Thriller

Black Wolf: A Novel

Black Wolf: A Novel

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  • Create Date：2023-03-02 11:21:31
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Kathleen Kent
  • ISBN：1668629682
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Summary

A dazzling new spy thriller about a female CIA agent whose extraordinary powers of facial recognition lead her into the dangerous heart of the Soviet Union--and the path of a killer that shouldn't exist。 It is 1990 when Melvina Donleavy arrives in Soviet Belarus on her first undercover mission with the CIA， alongside three fellow agents--none of whom know she is playing two roles。 To the prying eyes of the KGB， she is merely a secretary; to her CIA minders， she is the only one who can stop the flow of nuclear weapons from the crumbling Soviet Union into the Middle East。 For Mel has a secret; she is a super recognizer， someone who never forgets a face。 But no training could prepare her for the reality of life undercover， and for the streets of Minsk， where women have been disappearing。 Soviet law enforcement is firm: murder is a capitalist disease。 But could a serial killer be at work？ Especially if he knew no one was watching？ As Mel searches for answers， she catches the eye of an entirely different kind of threat: the elusive and petrifying Black Wolf， head of the KGB。 Filled with insider details from the author's own time working under the direction of the U。S。 Department of Defense， Black Wolf is a riveting new spy thriller from an Edgar-nominated crime writer， and a biting exploration of the divide between two nations， two masterminds， and two roles played by a woman pushed to her breaking point， where she'll learn that you can only ever trust one person: yourself。

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Reviews

Lauren Sparks ，

This book is fast paced and what you would expect from a spy story。 I enjoyed a lot of elements of this story including the idea of the ‘special abilities’。 I felt like the story didn’t quite pull together for me but that may be down to my struggling to get into the story （not the books fault but mine）。 I will probably return to this book again in the future as I did find this book really interesting in parts。

Eileen Hutton ，

Great new spy thriller pits a green CIA agent against the intrigue of the crumbling Soviet empire， as well as against a serial killer who has her in his sights。

Lilibet Bombshell ，

I tried to like this book。 I really did。 But by 20 minutes into what was supposed to be an espionage thriller with some serial killer elements thrown in， I was bored out of my mind。 And the real story hadn’t even begun yet。 Our protagonist， for lack of a better way to sum it up， hadn’t even accepted the call to adventure。 More time in that 20% of story was spent describing how cold Belarus is than on the story itself。 We get it。 Belarus is really cold。 This book is scattered， with no real throug I tried to like this book。 I really did。 But by 20 minutes into what was supposed to be an espionage thriller with some serial killer elements thrown in， I was bored out of my mind。 And the real story hadn’t even begun yet。 Our protagonist， for lack of a better way to sum it up， hadn’t even accepted the call to adventure。 More time in that 20% of story was spent describing how cold Belarus is than on the story itself。 We get it。 Belarus is really cold。 This book is scattered， with no real through line and no steady story arc to hold the entire thing together。 It’s like a whole bunch of really good thoughts that really needed a competent， solid editor to put their foot down and demand everything be brought together into something more cohesive。 The book， as it exists， is like a tangled head of hair that needs to be brushed。 I just don’t understand how you can take this concept and make it so bland and， well， lost。 I’m actually a little mad Kathleen Kent took such potential and wasted it。 I was provided a copy of this book by NetGalley and the author。 All thoughts， views， and opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone。 Thank you。 Owing to the 3 star or under rating， this review will not appear on any social media or bookseller website。 。。。more

Edna ，

got great reviews。。。a good story start but could not get into it。 my bad。

Pam ，

I have read and loved all of Miss Kent’s books。

Tracy ，

What a fantastic book this was to read。 It felt like you were reading two simultaneous storylines - the spying and the killing before both ultimately came together。 Great characters and very well written too - keeping you very intrigued all the way through until the very end。 Highly recommended！

Sue ，

It is 1990 and the walls of the former USSR are coming down in the spirit of glasnost。 As part of President Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms former states of the Soviet Union are begining to break away from Mother Russia， but she still holds them fastened to her apron strings。A USA trade delegation has just arrived in Minsk， apparently to forge closer economic ties with Byelorussia， but this is a front for a CIA mission to gather information about rumoured secret plans for a nuclear weapon programme It is 1990 and the walls of the former USSR are coming down in the spirit of glasnost。 As part of President Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms former states of the Soviet Union are begining to break away from Mother Russia， but she still holds them fastened to her apron strings。A USA trade delegation has just arrived in Minsk， apparently to forge closer economic ties with Byelorussia， but this is a front for a CIA mission to gather information about rumoured secret plans for a nuclear weapon programme in partnership with Iran。 Posing as a lowly secretary to the delegation， Melvina （Mel） Dunleavy is on her first mission， and unknown to her fellow agents she has a secret task of her own - one that is the real reason for their presence in Minsk。 Mel has a very rare skill， because she never forgets a face， and as a 'super-recogniser' she is well placed to spy out the Iranian nuclear engineers they fear may be helping Byelorussia in its dangerous aims。If keeping their true intentions secret in a country that has them under constant close scrutiny was not taxing enough， Mel and her colleagues soon learn that there is a serial killer on the loose in Minsk who is targeting women， which adds an extra level of danger。 The Svisloch Strangler seems unstoppable， especially since such crimes cannot even be acknowledged in this 'perfect' communist society。 However， he is very real indeed， and he is watching。。。Meanwhile， the infamous Chairman of BSSR's KGB， Martin Gregorivich Kavalchuk， known as The Black Wolf， knows more about this little delegation than they are comfortable with。 He has earned his nickname for a reason: they say you never hear his footsteps until he is carrying your coffin， and he is determined to find out Mel's purpose。。。Black Wolf is a cracking thriller set in the unsettled days of the break-up of the USSR。 Kent fixes her story in a time and place that allows her to spin an authentic tale about intelligence gathering against a backdrop that is rich in atmospheric elements of the powerful shadow cast by the Cold War， and of a foreboding about the rise of terrorism in the Middle East。 The threat of nuclear capability in unstable hands underpins this story， and Kent uses the impact of the Chernobyl disaster to perfection in exploring both the political and human parts of this novel。In an absolutely genius twist， this is not just a gripping spy caper， but also one of the most exciting serial killer hunts that I have read for a very long time。 Evoking vibes of Tom Rob Smith's Child 44 and The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris， Kent plays Mel as something of a Clarice Starling character who becomes embroiled in the search for the dangerous Svisloch Strangler - a killer whose existence cannot be spoken about。 The killer lurks in the shadows， stalking his prey， while also hiding in plain sight， and the suspense is delicious as Kent keeps you guessing about their identity。 There are a lot of well contrived red herrings here， and I spent the whole time with my heart in my mouth， concerned for Mel's safety。I love the way Kent combines all sides of Mel's past in the espionage and crime storylines， which works beautifully。 You do have to put to one side the passing thought that surely her CIA mission is more than enough to occupy Mel when she starts going off-piste， but once the threads play out tying the two storylines together， you get an idea of where Kent is heading - and when the payoff comes， it results in an intriguing partnership with a tasty hook into a potential next adventure。This compelling story kept me feverishly turning the pages from start to finish。 It has all the hallmarks of the first part in a new series， and I have my fingers crossed that book two will follow in short order！ 。。。more

Sue Plant ，

would like to thank netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this bookhave to admit defeat and not carry on。。 its just not my sort of book and i tried so hard to get into it but to no avail。。。but it was so easy to put it down and forget it。。。

Shelley ，

*Source* Publisher*Genre* Thriller / Espionage*Rating* 4。0*Thoughts*Kathleen Kent's Black Wolf is a cold war era thriller about a young woman with an extraordinary ability to never forget a face once she's seen it。 The story is set in its entirety in Belarus aka Byelorussia in 1990。 August， 1990， Minsk， a four person team from the CIA led by Dan Hatton， Julie Reznik， Ben Franklin， and Melvina Donleavy has been sent to the country as representatives of the State Department to see what kind of fin *Source* Publisher*Genre* Thriller / Espionage*Rating* 4。0*Thoughts*Kathleen Kent's Black Wolf is a cold war era thriller about a young woman with an extraordinary ability to never forget a face once she's seen it。 The story is set in its entirety in Belarus aka Byelorussia in 1990。 August， 1990， Minsk， a four person team from the CIA led by Dan Hatton， Julie Reznik， Ben Franklin， and Melvina Donleavy has been sent to the country as representatives of the State Department to see what kind of financial incentives the US can offer the soon to be independent of the soon to be former Soviet Union to prevent uranium from falling into the wrong hands。*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*https://gizmosreviews。blogspot。com/20。。。 。。。more

Jamedi ，

Full text review: https://jamreads。com/reviews/black-wo。。。Black Wolf is the new spy thriller proposal by Kathleen Kent。 With an excellent atmosphere， and solid historical research （with the appropriate licenses）， we follow Mel， an undercover CIA agent， on a mission in 1990 Belarus that gets mixed with the mysterious crimes of a serial killer in Minsk。The story takes place in the Soviet Union in the year 1990， a place that by itself is super interesting， especially when we see how accurate the au Full text review: https://jamreads。com/reviews/black-wo。。。Black Wolf is the new spy thriller proposal by Kathleen Kent。 With an excellent atmosphere， and solid historical research （with the appropriate licenses）， we follow Mel， an undercover CIA agent， on a mission in 1990 Belarus that gets mixed with the mysterious crimes of a serial killer in Minsk。The story takes place in the Soviet Union in the year 1990， a place that by itself is super interesting， especially when we see how accurate the author has been to the historical circumstances。 Close to its dissolution， with the fear after Chernobyl still fresh， Minsk is a place where distrust and paranoia are a common coin。 Different nations are trying to get control over the remaining nuclear intelligence。And in this situation， Melvina Donleavy， a CIA agent with the ability to remember each face she meets， is sent with a crucial mission: stopping those nuclear secrets from exiting the country and falling into the hands of other nations， namely Iran。 During the stance of Minsk， Mel attracts the attention of two really different characters that will shape how the story develops: Martin Kavalchuk， the Black Wolf of the KGB， and Katya， a secretary that will make aware Mel of the existence of Svisloch Strangler， a possible serial killer。Most of the novel will be narrated from the perspective of Mel， who is a well-developed character， with her own problems and virtues。 Being able to remember each face she meets makes her a perfect spy for this kind of mission， but this also requires an extra layer of work for herself。 Some chapters are narrated from the POV of the strangler， adding more complexity and helping to grow the intrigue; never letting you know his real identity until the final chapters。 The pacing is excellent， despite being a little bit denser than the usual spy stories。 Once the story explodes and starts going on， after presenting the characters and giving their motivations， it doesn't stop until the very end， keeping you in tension。Black Wolf is an excellent spy-thriller， that will be loved by those that also loved to read Tom Clancy's stories。 Personally， the aspects I enjoyed more were the historical accuracy and how well the atmosphere of 1990's Minsk is built， transmitting perfectly the paranoia and fear that accompanied the decomposition of the Soviet Union。 。。。more

bookishcharli ，

This book took me on one helluva ride， and I loved every second of it。 The plot was well executed and kept things moving along at a wonderful pace。 There’s a lot going on in this one but you’re easily able to keep track of everything happening。 As the story unfolds and we are introduced to new characters it amps up the feeling of not being able to trust anyone。 This was my first read from Kathleen Kent but it certainly won’t be my last！ I throughly enjoyed this one。 Thank you Head of Zeus for se This book took me on one helluva ride， and I loved every second of it。 The plot was well executed and kept things moving along at a wonderful pace。 There’s a lot going on in this one but you’re easily able to keep track of everything happening。 As the story unfolds and we are introduced to new characters it amps up the feeling of not being able to trust anyone。 This was my first read from Kathleen Kent but it certainly won’t be my last！ I throughly enjoyed this one。 Thank you Head of Zeus for sending me a proof of this one and having me on the blog tour。 。。。more

Carole Barker ，

For a young American operative in the crumbling Soviet Union， being uncovered by the KGB isn’t the only thing to fear。It’s 1990， and novice CIA agent Melvina Donleavy has been sent to Byelorussia （Belarus） with three other agents， ostensibly to determine if the US can safely provide the fledgling government there with aid。 In fact， Mel has a second， more important， mission of which even the other three agents are unaware。 There is concern that certain Iranian scientists have travelled to Byeloru For a young American operative in the crumbling Soviet Union， being uncovered by the KGB isn’t the only thing to fear。It’s 1990， and novice CIA agent Melvina Donleavy has been sent to Byelorussia （Belarus） with three other agents， ostensibly to determine if the US can safely provide the fledgling government there with aid。 In fact， Mel has a second， more important， mission of which even the other three agents are unaware。 There is concern that certain Iranian scientists have travelled to Byelorussia to purchase nuclear material for their program at home。 At this point in history， a great deal of such material is floating around and being sold to the highest bidder。 It is not in the interest of the US for Iran to develop a nuclear arsenal， but there has been no proof that the Iranian scientists are in fact in the country…。only rumors。 And that is why Mel is there…。she possesses a skill so rare that only a few hundred people in the world possess it…once she sees a face once， she will recognize it again， even if the person has aged， had surgical alterations， or is otherwise disguised。 If she sees the rogue Iranian scientists， she will be able to identify them with complete certainty to her handlers， and they will have the proof they need to stop the transaction。Mel has undergone standard CIA training， but nothing could prepare her for the scrutiny under which she will be living in Minsk。 Fellow agent Ben is quick to sense that she is hiding something from the team， and team leader Dan and linguist Julie are suspicious as well。 They are all watched around the clock by the KGB， with hotel staff tracking their comings and goings， their rooms wired for sound and peered into via two way mirrors， and escorts who take them to and from all destinations。 Their local contact William is an expat who is supposedly working for the US but has very close relationships with the Byealarussian communist government， most troublingly with local KGB head Martin Kavalchuk， known as the Black Wolf。 Melvina catches the attention of Kavalchuk at their first meeting…。he senses that she is not the low-risk secretary， which is her cover identity。 She also discovers that young women in Minsk are disappearing， and some but not all are turning up dead。 It is official policy in the Soviet Union that criminals such as serial killers are a Western aberration， brought on by loose morals; such crimes do not exist in their well-disciplined country。 Melvina suspects otherwise， especially after two different young women with whom she has struck up friendships are found dead。 To attract Kavalchuk’s attention was bad enough…。but has she also caught the eye of a serial killer？ She is living a lie with her own team， and doesn’t know who， if anyone， she can trust。 It will take every skill and lesson she has ever learned to survive this mission， and hopefully prevent a nuclear Iran。In reading this latest novel from Kathleen Kent， I was brought back to the state of the world in 1990。 The disaster at Chernobyl had happened just a few years earlier， and the full devastation on the surrounding area was still being discovered。 The Soviet Union had just withdrawn from Afghanistan in defeat and was starting to crumble， but was clinging to control of its empire。 The Bratva， the Russian mafia， was starting to gain power， and the average citizen was struggling to survive。 For a young American agent like Melvina， this was an alien environment， and to be essentially on her own given her separate and highly classified mission further complicated her life。 As she wades into Minsk， the reader also is not sure who， if anyone， can be trusted…and whether someone in her orbit just might be a serial killer， stalking her as his latest prey。Black Wolf is an engrossing read，。 Author Kathleen Kent’s background in the clandestine world informs her characters’ decisions and attitudes， and the period of time in which the story is set is certainly fertile ground for cloak and dagger work。 The parallel storyline of the potential serial killer adds to the tension of the story， and I wasn’t quite sure which of the many suspects Mel encounters is the psychopath in question。 The characters in Black Wolf， like people in real life， are not black and white。 Good people often are guilty of doing bad things， but even cold-blooded killers can have moments of grace。 Readers of Francine Matthews， Alma Katsu， and Charles Cumming （amongst others） will enjoy this novel of espionage。 Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for providing me with a reader’s copy of Black Wolf。 。。。more

Jacqueline sharp ，

Review to follow blog tour

Dave ，

Outstanding！！

Maria ，

First of all; I loved this book！ It was frenetic， intriguing and with so many different plots to follow that it was impossible to put down。It’s 1990 and a group of CIA members travel to Soviet Belarus to check if they have any secret agenda in the nuclear power race。 But within this group of agents， there’s Melvina （Mel for her friends） who has a secret mission that no one knows， to check if she can see any of the faces her CIA handler showed her before leaving。I know that the plot can seem a li First of all; I loved this book！ It was frenetic， intriguing and with so many different plots to follow that it was impossible to put down。It’s 1990 and a group of CIA members travel to Soviet Belarus to check if they have any secret agenda in the nuclear power race。 But within this group of agents， there’s Melvina （Mel for her friends） who has a secret mission that no one knows， to check if she can see any of the faces her CIA handler showed her before leaving。I know that the plot can seem a little bit complicated， but once you start reading it’s super easy to enter the story and follow the plot。 The story is told within 30 days， the days the CIA group has to check all the paperwork， but in a quite hostile environment。 They are Americans， so everyone hates them， they are followed and spied on every minute of their lives; the rooms have microphones and whenever they move they are always followed。 As you can imagine， being a woman will not make things easy for Mel， and sadly she will catch the fascination of a serial killer。 A killer that has been active for years， but that no one seems interested to catch。 Everything will get much darker when a victim appears connected to Mel and the KGB starts questioning her; to uncover the serial killer or to discover her real secret mission？I have to say that since I read the plot I was intrigued with this book， and it didn’t disappoint me at all。 I only hope that we’ll see more of Melvina’s missions， she is really good！ Are you ready to meet the “Black Wolf”？ 。。。more

Tammy ，

Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent is an intriguing & impressive spy thriller involving CIA agent & possessor of special facial recognition powers， Melvina Donleavy as she ventures into the Soviet Union in the 1990’s。 Whilst on her undercover mission as a secretary in the dangerous parts of the country， she lands herself in the crosshairs of the KGB， specifically the infamous & terrifying leader known as Black Wolf。 As she tries to collect information amidst questioning from Black Wolf， there also may Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent is an intriguing & impressive spy thriller involving CIA agent & possessor of special facial recognition powers， Melvina Donleavy as she ventures into the Soviet Union in the 1990’s。 Whilst on her undercover mission as a secretary in the dangerous parts of the country， she lands herself in the crosshairs of the KGB， specifically the infamous & terrifying leader known as Black Wolf。 As she tries to collect information amidst questioning from Black Wolf， there also may be a serial killer going after women。 Black Wolf takes the reader back in time & aboard a realistic spy mission in this interesting read。 I loved the author’s intro regarding the author’s real life experience as a Department of Defense contractor in the early 1990’s。 I was immediately fascinated & I think you absolutely feel the authenticity from the author’s background & how that impacted the story。 I love spy thrillers & the intricacies the complex mysteries invoke as the story unravels。 I especially love woman spies & the power they hold as they are often underestimated。 This book was really neat as the main character had realistic superpowers with her uncanny facial recognition that aided her in her many adventures。 For my fellow spy lovers &/or fans of realistic superpowers， I would recommend Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent: Massive thanks to Mulholland Books for the free book， which I voluntarily read & reviewed。 Trigger Warnings: This book mentions &/or contains murder， violence， torture， kidnapping & guns。 。。。more

Jamie ，

Full Disclosure : I received a physical copy of this book thanks to winning a Goodreads Giveaway。 That being said， this is an ARC copy （though at this point it is entirely possible the book is released） so there were a few bits of it that were in need of copy edits and I'm positive that process was handled and the final copy will be brilliant。 On to the story。 This is my first novel by Kathleen Kent so I'm not familiar with what appears to be a pretty prolific and awarded history in storytelling Full Disclosure : I received a physical copy of this book thanks to winning a Goodreads Giveaway。 That being said， this is an ARC copy （though at this point it is entirely possible the book is released） so there were a few bits of it that were in need of copy edits and I'm positive that process was handled and the final copy will be brilliant。 On to the story。 This is my first novel by Kathleen Kent so I'm not familiar with what appears to be a pretty prolific and awarded history in storytelling。 I can say that my reading of Black Wolf was well received and gripping and kept me engaged throughout。 Having no general interest in my chosen reading for CIA/FBI/KGB style whodunnits I was willing to read this just to see if I could write an honest review that might help the author out in exchange for the free book。 But I can confirm that even without this inherent desire to read this style of novel the story was worthy of continuing until the final pages。 I was attracted to the main character。 A few of the side characters were less interesting， or in some cases just annoyingly bothersome， but I think that they were serving their purpose in that regard。 The KGB is frightening。 The double agents that obviously work within both sides are complex and motivations throughout for each individual are complex as well。 I think a lot of pomp was given to Mel's special ability although I think all told in the very end it wasn't as important to the finale as I thought it would be。 I'm sure， as a multi-layered character with this skill set can be used in other novels there will be a story wherein the only way it can be solved ultimately is due to this trait。 But alas， it didn't destroy the story for me。 In the end， I had to give the novel 5 well-earned stars and I recommend anyone who enjoys spy novels / whodunnits check it out。 。。。more

Wendy（Wendyreadsbooks） Robey ，

4。5 starsA captivating spy thriller full of mystery and suspense。 Melvina was a fascinating main character - a super recognizer with the memory to recognise any face seen had taken her and a team to Minsk in an under cover operation。 Her foray into the former Soviet Union with its corruptions， misogyny and paranoia would lead her to far more dangerous situations than her training could ever have prepared her for。 She had to rely on her own intuition and I loved how she was able to train her mind 4。5 starsA captivating spy thriller full of mystery and suspense。 Melvina was a fascinating main character - a super recognizer with the memory to recognise any face seen had taken her and a team to Minsk in an under cover operation。 Her foray into the former Soviet Union with its corruptions， misogyny and paranoia would lead her to far more dangerous situations than her training could ever have prepared her for。 She had to rely on her own intuition and I loved how she was able to train her mind to remain sharp。 Not knowing who to trust kept the story flowing and the pages turning。Reading the authors notes on her own experiences was a fascinating addition to the story。 。。。more

Denis Wheller ，

Soviet law states that murder， especially serial killing， is exclusively a capitalist crime， but， as Agatha Christie said， “murder is easy if no one suspects”。 In 1990， there is a serial killer operating in Minsk， the capital of Byelorussia。 The Soviet Union is breaking up， and it is clear that Byelorussia will become completely free from the soviet system within a year。 With that independence will come serious economic problems and the country will have to rapidly identify new sources of income Soviet law states that murder， especially serial killing， is exclusively a capitalist crime， but， as Agatha Christie said， “murder is easy if no one suspects”。 In 1990， there is a serial killer operating in Minsk， the capital of Byelorussia。 The Soviet Union is breaking up， and it is clear that Byelorussia will become completely free from the soviet system within a year。 With that independence will come serious economic problems and the country will have to rapidly identify new sources of income。 An obvious way is to sell assets and one of their biggest assets is the nuclear weapons they possess and the associated technology and skills。 Aware of this， the USA is determined to provide massive aid in exchange for helping to dismantle the weaponry and neutralising the risk that the technology will fall into foreign hands。 Although Iraq has just invaded Kuwait， the CIA are convinced that it is Iran that will be the real threat。 To resolve these various issues， the USA has sent a team comprising three “Accountants” and a “Secretary” （all four being undercover CIA）。 The first three are there to examine the economic factors， but the last is there to identify Iranian nuclear scientists who may be negotiating for the technology， skills and material necessary for the creation of a nuclear bomb。 Naturally， if there are any Iranian scientists there they could be any of a largish number and will be kept away from the Americans。 The “Secretary”， Mel， has a rare skill; she recognises people， not just their faces but every aspect of their heads， and remembers them forever。 Shown pictures of all possible scientists she will be able to identify them if she so much as glimpses from any angle。 Being in a sense supernumerary she can move around more freely than the others， and make contacts。 It is from these contacts that she first hears about the serial killer。 When first one contact then another is murdered it looks like the killer might be homing in on her。 Someone else who is homing in on Mel is the local Head of the KGB， Martin Kavalchuk， nicknamed the Black Wolf。 He suspects that the Americans are spies and that Mel is more important than her role would suggest。 Finding the serial killer （while holding the party line that such people only exist in the decadent West） he is also interested in Mel because of her links to the two most recent victims。 As the team close in on their objectives， the Black Wolf closes in on them， and the killer closes in on Mel。This book is both a spy thriller and a murder mystery。 The collapse of the Soviet Union， the Gulf War， and the other sources of international tensions are very well detailed， especially the descriptions of Minsk and its surroundings， including the impact of the explosion at Chernobyl。 The author draws heavily on her own experience and involvement in these types of activity at that time。 The pace is initially quite slow as she fills in the detailed background and shows how laborious and rather tedious negotiation and auditing can be。 This is spying of the Le Carré kind rather than the Fleming。 The murder story is conventional from the crime point of view but is not investigated as such， more observed。 The pace picks up as the story lines start to come together and the tension increases until a satisfactory dénouement。 The epilogue has a lot of content， perhaps a bit too much。 Overall， though， it is quite a satisfactory read。I would like to thank NetGalley， the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review。 。。。more

Rebecca ，

Happy pub day to a book I just loved！ Thanks to @novelsuspects and @mulhollandbooks for the gifted copy of Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent。 This was one of my most anticipated books of this year - I love Kathleen Kent's writing， and I've documented my deep love of female driven spy stories before - and it did not disappoint me。 The 1990 Belarus setting is rich with political and social issues that enhance the drama of this story （Chernobyl， the Berlin wall）。 Melvina Donleavy， the main character， has Happy pub day to a book I just loved！ Thanks to @novelsuspects and @mulhollandbooks for the gifted copy of Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent。 This was one of my most anticipated books of this year - I love Kathleen Kent's writing， and I've documented my deep love of female driven spy stories before - and it did not disappoint me。 The 1990 Belarus setting is rich with political and social issues that enhance the drama of this story （Chernobyl， the Berlin wall）。 Melvina Donleavy， the main character， has a secret skill （not even her fellow agents on this trip know about it） in her ability to memorize the faces of everyone she sees， so she's on a separate mission from the rest of the team。 Plus， there seems to be a serial killer loose in Minsk。 This is a longer book， but it is so packed that it doesn't feel that way。 Loved it。 。。。more

Emily Cuadras ，

Exciting， tense， and fascinating spy thriller and serial killer crime fiction story set in the terrific environment of 1990’s Soviet Byelorussia。 Black Wolf follows Mel on a mission to discover the future of nuclear warfare in the east。

Janilyn Kocher ，

An exciting read about a woman who had a special gift and how she uses it but also how dangerous it is。What I liked best about the book was the time setting— 1990， right in the last days of the Soviet Union and before the rise of big tech。It’s a nail biting， suspenseful read that will satisfy the spy wants in any reader。The author based several of the characters on real people and events。Thanks to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the advance read。

Annarella ，

It's a book that talks about the last days of the Cold War but the places and the people are so current that it could have been set in these days。The Glasnot happened long time ago， Gorbachev died last year and the geography and the political situations is very different but there's something timeless in this type of story and these type of characters。This is a gripping and twisty story that mixes spy story and thriller。 CIA， KGB， Russian mafia and serial killers。I thoroughly enjoyed this comple It's a book that talks about the last days of the Cold War but the places and the people are so current that it could have been set in these days。The Glasnot happened long time ago， Gorbachev died last year and the geography and the political situations is very different but there's something timeless in this type of story and these type of characters。This is a gripping and twisty story that mixes spy story and thriller。 CIA， KGB， Russian mafia and serial killers。I thoroughly enjoyed this complex story as I loved Melvina， a clever and brave woman。This is the first book i read by this author and I appreciated the storytelling， the attention to the details， and the complex plot that always kept my attention alive and keept a constant sense of dread。An intriguing story that I strongly recommend。Many thanks to Aria & Aries for this arc， all opinions are mine 。。。more

Paromjit ，

Kathleen Kent writes a remarkable multilayered espionage thriller that takes us to the disturbing heart of the collapsing Soviet Empire in the 1990s， Byelorussia （Belarus） and Minsk where a CIA trade team has arrived。 It's youngest member， Melvina 'Mel' Donleavy， is posing as a secretary， codename Medusa， the most inexperienced， but most crucial member of the American group， none of the others have any idea of her importance or her mission。 Mel is the rarest of individuals， a super recogniser， s Kathleen Kent writes a remarkable multilayered espionage thriller that takes us to the disturbing heart of the collapsing Soviet Empire in the 1990s， Byelorussia （Belarus） and Minsk where a CIA trade team has arrived。 It's youngest member， Melvina 'Mel' Donleavy， is posing as a secretary， codename Medusa， the most inexperienced， but most crucial member of the American group， none of the others have any idea of her importance or her mission。 Mel is the rarest of individuals， a super recogniser， she forgets no-one， ever， the only one who will be able identify Iranian scientists in Minsk， intent on secretly acquiring nuclear know how， a development feared by the Americans。 Mel is a stronger person than others give her credit for， but none of her training has prepared her for the reality and dangers of operating undercover， with its issues of trust， fear and paranoia。The surveillance is all encompassing and so blatant as they are openly followed by the KGB， the meetings the team have， overseen by the Minister of External Affairs， are frustrating， intent on thwarting the Americans， offering no opportunities of seeing any overseas 'visitors'。 Even the deep connections of Mel's contact， Dr William Cutler， struggles。 To the horror of the Americans， the notoriously feared head of the BSSR KGB， Martin Kavalchuk， known as the Black Wolf， shows an unwelcome and surprising interest in Mel。 That is not the only threat facing Mel who， through Katya， becomes aware of the Svisloch Strangler， prostitutes and other women have been disappearing for some time in Minsk。 Violence and abuse of women is rife in a country that does not believe in the existence of serial killers。 There is more， Mel may be her own worst enemy when it comes to her uncontrollable and overwhelming sexual attraction to Alexi。Kent writes a gripping blend of fact and fiction， one of the main highlights for me is her detailed picture of Byelorussia， its harrowing history， contaminated badly by Chernobyl， a brutalised people who suffered the highest number of losses in the war， the emergence of the mafia， the Bratva， the brotherhood， and the unapologetic sexism and misogyny。 It is caught in the midst of the power of a noxious， decaying and chaotic Moscow and the lure of independence， held back by unhelpful beliefs that serial killers are a product of a decadent West， and an impossibility in Minsk。 This is a stellar espionage read， compulsive， suspenseful and tense， and informative， covering as it does a fascinating and turbulent period of history in a part of the world that little is known of。 This will appeal to readers interested in Russia and Byelorussia in the 1990s and the well founded fears of nuclear proliferation。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more

Yolanda ，

This was the first book I read from Kathleen Kent and I was not disappointed。 Loved the story and didn't want to put it down！ This was the first book I read from Kathleen Kent and I was not disappointed。 Loved the story and didn't want to put it down！ 。。。more

Diane Poppleton-brown ，

Not my usual genre but well worth the sojourn。 Kathleen Kent draws on her own personal experiences to inject Black Wolf with an authenticity that keeps you hooked until the end。Set in the early 90’s the Soviet Union is in a state of flux。 Gorbachev is still in charge， the KGB reigns supreme and Byelorussia （now Belarus） is living with the devastation caused from Chernobyl。 Mel （Melvina Donleavy）， is sent to Minsk along with 3 other CIA colleagues。 This is her first mission and is undercover even Not my usual genre but well worth the sojourn。 Kathleen Kent draws on her own personal experiences to inject Black Wolf with an authenticity that keeps you hooked until the end。Set in the early 90’s the Soviet Union is in a state of flux。 Gorbachev is still in charge， the KGB reigns supreme and Byelorussia （now Belarus） is living with the devastation caused from Chernobyl。 Mel （Melvina Donleavy）， is sent to Minsk along with 3 other CIA colleagues。 This is her first mission and is undercover even from the rest of her team because Mel has a unique talent， she is a Super Recogniser， she literally never forgets a face。 So， we have an undercover rookie CIA Agent， a secret mission， a country about to implode， distrust of the West abounds and a serial killer is on the loose。 Angst is in abundance， tension ratchets up throughout to reach an adrenaline fuelled ending。 Highly enjoyable。Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Brad ，

Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent is a crime-fiction/spy thriller that takes places in the 90's， when the USSR is starting to break up。"Melvina Donleavy discovers a rare talent growing up。 She is a super-recognizer。 She can remember any face after seeing it once。 She is recruited by the CIA and sent with a team to Byelorussia to seek out some Iranian scientists looking to buy Russian nuclear technology。 Mel struggles to stay unnoticed but the head of the KGB knows something is going on with her team。 Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent is a crime-fiction/spy thriller that takes places in the 90's， when the USSR is starting to break up。"Melvina Donleavy discovers a rare talent growing up。 She is a super-recognizer。 She can remember any face after seeing it once。 She is recruited by the CIA and sent with a team to Byelorussia to seek out some Iranian scientists looking to buy Russian nuclear technology。 Mel struggles to stay unnoticed but the head of the KGB knows something is going on with her team。 And she's attracted the attention of a serial killer。 Mel wonders if her first mission will be her last。"This book is part spy thriller。 Think Tom Clancy with a female MC。 And it's a serial killer crime fiction story。 There is some overlap in the story。 Kent's killer is pretty terrifying - operating in plain sight and she uses him for story resolution。 I wish a little that that had been a seperate book。 Just a personal preferenceThe story moves quickly， staying mostly in Mel's head。 Her ability is unusual but many readers will have something similar， just not to this extreme。 It's nice to revisit the Cold War spy game。 Entertaining read from Kent。 。。。more

Brad ，

Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent is a crime-fiction/spy thriller that takes places in the 90's， when the USSR is starting to break up。"Melvina Donleavy discovers a rare talent growing up。 She is a super-recognizer。 She can remember any face after seeing it once。 She is recruited by the CIA and sent with a team to Byelorussia to seek out some Iranian scientists looking to buy Russian nuclear technology。 Mel struggles to stay unnoticed but the head of the KGB knows something is going on with her team。 Black Wolf by Kathleen Kent is a crime-fiction/spy thriller that takes places in the 90's， when the USSR is starting to break up。"Melvina Donleavy discovers a rare talent growing up。 She is a super-recognizer。 She can remember any face after seeing it once。 She is recruited by the CIA and sent with a team to Byelorussia to seek out some Iranian scientists looking to buy Russian nuclear technology。 Mel struggles to stay unnoticed but the head of the KGB knows something is going on with her team。 And she's attracted the attention of a serial killer。 Mel wonders if her first mission will be her last。"This book is part spy thriller。 Think Tom Clancy with a female MC。 And it's a serial killer crime fiction story。 There is some overlap in the story。 Kent's killer is pretty terrifying - operating in plain sight and she uses him for story resolution。 I wish a little that that had been a seperate book。 Just a personal preferenceThe story moves quickly， staying mostly in Mel's head。 Her ability is unusual but many readers will have something similar， just not to this extreme。 It's nice to revisit the Cold War spy game。 Entertaining read from Kent。 。。。more

Patricia Moren ，

This was a very exciting story to read， you never knew what was going to happen next and the ever present threat of retribution was overwhelming。 A very good story with some amazing characters and a very topical story。 Kept me up burning the midnight oil to reach the finale。

Andrea Johnson ，

Spy thriller taking place in 1990 in what is now Belarus。 The USSR is crumbling and 4 Americans undercover with the CIA arrive in Russia trying to learn who might be trying to create a nuclear bomb threat。 Adding to the danger is a serial killer on the loose。 A complex spy story to keep you guessing。

Tag

    black bird 豆瓣 black and white investigation wolf 泰劇 the wolf among us 漢化 novel小说

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Black Wolf: A Novel

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Black Wolf: A Novel&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Black Wolf: A Novel&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0