Title: Thief by Mark Sullivan
Robin Monarch Book Three
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Thriller
Length: 349 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher
Summary:
In Mark Sullivan’s Thief, Robin Monarch is a man with a complicated past and dangerous present. He’s been a soldier, a CIA agent, a freelance operative but first and foremost, Robin Monarch is a thief of the highest order. Orphaned at twelve, Monarch originally stole for survival, then he stole for his friends and cohorts, now he steals to order, and to give back to the to the woman who saved his life many years ago.
With the help of his team, Monarch breaks into the legendary Christmas party of Beau Arsenault, a shady investor and behind-the-scenes player at the very highest levels of power politics. Arsenault is not above bending or breaking the rules if there’s illicit profit to be made. Monarch has decided that those illicit profits will be better used to take care of orphans and street kids. Using the party as cover to break into Arsenault’s secret vaults, Monarch comes away with two unexpected things. One is a bullet—he gets shot when he’s caught trying to escape with tens of millions of negotiable instruments. The second is a lead on what might be his most audacious exploit ever. A previously undiscovered tribe in South America may well have the secret to the most sought after knowledge in history—that of eternal life. And Robin Monarch must use all his skills—as an operative, as a thief—to keep this secret from falling into the worst possible hands.
The Review:
Thief by Mark Sullivan is another pulse pounding thriller starring the very intrepid Robin Monarch. In this outing, the stakes are high for Robin as he, along with his trusted crew, race to save Sister Rachel Diego del Mar from ruthless kidnappers.
At the end of Outlaw, Robin was left with a few suspicions about billionaire Beau Arsenault’s involvement in the kidnapping of a top US official. He digs a little deeper into Arsenault’s life but the subsequent investigation fails to yield any solid evidence to support his theory. However he does uncover some very interesting information about the billionaire’s financial dealings, and Robin embarks on a daring heist that leads to a hefty payoff and nets him a powerful foe.
Needing medical attention for the wounds he sustained during his escape, Robin is soon in the care of Sister Rachel, the nun who, years earlier, convinced him to walk away from his life in the Brotherhood of Thieves. Information he revealed during his escape from the robbery provides Arsenault with the information he needs to figure out Robin is behind the theft and he then devises a nefarious plot to gain Robin’s cooperation in stealing vital research information. Arsenault puts in motion a plot to kidnap Sister Rachel and to save her, Robin must join forces with scientist Estella Santos and her fellow researchers as they journey deep into the Amazon jungles.
Robin is still clever and quick thinking but his concern for Sister Rachel causes him to ignore his instincts on more than one occasion. He has no choice but to finagle his way into Estella’s research trip but their truce remains uneasy. Their journey is fraught with danger as they battle not only the harsh elements but a nemesis from Robin’s past. Another complication arises upon their arrival at the remote village where Monarch struggles with a moral dilemma as he weighs the pros and cons of a decision he must soon make.
While Robin is occupied with Estella, his close friend Claudio Fortunato is hot on the trail of Sister Rachel. His investigation goes in an unexpected direction that leads straight back to his and Robin’s days in the Brotherhood of Thieves. Secrets, lies and an almost maniacal thirst for revenge are just a few of the difficulties Claudio encounters as he frantically searches for Sister Rachel.
Thief is a spellbinding adventure with a unique storyline and intriguing setting. Unexpected plot twists and plenty of action keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Old and new enemies once again prove formidable adversaries for Robin Monarch and his elite team but thankfully, in the end, good triumphs over evil as Mark Sullivan brings the novel to a dramatic and highly satisfying conclusion.
