Author Brent Ghelfi enters the world of fiction with a debut novel that will appeal to spy/intrigue fans.  Alexei Volk, known commonly as Volk, plays both ends of the barrel working as both an undercover agent for the Russian military and a player in the Black Market.  Volk's competition, Gromov, wants to partner up, but Volk will have nothing to do with it, so a battle between the two is waged.

Volk answers to a seemingly mob boss type named Maxim.  After Maxim calls up asking Volk what he knows about art, Volk finds himself taking an assignment to locate and retrieve Leonardo da Vinci's priceless painting "Leda and the Swan."  Unfortunately, Volk is outsmarted at first.  A mysterious boss known only as "The General" gives Volk two assignments, retrieve the painting and make sure Gromov, who is ticked off over a botched theft of a rare diamond,
stays out of trouble.  With his life on the line after numerous
assassination attempts, Volk must play the odds and betray someone in order to finish the job and stay alive.

VOLK'S GAME is packed with action from the start.  I admit I struggled at first because there are so many characters introduced quickly from Volk to his girlfriend/bodyguard to Maxim to the painting thiefs Arkady and Dr. Rolf Lipman.  I ended up having to keep notes to keep track of the key players. Eventually, I was able to do away with the list and follow the book without problem.

The back cover compares the story to some of Ludlum's work (The Bourne novels) and I think I agree to an extent, only make the setting Moscow with Russian characters.  This is a fine novel that spy enthusiasts will wholeheartedly enjoy.