Volk's Game

Volk’s Game, a debut thriller, introduces Alexei Volkovoy, a Russian gangster, veteran of Russia’s war in Chechnya, and a covert agent for the Russian military. Dark, intense and brutal, Volk is also filled with compassion for veterans and the widows of those who didn’t make it home to Mother Russia. Volk and his partner Valya are commissioned to steal a long-lost Da Vinci painting and both the Mafia kingpin he answers to and the General he is curiously indebted to wish to possess the painting. Who he decides to betray will determine whether he escapes with the painting and his life. Non stop action from start to finish with Volk both the hunter and the hunted. The portrait Ghelfi paints of contemporary Moscow is bleak and dismal, show more made more so when you compare it to the radiance of the painting at the center of this story . Leda and the Swan; this is definitely a book of contrasts from start to finish and also a commentary on the hidden costs of the war in Chechnya. Not for the faint of heart but the beauty of Ghelfi’s prose makes this a must read book. The final paragraph is exquisite and if I hadn’t already been captivated by this book that alone would have made the read worthwhile. And how perfect an answer to the question posed in the first sentence of this extraordinary book. There is so much to appreciate inside the circle that is Volk’s Game. show less

I was a bit thrown by the comparisons to Dostoyevsky et al in the book blurbs; the connection didn't hold for me at all. That was my initial attraction to the book, as well as the fact that I love all Russian literature and am fascinated with the dirty little art world. However, this is not a book for wimps (which I am; I don't watch scary movies and I don't ride scary roller coasters). It is brutal and mean in many ways, but it is a rather stunning portrait of contemporary Russia- not that it would make you want to visit anytime soon- and there is a humanity to it (in the protagonist Volk and Valya, his girlfriend) that is belied by the constant violence. I couldn't decide whether to give it two stars (due to the wimp factor) or three show more or four(because it is memorable and extremely written). You decide; but be prepared for graphic gore. I'm not sorry I read it...now, if someone can just stop the nightmares I'll be okay. show less

It really disappoints me when I grab a book that has fabulous blurbs and that I have heard many good things about only to find that it was a huge waste of time. Barely 300 pages long (actually 302) it never, ever caught my attention. I actually felt that the few glimmers of action were caused by excess gore and violence. Add to all this the fact that it takes place in Russia and honestly who can keep up with Russian names and places? It´s really annoying to keep going back pages to recheck who Dubinin, Strahov and Vyugin were. In short, the plot centres around a dangerous art heist involving a long lost Da Vinci painting. I can´t believe this book got me stuck for 10 days! I was doing superbly good on my Goodreads challenge! Gah. My show more recommendation? Skip it. Moving along... show less

Alexei Volkovoy lost his foot as a Russian soldier fighting in Chechnya. Now, he deals in pornography and drugs. When he learns about a long-lost da Vinci painting that has been discovered in the bowels of the Hermitage museum in St Petersburg, he agrees to lead a team to steal the treasure. When he is betrayed by his teammates, who subsequently have the painting stolen from them, Volk is charged by his superiors with recovering the painting. At the same time, he is trying to discover exactly who it is who is behind the theft in the first place.

This book is the first of a series, and I suspect it may be the author's debut novel. My biggest complaint during the reading was that I couldn't tell whether Volk was a "good guy" or a "bad show more guy". It was impossible for me to determine who he worked for, as he seemed to report to a couple of different "bosses". Plus, there was a very disconcerting tendency to show him behaving first in a kind, gentle, sypathetic fashion towards someone and then, in the next chapter, torturing someone else and watching them die. I realized later that this was done intentionally, and Volk's true position is revealed late in the book. The mystery of da Vinci's missing painting was good - I don't know art history well enough to know whether there may actually be such a thing or not, but it made for a good story. This book was rather frantically paced and disjointed, but again, I think this was done intentionally. Lots of interesting, but bleak, looks at modern Russia after the fall of communism. show less

Volk's Game is a great debut crime thriller. The brutal depictions of violence and fast-paced action grasp the reader and bring him into this criminal world. The characters are just as brutal as their deeds, and you can forget about looking for a hero in these novels -- protagonist Alexie "Volk" Volkovy is the perfect anti-hero, just as violent, brutal, and dark as his nemeses.

Full review here.

A decent debut novel. I enjoyed the story but I think some parts of the story are rewrites of things I have read before. The characters are not developed sufficiently for me to relate to. Having been to St Petersburg, I enjoyed reading about places I have visited.

The book, if even remotely accurate of the crime in Russia, should make any westerner rethink visiting Russia.

I will look for the author's next book in the hope that he develops.

Alex Volkovoy, Volk is a veteran of the Chechnya war. He's an underworld figure in Russia who works for a psychotic Mafia kingpin named Maxim.

He's an undercover agent for the Russian military and works for a nameless person named the General.

Volk is a compassionate person as shown in his friendship with Masha, a woman he met at a clinic for amputees.

First Volk is asked about his knowledge of diamonds but then he's presented with a challenge, a lost De Vince painting.

The novel has dark characters and shows a part of Russian life that might have been illustrated by Dostoevsky.

Fans of Russian literature and the manner of cruel life in Russia will enjoy this novel.