Black Wolf

A Novel

By: Kathleen Kent

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

A dazzling spy thriller about a female CIA agent whose extraordinary facial recognition powers lead her into the dangerous heart of the Soviet Union—and the path of a killer who 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.

©2023 Kathleen Kent (P)2023 Mulholland Books

Critic reviews

"Part spy novel, part serial-killer novel, Black Wolf is masterful, a riveting tale and a powerful depiction of the collapse of the Soviet Union as seen through the eyes of Melvina Donleavy, a uniquely talented CIA recruit who deserves a series of her own."

—Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire

Intriguing heroine, great plot

A good but not canned spy novel with a talented young CIA officer and myriad other characters that all keep you guessing. Never quite sure who to trust. Set in 1990s Belarus, well-researched and educational.

Loved it.

Fun departure from the Detective Betty series.

Enjoyed the mash up of story lines and characters.

Highly recommend.

Great book!

The blending of a spy novel and crime thriller was done so well with this book! There was a character that I didn’t think I would end up really enjoying by the end of this book, but I did. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good spy novel or crime thriller, very enjoyable, hard to put down.

Excellent!

This book takes you into Belarus just after the fall of the Berlin wall. You can almost feel the paranoia and hopelessness that must have characterized that politically charged time. I hope to see more of Melvina in the future. One negative: I'm not quite sure how I feel about mushrooms anymore 😬

Unexpectedly great

Terrific, absorbing listen. Truly a thriller. Highly recommend. Good story and narration.

Worth a credit.