The Child Thief

A Novel

By: Dan Smith

Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot

Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

In the tradition of City of Thieves and Child 44, a troubled World War I veteran races across the frozen steppe of 1930's Ukraine to save a child from a shadowy killer with unthinkable plans.

Luka is a war veteran who now wants nothing more than to have a quiet life with his family. His village has, so far, remained hidden from the advancing Soviet brutality. But everything changes the day a stranger arrives, pulling a sled bearing a terrible cargo. When the villagers’ fear turns deadly, they think they have saved themselves. But their anger has cursed them. In the chaos, a little girl has vanished, and Luka is the only man with the skills to find the stolen child and her kidnapper in these frozen lands. Besides, the missing girl is the best friend of Luka’s daughter, and he swears he will find her. Together, with his sons, Luka sets out across lands ravaged by war and gripped by treachery. Soon they realize that the man they are tracking is no ordinary criminal, but a skillful hunter using the child as bait in his twisted game. It will take all of Luka’s strength to battle the harshest of conditions and all of his wit to stay a step ahead of Soviet authorities. And though his toughest enemy is the man he tracks, his strongest bond is a promise to his family back home.

©2013 Dan Smith (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Even bad men can do good things

Any additional comments?

I stumbled upon this book because I'm a fan of Bronson Pinchot - the narrator - and I'm happy I did. This book has all of the action, suspense, character development, tragedy, and .... you get the point.
The story builds slowly. It is based in post war Ukraine, the story of a war veteran who, after a gruesome discovery, is taken on a brutal journey across the steppe to find his kidnapped niece. What evolves is a game of cat and mouse set against the dramatic political background that enveloped the blood lands after WWII. It is the story of how good men can do bad things; and how bad men can also do much good.
My wife thought the book was too slow, and in parts, that might be true. But the story has depth, as good books often do.
Secondly, Bronson Pinchot was amazing. He does narrate the book in a heavy Ukrainian accent and is soft spoken, almost in the way I would imagine a weathered, battle scarred veteran of this time and place might have spoken. It took a few minutes to get used to, but was masterfully done.

Five stars.

I will never forget this book . . .

Like many readers I enjoy a good thriller and I’ve listened to many genres—lots of bang and chase; government espionage and spy tales that seem to be from today’s world news Yet, I don’t understand why this book has not received many more reader reviews.* The Siberian setting is totally barren—but not the story. The main character, Lutka, becomes a man on a mission, struggling through the isolation of deep drifts and scattered stands of snow-heavy trees. The landscape is a character in and of itself. However, the story is never barren. I found myself forging through the snow and blood trails. I can’t describe the mystery without spoiling the story, but I can safely say that this is a non-stop thriller of the highest order and I can’t forget it.
*I think that the problem might be the similarity between book titles—both promoted on Audible at the same time—“The Book Thief” and this book “The Child Thief”. I read both but consider Smith’s book to be literature!

What a story!!!

I felt irritated at first by the accent, like it would be difficult to follow, but it pulled me in!!! At one point, when they were crossing the lake, I felt like 5 different emotions in a 5 minute span! Strong emotions! What a story teller and SO beautifully preformed!

Superb!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a riveting book and so well written and read. I normally don't write reviews or give 5 stars. So many levels of each of the characters and so well developed!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I'm not sure I have a favorite. Each were so well defined.

What does Bronson Pinchot bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Beautifully read with a believable accent. I lost myself in the story with no distractions of different voices.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is one of the view books I wanted to listen to in one sitting. It has been a while since I have become so involved with a book theme, characters and settings.

Any additional comments?

I sure hope there is a second volume with the same characters.

A story of survival!

This story intrigued me to the very end. It draws out your humanity, your soul.

gripping

I loved the book. The attention given to details and moments in life was the best part for me. The narrator is fantastic.

Amazing

I was on the edge of my seat throughout this book. Exciting, heartbreaking, and amazing. I hope for more by this author.

Finished it but...

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Be sure that you want to read about potential cannibalism. I don't. Had I realised that would be a prominent line of inquiry in the story, I'd have given it a pass. The historical setting was fascinating, but the psychopathic undertone was a bit more than I bargained for.

Beautiful book

The content is dark and suspenseful. The writing is beautiful. This book demonstrates the struggles of war and poverty and the commitment to family. Lots of twists and turns keep the listener highly engaged.
Narration is wonderful.

good story, great performance.

I enjoy fiction that draws closely from reality, especially those set against historical backdrop. Mr Smith has crafted and excellent story of drama and suspense stitched together with poignant scenes that tug at our rawest emotion. As all good stories of this type, it all really could have happened, I'm sure many parts of it did, somewhere, sometime. Bronson Pinchot's performance makes the story live. This is also mandatory listening for those who believe that social revolution in America will usher in an age of peace and equality for all. Those who refuse to learn from history....