One of the best feelings I can get after finishing a book is that moment of regret, when you realize the narrative journey you have been taking for a few weeks is now over and the enjoyment that you've been having has to come to an end (at least until you find your next good read).

Sometimes I can get so analytical about what I read, I forget that some novels can give me a fun, action-packed good time without needed to be so thoroughly dissected. Richard Doetsch's soon-to-be-released novel, "The Thieves of Darkness," is such a book - a mystery thriller with a little bit of everything, yet I still can't quite place my finger on what makes me like it so much.

"Thieves of Darkness" is the third book of a series about master thief Michael St. Pierre, following up Doetsch's "Thieves of Heaven" and "Thieves of Faith."

Having not read the first two books, I found that "Darkness" stands well enough on its own without the readers needing to know the background of the previous installments. The story takes time to explore each character's history and psyche, acquainting the reader with both the returning cast and members of its new one.

Michael has retired from his days of thievery to run his own security firm, his wife having passed away over a year ago. Feeling that he is ready to begin a new relationship, an old friend of his introduces him to KC, a young English woman who would seem the perfect intellectual and physical match for Michael.

When Michael receives a startling message that his friend, Simon, is being held in a prison in Pakistan awaiting execution, he goes to rescue him, only to discover that KC is also being held captive there. Thus begins a whirlwind of an adventure, with a cast of truly despicable villains, heartfelt heroes, and a centuries-old mystery that will lead them to one of the greatest legends on earth that could possibly unleash the powers of evil upon all of them.

One thing this book made me think about is the natural of literary clichés. When I started to read, my first thought was, "Wasn't my husband just playing a video game with this exact same storyline, with pretty much the same characters, and practically the same bad guy?" (Fortunately, appearances are deceiving).

In honesty, there are not that many different plot lines in the world, and there are certain elements that need to be included for a novel to fall under its specific genre; would it still be an action thriller without Michael leaping off a cliff while a barrage of guards are firing at him, or without him detonating more explosives than one would see in a Michael Bay movie?

While one could say "Darkness" is a mixture of formulaic ingredients from plots like the Indiana Jones series, "The Da Vinci Code" and the "National Treasure" movies, it's in the "spices" that makes a story its own. Doetsch's book has plenty of its own unique spices that gives great new flavor to a classic game of cat-and-mouse.

The most fun aspect of the book was constantly trying to figure out who truly has to upper hand; when it seems like the villain is a step ahead of our heroes, Michael proves to be two steps farther, only for his adversary to reveal he is in fact three steps ahead, only for the tables to keep constantly turning. It keeps flipping the reader's hope and dread back and forth, keeping one constantly engaged to the novel's richly developed characters and extensively interweaving plot.

"Thieves of Darkness" will be released in hardcover Aug. 24. I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a good mystery adventure. And before its release, you could brief yourself on Michael St. Pierre's previous exploits by picking up the first two books,

Alison Reeger Cook is a Gainesville resident whose Off the Shelves book review appears every other week in Sunday Life. Know of a good book to review? E-mail her to tell her about it.