The Holy Thief by William Ryan: 1936 Russia - the early Stalin years and the country is basically impoverished because of Stalin's 5 Year plan. Wheat, among other things, is being exported to help raise money for the 5 Year Plan (to increase the country's industrial progress). The country also has certain valuable works of art which Stalin is planning to sell to be applied to this goal. A young woman is found slaughtered on the altar of a former Church. Enter Alexei Korolev, an honorable, effective, party loyal homocide detective, working for the Moscow Militia (CID) who is assigned to this case. Why is the NKVD so interested in what he is doing? If he doesn't play his cards right could he end up arrested and sent to "The Zone" in spite of his loyalty? The woman appears to be an American nun. Is she part of a group trying to steal the artwork and that is the reason for the NKVD involvement?

Korolev doesn't always abide by all the party rules even though he is proud of what his country has and is trying to accomplish. After all, he still keeps his Bible hidden because in spite of the ban against religion, he finds it comforting. He is highly regarded because of his success rate in solving crimes - ethically and with no use of violence, of which he is also proud. But one wrong move in this paranoid country and his number could be up - it's happened to his friend who was also a homocide detective.

Good mystery as well as an excellent look at what Russia was really like during this turbulent time.

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