William Ryan (4) (1965–)
Author of The Holy Thief
For other authors named William Ryan, see the disambiguation page.
William Ryan (4) has been aliased into W.C. Ryan.
Series
Works by William Ryan
Works have been aliased into W.C. Ryan.
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Ryan, W.C.
- Birthdate
- 1965
- Education
- Trinity College, Dublin
University of St Andrews - Occupations
- barrister
- Short biography
- William Ryan is an Irish writer living in London. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and the University of St Andrews and worked as a lawyer before taking up writing full-time. His first novel, THE HOLY THIEF, was shortlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year, The Kerry Group Irish Fiction Award, The CWA John Creasy New Blood Dagger and a Barry Award. His second novel, THE BLOODY MEADOW, was shortlisted for the Ireland AM Irish Crime Novel of the Year, as was his next - THE TWELFTH DEPARTMENT. THE TWELFTH DEPARTMENT was also shortlisted for the CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger and named one of The Guardian's crime novels of the year.
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- London, England, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
In 1937 Stalinist Russia, CID detective Alexei Korolev is “asked” by the NKVD to find out more about the suspected suicide of a young woman in Ukraine who was working on a movie production subsidized by the state. If it is in fact suicide then he can consider the trip as a holiday without mentioning his orders, if not, then he is to investigate. Making things more precarious, she was having an affair with a party director. He has no choice, however, even though he would prefer to avoid show more political cases at all costs. He travels to Ukraine from Moscow by air - his first flight! The coroner finds the woman was murdered, which to Korolev’s horror means he must investigate party members. While he is loyal to the party he finds himself trapped by that loyalty and his obligation to justice.
Ryan’s writing portrays not only the terrible anxiety produced by Stalin’s Communism that is in opposition to the Orthodox church, still operating in secrecy, but also the danger of antagonizing the party during a time of Stalin’s frequent purges. An excellent novel, I look forward to reading more by Ryan. show less
Ryan’s writing portrays not only the terrible anxiety produced by Stalin’s Communism that is in opposition to the Orthodox church, still operating in secrecy, but also the danger of antagonizing the party during a time of Stalin’s frequent purges. An excellent novel, I look forward to reading more by Ryan. show less
Alexei Korolev, a policeman in Moscow, 1937, is once again drawn into a case where the murderer is less terrifying than the political snares the investigation has to navigate to find them. A scientific director is found shot, but his work was for the security services, meaning that it was both secret and of questionable ethics. It may not even have been particularly scientific, according to his replacement, who ends up stabbed a few days later. Korolev is on the case and then, because a show more quick and efficient answer is more desirable than an accurate one, he's off it. Then he's back on it again, ostensibly to get to the truth, but also as part of a deadly power struggle between competing security departments. To make matters considerably worse, Korolev's son, Yuri, is missing, and may be in the hands of the institute where unspeakable experiments were performed on men and boys. Korolev doesn't care about himself, he wants to save his son, and catching the killer is less important than finding a way to survive.
Another superb thriller set in Russia at the height of Stalin's Terror. Ordinary lives lived in the shadow of fear and paranoia, and the near impossibility of doing the right thing and getting away with it give this whodunnit a texture of suspense and humanity, and Korolev, the tough but dogged and good-hearted policeman is a hero who can never be out of danger. show less
Another superb thriller set in Russia at the height of Stalin's Terror. Ordinary lives lived in the shadow of fear and paranoia, and the near impossibility of doing the right thing and getting away with it give this whodunnit a texture of suspense and humanity, and Korolev, the tough but dogged and good-hearted policeman is a hero who can never be out of danger. show less
This superb thriller, by an Irish author, is set in Moscow in 1936, a hungry, fearful place. The Revolution is in full swing. Stalin reigns supreme. The secret police stalk the streets and offices and homes and informers whisper in their ears and every now and then the statue of a Russian hero is taken down and his picture removed and he is never heard from again. The populace walk on eggshells, but the real Terror is yet to come. The churches are deconsecrated and religion is a crime, but show more Russia’s long, devout history does not die easily.
After the discovery of the horribly mutilated body of a women displayed on the altar of a church,Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia, investigates. The discovery that the body is that of an American citizen is a cause for grave concern and draws unwelcome attention from his superiors and from the NKVD. More bodies are discovered, and Korolev follows a trail that takes him to the lowest depths of the Moscow underworld and the highest reaches of his own organisation.
Gripping and atmospheric, this debut thriller threatens to charge off into serial-killer-meets-DaVinci Code territory, with its horrible murders and historical artifacts, but in fact Ryan keeps the story firmly grounded, so much so that one of the most memorable sections of the book is a trip to a Spartak Moscow soccer match, depicting the crush and excitement and the hurly-burly with an impressive eye for detail. Korolev is an engaging character, strong, decent, secretly religious, determinedly optimistic about Russia’s communist future.
This is the first volume of a series that promises to be one of the most interesting forays into historical crime fiction in recent years. show less
After the discovery of the horribly mutilated body of a women displayed on the altar of a church,Captain Alexei Dimitrevich Korolev of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Moscow Militia, investigates. The discovery that the body is that of an American citizen is a cause for grave concern and draws unwelcome attention from his superiors and from the NKVD. More bodies are discovered, and Korolev follows a trail that takes him to the lowest depths of the Moscow underworld and the highest reaches of his own organisation.
Gripping and atmospheric, this debut thriller threatens to charge off into serial-killer-meets-DaVinci Code territory, with its horrible murders and historical artifacts, but in fact Ryan keeps the story firmly grounded, so much so that one of the most memorable sections of the book is a trip to a Spartak Moscow soccer match, depicting the crush and excitement and the hurly-burly with an impressive eye for detail. Korolev is an engaging character, strong, decent, secretly religious, determinedly optimistic about Russia’s communist future.
This is the first volume of a series that promises to be one of the most interesting forays into historical crime fiction in recent years. show less
Captain Alexei Korolev returns for a second round of murder, mystery and political complications in Stalinist Russia, where political complications can be murderous. Unnervingly rousted from sleep by a knock on his door in the early morning hours, Korlev expects a one-way ticket to the Gulag for the revelations involved in his previous adventure. Instead, he is despatched to the Ukraine, where a young woman working with a film crew has apparently committed suicide. The young woman is a lover show more of the Commissar For State Security, and Korolev is to investigate her death and make sure there are no loose ends or embarrassing publicity. Unfortunately, it quickly turns out that it wasn't a suicide and there are loose ends that stretch back to the Civil War and the early years of Collectivisation.
The interesting thing about Korolev, of course, is that he's a moral man, a religious believer, who fully embraces the glorious future promised by the Revolution. He's not a fool, though, and is all too well aware of the fear, brutality and terror of the State as it flails around looking for enemies. Nonetheless, he just wants to do his duty, and while the story has a blazing climactic shootout in the limestone labyrinth under Odessa, the real climax comes when the reader realises that the villain is fundamentally in the right, albeit the losing side of history. This is a series doomed to endings that range from bittersweet to cruelly ironic.
Meanwhile, this is a cracking mystery with a great setting, tense with danger, epic in scope, marvelous characters and a thrilling conclusion. Very highly recommended. show less
The interesting thing about Korolev, of course, is that he's a moral man, a religious believer, who fully embraces the glorious future promised by the Revolution. He's not a fool, though, and is all too well aware of the fear, brutality and terror of the State as it flails around looking for enemies. Nonetheless, he just wants to do his duty, and while the story has a blazing climactic shootout in the limestone labyrinth under Odessa, the real climax comes when the reader realises that the villain is fundamentally in the right, albeit the losing side of history. This is a series doomed to endings that range from bittersweet to cruelly ironic.
Meanwhile, this is a cracking mystery with a great setting, tense with danger, epic in scope, marvelous characters and a thrilling conclusion. Very highly recommended. show less
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