Brent Ghelfi Books In Order

Publication Order of Alexei "Volk" Volkovoy Mystery Books

Brent Ghelfi is a reputed American writer of adult fiction, mystery, thriller, crime fiction, suspense, spy fiction, and espionage. He is particularly famous for writing the Alexei Volkovoy Mystery book series featuring a Russian gun-for-hire and military agent named Alexei Volkovoy. Prior to beginning his writing career, Ghelfi used to work as a clerk in a U.S. Court. He has also been a partner of a law firm headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Currently, author Ghelfi enjoys being an author along with owning and operating several businesses. He has written a few standalone novels before creating Alexei Volkovoy’s character. Ghelfi has traveled and visited a number of places in Russia, which helped him to develop the plots of his books based in Russia. As of today, Ghelfi resides in Phoenix along with his beautiful wife and children.

Ghelfi has described as the Moscow underworld’s crime boss operating at the intermediate level. He is commonly referred to as ‘Volk’ and serves as an agent for the military of Russia. Volk carries out both his occupations simultaneously, which makes him a complicated man. It is believed that he has an incredible history and has a knack of landing in trouble all the time. Volk’s primary job is similar to a Colonel, but doesn’t wear a uniform. The only person he answers to is the General, who is a high-ranked member of Russia’s Army. Volk shares a close bond with the General and doesn’t ask any question with respect to the work given to him. The General is a very powerful man and does not care to break the laws for his personal enrichment or helping his soldiers get enough money compared to the risks that they take for him. Volk doesn’t work full time for the General. During the time he is off hired, he takes care of his profitable side business, dealing in the illegal trade. In regard to this illegal trade, Volk answers to another boss named Maxim. He knows that Maxim rules a major part of the criminal establishment in Moscow, which makes him a very dangerous man. So, he never attempts to go against him or try to capture his business.

Volk always minds his own territories and answers to Maxim and the General whenever they require his service. He has had a very difficult childhood, having changed many foster homes being an orphan. Due to his combative nature, Volk had landed in juvenile detention and then transferred to a penal system. It was there that Volk met several hardened criminals and acquired their way of life. When Volk was given the opportunity to escape the prison life in exchange to serving in the Russian military, he accepted it. A few years later, he joined the Special Forces and was sent on his first mission in Chechnya on the post of a sniper. Volk was captured by the Chechnyan rebels and tortured rigorously. Volk still remembers all the sufferings he had to go through in the early days of his life. He sees his prosthetic limb in place of a lost foot as a reminder. Volk is joined in his two occupations by a young lady named Valya Novaskaya. She has suffered even more hardships in life and has learned all the skills of a deadly agent under the leadership of Volk. Valya always tries to keep Volk out of trouble because of the love she has developed in her heart for the man.

The Alexei Volkovoy Mystery series written by author Brent Ghelfi is comprised of a total of 4 books released between 2007 and 2010. Its debut book is entitled ‘Volk’s Game’. The book was published by the Henry Holt & Co. publication in 2007. Initially, it is seen that a firefight takes place on the dark streets on Moscow and echos of screams and shattered glass are heard far and wide. Two men are discovered to be dead, but it turns out they were not the intended targets. A shadowy man is seen walking in the dark alleyways of Russia’s capital, who is known to the underworld as Volk. They know him as a war-hardened veteran with a prosthetic foot, who now deals in criminal activities for his bosses and personal benefit. Volk has the reputation of being a covert Russian military agent and a master player in black market dealings. The masters he serves include the General and Maxim. The former is the one whom Volk is indebted with his life and the latter is the dangerous kingpin of the Azeri mafia with numerous loyal informers all over.

Volk has to his side a beautiful girl named Valya, who is as deadly as her exotic beauty. She works to keep Volk protected from the unsavory associates. She trusts no one except Volk and has feelings for him in her heart. Volk considers her as the most dangerous weapon in his arsenal. Volk and Valya are given the task of stealing an expensive painting by da Vinci called Leda & the Swan from the tightly secured Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Volk sees this as an opportunity to escape the criminal underworld. He decides to escape with Leda and betray his masters. He seeks Valya’s help in this regard, who agrees to help him with all her heart. What follows next is a high-octane action sequence of hunting and being hunted. Alexei Volkovoy ‘Volk’ shines as the new generation’s boldest hero.

The series’ next installment is entitled ‘Volk’s Shadow’. It was also released by Henry Holt and Co in 2008. This book begins by depicting that a US oil company’s headquarters in Moscow gives out pink smoke one night, which turns out to be a deadly biological attack by terrorists. In another shocking event, an army captain from Russia gets murdered. He was believed to possess digital evidence related to brutal wartime atrocities that get stolen after his murder. A terrorist by the name of Albreg makes a plan to lure Volk into his trap. He has his base in southern Russia’s snowy mountains and is the same man who had once held Colonel Volk captive during the war in Chechnya. Volk is on the run for his life after stealing the da Vinci painting and struggles to remain afloat in the changing currents of the economic and political intrigue in Russia. He feels the absence of his love and sidekick Valya Novaskaya, who he pushed away for her own safety. Soon after, he learns about Albreg’s plans and decides to head in his direction to eliminate him and repay his debt.