Kathleen Kent presents a razor-sharp thriller that blends a cerebral espionage thriller with a dark atmospheric serial killer narrative in The Black Wolf.
When Melvina Donleavy arrives in Soviet Belarus in 1990, her team of CIA undercover agents have no idea about her real mission that supersedes that of her team, for she is a “super-recognizer” and her abilities are put to the test to find out how nuclear weapons are being siphoned out from the Soviets to some dangerous parties in the Middle East. If contending with the brutal KGB was not enough to get her perspiring, she soon comes across a devious serial killer who goes around abducting and murdering young women in brutal fashion in the streets of Soviet Belarus. She’s committed to both the mission and her personal sense of morality to right wrongs in this gritty game of cat and mouse with unlikely allies and enemies.
What makes The Black Wolf such a memorable thriller is the brilliant authenticity that swings off the pages, no doubt from the author’s time under the US Department of Defense. The spycraft is both exciting and tense, glimmering with a smooth but edgy prose that keeps on coiling with bouts of nervous energy from all the dangers spies face behind enemy lines. The focus on cerebral espionage is key to the mind-boggling twists and turns that help drive the narrative ahead. At the same time, Melvina’s expertise in crime solving from watching her dad in law enforcement lends dangerous credence to her motivation in solving the murders perpetuated by a deranged serial killer who may be high on the political/espionage ladder. Melvina Donleavy is an outstanding protagonist who exudes the badassery of female protagonists in thrillers done right where romance does not step in front of the hard-hitting and unflinching reality of espionage tradecraft.
I almost didn’t want the story to end, only giving in because of the gravitating desire to find out who the killer is. That’s just one of the numerous proofs of Kathleen Kent’s mastery of suspenseful storytelling. If you’re looking for a sparkling read that’s distinctive yet familiar to your thriller-seeking mind, The Black Wolf is a no-brainer pick.
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