Shadow of the Wolf by Brent Ghelfi

Published by Henry Holt and Co. on July 8, 2008 (also published under the title Volk's Shadow)

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 Shadow of the Wolf.

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.

RECOMMENDED