The Holy Thief cover art

The Holy Thief

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Holy Thief

By: William Ryan, W.C. Ryan
Narrated by: Seán Barrett
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £15.99

Buy Now for £15.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Moscow, 1936. In a deconsecrated church, a young woman is found dead, her mutilated body displayed on the altar for all to see. Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev is asked to investigate. But when he discovers that the victim is an American citizen, the NKVD - the most feared organisation in Russia - becomes involved.

Soon, Korolev’s every step is under close scrutiny and one false move will mean exile to the frozen camps of the far north. Committed to uncovering the truth, Korolov enters the realm of the Thieves, who run Moscow’s underworld. And as more bodies are discovered and the pressure from above builds, Korolev will find not only his moral and political ideals threatened, but also his life....

©2010 William Ryan (P)2012 Isis Audio Historical Mystery Russia Fiction Suspense

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Traitor's Gate cover art
The Insider cover art
My Name Is Nobody cover art
The Brief cover art
The Last Moriarty cover art
A Killing Winter cover art
The Fragile Cage cover art
The Scarlet Papers cover art
The Divinities cover art
Her Last Goodnight cover art
Babylon Berlin cover art
The Unwanted Dead cover art
Relics cover art
No Ordinary Killing: An Ingo Finch Mystery Book 1 cover art
All stars
Most relevant
I was looking for books narrated by Sean Barrett when I came across this one and I'm so glad I did. It's well-written, lots of interesting, historical context and a great plot, full of twists and turns and lots of fascinating characters. Any fan of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther novels will enjoy this. I shall be looking for more of William Ryan's books.

Excellent!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
One of the most engaging, well-told stories I’ve heard. Great plot and characters and Sean Barrett’s narration is, as always, compelling and masterful. I can’t wait to listen to more in this series, Citizen.

Outstanding

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I now search for books narrated by Sean Barrett. First encountered him reading Mick Herons ‘Slough House’ series of novels. ( Now an Apple TV series ‘Slow Horses’ ) Well worth a watch by the way. Sean uses such nuanced variations in tone and timbre of his voice to bring definition to the characters of every story. His bio says he is a ‘voice actor’ and he’s a brilliant one ! William Ryan’s thriller set in the post Russian revolution, between the wars period, is well crafted and well researched.

Brilliant narration ! Gripping story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Excellent story, writing and narration. Despite the increasingly repressive times and the mutual mistrust that it causes, a dedicated detective must still solve crimes - particularly murder. Korolev is a compelling character and the excellent writing makes you feel like you’re sharing his life and times in 1930s Moscow. Highly recommended.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Sean Barrett is, as always masterful!! Excellent story, well written and a great thriller. Highly recommend

Brilliant book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews