The Thieves of Darkness by Richard Doetsch and Giveaway!

From Goodreads:

Michael St. Pierre thinks he has left his days as a master thief behind him. He's just started dating again following the death of his wife and has embarked on a new relationship with a beautiful, smart woman named KC. But then, he gets word that his best friend, Simon, is being held captive in a brutal and isolated middle eastern prison, sentenced to death. For the first time, Michael must break into a prison, this time to rescue his friend. Imagine his surprise when he finds KC in the neighboring cell. After a thrilling rescue, the three journey to Istanbul to complete the mission that led to their incarceration.  

Simon and KC are on the trail of a map that holds a secret as ancient as mankind, a secret that has roots in the foundations of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. In order to get their hands on the map and save Simon's life, Michael and KC must complete an amazing series of stunts and thefts, outwitting the authorities and a ruthless and equally skilled enemy. Old family secrets and loyalties come into play as they race through the secret underground tunnels of Istanbul, and eventually travel deep into the Himalayas to a mysterious land that might be the legendary Shangri-La itself.

 Let me just say it. This book is a roller coaster ride. It's a thriller mystery and it is written very well. As soon as one part of a mystery is solved, you find yourself a part of another. It is a never ending ride as well as a compelling read. The main characters are likable and even though they are thieves, they only do "moral" thieving. Just this topic alone can make for interesting discussion, but it was in here only so you can like the heroes and heroine, Michael and KC, in the story. I will say, however, I did not always like the relationship between those two. At times, their distrust and bickering got tiring, but it also makes sense as if they were to trust each other too quickly. I feel that could have been worse. This book also has a changing POV, and it works in this book. You get a feel for all the major players in this running mystery.

I can see some might compare it to another book *coughDavinciCodecough* because there is a priest and it deals a bit with religious myths, but it is a book that stands on on it's own. And on top of that, it is well researched. ;) In fact those parts in the book that deal with religious undertones are only there to give the mystery more presence and it does not preach in any way. It does not step on the toes of any religion mentioned in the book.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. If you like thrillers, I do believe you will like this one. The hardback version of this book has been out since Aug, 2010 and now it is being produced in mass market format starting today!

The publisher gave me this book for review and no compensation was given.

Giveaway! -is over! Thx for playing!

Would you like to win a mass market book of The Thieves of Darkness? The publisher is allowing me to do a giveaway! All you have to do is mention that you would like to win it in the comments section. Leave an e-mail if you don't have one in your profile. It's US only and ends on March 1, 2011 10PM MST.