel personal even thought it's so far from home. This book is a must read and can easily stand alone from its other 3 sequels, infact I recommend this as the sequels don't quite hold the same weight as The Thieves of Heaven...but that's a totally different topic!
9.5/10
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