The Thieves of Darkness

A shop-worn plot and stock characters mar Doetsch's overlong third thriller to feature retired art thief Michael St. Pierre (after The Thieves of Faith). Michael's unconventional priest friend, Fr. Simon Bellatori, fixes up the 38-year-old Michael, whose beloved wife, Mary, died of cancer 18 months earlier, with the beautiful and athletic Katherine "KC" Ryan, who turns out also to be a thief. Soon after falling for KC, Michael has to fly off to Akbiquestan, "a small breakaway republic north of Pakistan," to rescue Simon and KC from a remote prison and certain death. Evil, homicidal businessman Philippe Venue, who's been hit hard by the recession, is searching for a legendary treasure to restore his dwindling fortune. Simon has information that will aid Venue, and soon all are in a race to find the treasure hidden in the Himalayan mountains. Clunky writing (e.g., "As they hugged, you could see the relief pour from their bodies") doesn't help. (Aug.)