Volk's Game by Brent Ghelfi

This book is hands-down one of the best thrillers written in the last decade. An uncompromising look at modern Russian, Volk's Game has the pacing of a Lee Child thriller and the texture of a Martin Cruz Smith novel featuring Arkady Renko.

Brent Ghelfi introduces Volk, my favorite anti-hero and one of the more badass literary creations you're likely to meet. A scarred veteran of the war in Chechnya, he is a ruthless man leading a double life. His story gives readers a street-level, unflinching look at post-Soviet Russia.

The sequel Volk's Shadow is just as terrific, and don't feel obligated to read them in order. In a crowded market of copycat thrillers, these books stand apart. They are wholly original and impossible to put down.