Shadow of the Wolf: A Novel [Paperback]

Brent Ghelfi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2, 2010

He left the blood-soaked mountains of Chechnya behind to become a gun-for-hire in the new Moscow.  But an international cabal is luring Alexei Volkovoy back to those mountains and toward a confrontation with his old nemesis.

The headquarters of an American oil company spits smoke into the Moscow night, the aftermath of an apparent terrorist attack. A Russian army captain carrying a Fabergé egg and digital evidence of horrific wartime atrocities is murdered, and relieved of both. And in the snowy mountains of southern Russia, a terrorist named Abreg—Volk's old enemy—hatches a plan to lure him back into his grasp.

Shadow of the Wolf finds Colonel Alexei Volkovoy—covert agent of the Russian army and major player in the Moscow underworld—once again struggling to stay afloat in the swirling currents of Russian political and economic intrigue.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Ghelfi's mesmerizing second Russian thriller (after Volk's Game), Alexei Volk Vokovoy, an ex-army colonel with a prosthetic leg who does the dirty work for a paranoid Kremlin official known as the General, receives what appears to be a simple assignment: find a missing Fabergé egg. The hunt quickly leads Volk into a raw, uncivilized world in which even the most basic needs of common Russians go unmet. Crime bosses work hand-in-hand with the government. The riches of oil trump all other priorities. Sexual violence surges uncontrollably. While the complicated plot can be hard to follow in places, and the Rambo-like Volk may not engage much reader sympathy, crisp characterization and strong visual prose keep the story moving to its harrowing climax in Chechnya. Those seeking a tour of the dark side of contemporary Russia will be more than satisfied. Author tour. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Alekei “Volk” Volkovoy hits the ground running and doesn’t get a chance to catch a breath in Ghelfi’s sequel to Volk’s Game (2006). A terrorist attack on the headquarters of an American oil company appears to be the work of Volk’s nemesis, Abreg. Toss in a Fabergé egg, a senator’s daughter with a secret agenda, a missing little girl, a mysterious murder, and the reappearance of the love of Volk’s life, and it’s no wonder that the Russian black marketeer and covert military operative is such a tortured soul. The Russian underground is no field of pretty flowers, and the hard, brutal reality of Chechnya, where Volk lives and works, provides a cold but fascinating setting. Some readers may find the tone a bit harsh and the prose a bit graphic, but those comfortable with the edginess of a classic antihero will be clamoring for Volk’s next adventure. --Jeff Ayers --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Picador; First Edition edition (February 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312429282
• ISBN-13: 978-0312429287
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,544,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another high-stakes adventure from a rising star, July 22, 2008

By 

David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Volk's Shadow: A Novel (Hardcover)

This sequel to Ghelfi's outstanding debut (last year's "Volk's Game") is another high-stakes adventure set in the dark underworld of crime and corruption that plagues modern Russia. Col. Alexei Volkovoy, an ex-Special Forces soldier and one-man wrecking crew, is tasked to recover a missing Fabergé egg. His search puts him up against the Russian mob, Chechen guerrillas and powerful apparatchiks in the Kremlin, but none of them are a match for Ghelfi's cunning anti-hero. Volkovoy is not an especially likeable man -- he's violent, suspicious and irretrievably damaged -- but he's a fascinating one to read about. "Volk's Shadow" doesn't move with the lightning pacing of the first book -- in most parts it's more mystery than thriller -- but even so Ghelfi delivers the goods.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Volk's Personal Journey Continues, September 2, 2010

By 

TChris (Tzer Island) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Volk's Shadow: A Novel (Hardcover)

In Volk's Game, Brent Ghelfi created an intriguing character: an emotionally damaged Russian patriot who is filled with contradictions; a ruthless killer who feels compassion for widows and wounded veterans; a thief who dispenses charity; a man who questions his capacity for love while sacrificing himself for the sake of love. The character of Volk develops further in Volk's Shadow (also sold under the title Shadow of the Wolf -- it's the same book, folks, don't buy it twice!).

The story takes place six months after the conclusion of Volk's Game, and I suspect a reader would be a bit confused diving into this book without reading the first one. The complex and occasionally confusing plot pits Volk against terrorists and politicians, brings him into contact with American and Russian spies, and takes him back to Chechnya, where he lost his leg and perhaps his soul. All of this (backed by plenty of violence) would be routine stuff in thriller world except that Volk continues a path of personal growth that began in Volk's Game: he begins to question the conflict with Chechnya and the role he played in it; he starts to wonder if the man he has become is the man he wants to be. Like the first novel, the story is a fun read, but the well drawn main character is what really makes it worthwhile.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Should've read VOLK'S GAME first.., September 18, 2008

By 

Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Volk's Shadow: A Novel (Hardcover)

I didn't, and plunging into the depths of the character of the unsympathetic Rambo like character was a mite too strong for me. However, as I got into the plot which at first sounds tame but quickly turns really down and dirty, I was mesmerized.The skilled characterization and the taut, often overly violent, action captivated me and while I felt as I had been dragged into a bleak and depraved world, there was no putting the book down. I did find myself continually wondering if this is a true portrait of modern Russia. Whether it is or not, I can see how one can become addicted to the continuing story of Volk and the other characters. Recommended to rugged and hearty readers who want a story and action that go well beyond the term, "gutsy".