In this, their second outing following Volk’s Game, there is what appears to be a terrorist attack on the Moscow headquarters of an American oil company. In addition, a valuable Faberge egg is missing as the result of the murder of a Russian Army captain. Volk, while unscrupulous in his work, is legitimately employed as a colonel in the Russian Army. His mentor and director, the General, wants to know who is responsible for the terrorist attack and the present location of the Faberge egg. Without hesitation Volk sets about providing answers for his general’s queries.

Volk is no stranger to the less desirable elements of Russian society. He is well acquainted with the Russian mafia and others that make their living in less than honest ways. He is quick to point out that the way that business is conducted in Russia is far different than in the United States or many European countries. What are considered acceptable business practices in Russia would never be tolerated in other countries. It all depends on one’s perspective. The mafia even controls disabled soldiers and others reduced to begging for their livelihood. Said organization takes a “cut” of their “earnings.”

 While Volk’s Shadow is a creditable thriller it serves as a vehicle for author Ghelfi to enlighten his audience on the workings of the present government in Russia. He contrasts the comfortable lifestyle of the upper class and a newly emerging upper-middle class with the Spartan existence of the elderly. Masha, an elderly widow, lives in a Moscow apartment building that has little if any heat and no amenities. She provides a subplot as well when she implores Volk to find the twelve-year-old granddaughter of a friend who has been missing for over a week. She is concerned because she has heard of another young girl who had gone missing only to have been found dead a month later.    

    As is probably evident from the above this novel is not for the squeamish. Really bad things happen that are described with brutal honesty. Descriptions of Chechen atrocities are only a part of the stark realities which the author graphically details. Those readers who like violence to appear in the background should give this novel a pass. Ghelfi does not go out of his way to shock the reader. Reality accomplishes this task all by itself.

For a thriller that focuses on violence and brutality the characters are remarkably well developed. As the tale unfolds the reader learns a considerable amount about what makes Volk tick. Why he acts the way he does is probably directly related to his circumstances as a child and young adult. Ghelfi, bit by bit, reveals his hero’s past in a way that is unobtrusive yet enlightening, and he adds just enough that the pace of the action is not compromised.

Volk’s Shadow is not an easy book to read. The subject matter is far from lighthearted, many of the places that figure prominently are not well known to American readers, and some of the characters are truly evil. Ghelfi does a creditable job in translating key Russian words and phrases that are significant elements in the plot. He obviously knows his subject matter well. It would have been nice to have a glossary and a map, but perhaps that is beyond the scope of the book.

 Though the release date for the novel is July, this offering is anything but a beach read. It is informative and fast paced, with a protagonist that engages the reader’s empathy, but it drives home the reality that the world is not filled with only good inhabitants.

--Andy Plonka