Book Review: "Volk's Game" by Brent Ghelfi

"Volk's Game" by Brent Ghelfi has the kind of plot twists that thriller readers will love, but that's where the love stops. VG is grim, violent, and with many events (the impromptu NYC to Moscow trip comes to mind) that snap the suspension of disbelief. The hero knows how to find anyone. He can go anywhere unimpeded or disappear into the shadows at will. And it is hard to root for a trained psychotic killer, existing in a world of paranoid, sick, and ruthless people. Despite some nice attempts to give us the feel of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and some past and recent history that shapes Russia, he sparks no desire in me to travel to such a cold, drab place where, seemingly, everyone is corrupt, bitter, or just plain evil. And though the author tries to show the human side of the protagonist, it's crumbs at the feet of a starving man. No one is left unscarred by the end of the book. Thriller lovers may like it, but it's a 3 from me.