A disappointing action thriller set among Russian oligarchs, corrupt officials and FSB thugs that sadly failed to grip. Max is an implausible construct - a classical hero with good looks, strength and smarts who somehow owns a Russian oil company. I yearned for more intrigue, wit and twists.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

In the end I enjoyed this and I would read another one in the series.

I did feel that it started off a little flat, especially the dialogue, and, as is a common issue with books about Russian people, I found the naming conventions to be a bit confusing and was sometimes not sure who we were reading about. It does get quite exciting though andI liked the fact that the main "baddie", the Kazakh, showed some character development towards the end.

It is quite a good thriller, with maybe not entirely unexpected events but it certainly shows promise. It would make a good TV programme or film.

A very enjoyable book if you like murder, crime, politics and violence. It's fast moving despite a lot of similar Russian names. The author, with great skill, manages to make Max the hero even though he kills as many if not more people than the 'baddies'. Even though I am a lady of mature years, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Very topical novel involving the Russian mafia, corruption and the FSB.
Max's past comes back to haunt him when his daughter Anna is brutally murdered. He suspects the involvement of his old enemy Kazach, a member of the Russian mafia. His past actions caused Max to :'disappear presumed dead' in the hopes of protecting his family and friends.

Events surrounding his daughter's murder and the realisation that his whereabouts have been discovered, lead Max to return to his former mercenary life. He seeks out help from his old comrade Kohla and his son Zenha to seek out the identity of Anna's murderer and Dave his own life before it's too late.
What is uncovered causes Max to question everything he knows and, ultimately, just who is the enemy.

A very interesting first book in a new series. A story mainly set in Russia which resonates well in the modern world. Max has hidden himself away and is presumed dead by people who have a grudge against him but the his daughter is murdered and he returns to Russia seeking revenge. The cast of characters is rich and diverse fro Russian state police to the Russian Mafia and ex special forces .It moves along at a cracking pace to a climatic conclusion. I shall look forward to further adventures in this series

A really enjoyable story. Fast paced, lots of intrigue and you could really picture the scenes as they occurred.

Certainly be looking out for Book 2

Fantastic storyline and once I had the characters straight in my head (took a couple of chapters to work out who is who, how they know each other and whether they are good, baf or in the grey middle!) this was a great read, well paced, plenty of action and intrigue and lots of jeopardy!

Thanks @netgalley , the author & publisher for the ARC.

This is the first, in which I'm sure will be a series, Max Voronin thriller, although I'm not quite sure how there would be another!
I had to really persevere and concentrate with the first part of the book as it felt a little disjointed at times with all the characters and knowing where they fit in the story but once you got the general gist, it was OK.
It was fast-paced and well written. Really describes the complexities and corruption within Russian politics.
It was an enjoyable read, my kind of book!

This book is a little bit different. It is set in Russia and our hero is pitched again the Russian Mafia.
His lifelong friend may not be all he seemed. But our hero is not to be deterred from his course of action. His true beliefs are followed despite the odds.
Some unusual settings and fast moving action.
We need more books about this man who is honest and has a conscience.

This is no doubt a carefully researched account of corruption and murder amongst Russian oligarchs. It is well,put together and well written. I am not sure that many readers will find the subject matter attractive. It has a lot of description and a lot of characters who can be confusing. I am not able to recommend it as an interesting or absorbing read!

I would have enjoyed it more if it had been TTS enabled, but it still grabbed me and I held on throughout all the plot twists and heaps of misinformation. Hope this comes out in audio, or at least with TTS!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected PDF from Wilder Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Apr 03, 2025
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The first in the Max Voronin series of thrillers. Very well written. I had to really concentrate and wasn't sure at the start, but so pleased I continued reading as really enjoyed this thrilling adventure. Highly recommended.

I was lucky enough to receive an Advanced Reader Copy and leave this review willingly.

Thriller

Review: I have re-written this review a few times as I move through the novel. My first review was damning in that this was another Jack Reacher type novel. "Special Ops super covert Russian killer-man - dude and his team of Doc Savage like special ops / sniper / giant bigfoot / recon / infiltrators in one of the Stans, has bad time and becomes billionaire. Although this description is close, it in no way did the novel justice. Max and the supporting cast are a wonderful blend of complex personalities that build with the movement.

Max, despite his Super Operator like Delta Force ninja skills (only Russian type ninja), like Spetznaz but only more speshul is grounded enough that his actions are believable and justified. There were some fails, like how Max can tell what model and caliber a gun is just by the timber of the shots (LOL).

This was an entertaining read and will continue as a series.

The cover art really does not match the MCs description in any way.

I received this ARC for an honest review.

I read the description and thought this may be a good thriller and I wasn't wrong. However, I wasn't prepared for what happened to Max's daughter and it was very sad. They say revenge is a dish best served cold but interestingly Max effected a bit of a compromise.
It's a thriller with great pace, well written and most interesting. It would appear that this is the first in the Max Voronin series of novels but one wonders how he will have changed following revenge and the absence of Firefly in his life. Anyway for me, I can hardly wait.

This was a very brave subject for a novel.
Make the main character an all action pin up Russian soldier who served in Afghanastan and then went on to own a Russian oil company, and make him likeable! OK we are spared from knowing the details of any nastiness undertaken in the war and details of his building up of the oil company to huge profitability , but people in his position have not got there by playing nicely.
But the author has done a good job and I did feel sorry for Max Voronin when his daughter is killed and he then sets himself to get revenge on the person responsible despite claiming the moral high ground in most of his dealings with people.
I did follow and enjoy the fast moving plot for about 60% of the book but then the major players and their deputies all seemed to be plotting against each other and it became a bit confusing. I did enjoy reading about the Russian tycoons, mafia bosses and the FSB state security forces and all their corrupt interactions but not enough to want to follow the rest of the series that is planned.
Thanks to NetGalley and BeRead Ltd for the ARC-

Max Voronin, a former special forces operative, has seen some serious stuff in Afghanistan. He's had enough, so he leaves and takes over as the owner of Russia's third-largest oil company. He's content to keep a low profile, letting his team run the show while he keeps a watchful eye on his daughter. But when she's brutally murdered, Max is dragged back into the game.

With his elite skills, Max navigates a treacherous landscape of lies, betrayal, and ruthless killers to track down his daughter's murderer. But as he digs deeper, nothing is as it seems. This gripping thriller is packed with twists, turns, and intense fight scenes, giving you a glimpse into modern Russia's complex web of politics and oligarchs.

Max Voronin is ex Soviet Special Forces, after leaving,he teams up with Sergei and takes over one of the biggest oil companies in Russia.

Years later, the FSB want his company and his daughter's caught in the fallout. He is drawn back to Moscow to avenge her.

Loads of twists and turns and shifts in power groups.

A useful insight of post Soviet Russia.

Book 2 on the way!

I would like to thank Netgalley and LG Wilder for the chance to read and review this book

Gave me a real insight into modern Russia, both politically and financially. Potentially full of corruption and a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" situation. I really felt for Max as he searches for his daughter's killers. A very fast paced and interesting thriller.

Max Voronin is ex special forces, having seen enough whilst in Afghanistan so leaves and becomes the owner of the third biggest Oil company in Russia, whilst in self imposed exile, letting his oil company run with the board in place, keeping an eye on his daughter she is killed, drawing Max out back into the field to hunt down the killer. Using Max's skills wading through mires of disinformation, betrayal and with killers on his tail he plans to take down the killer of his daughter, but things aren't what they appear to be.
Fast paced, great characters, very well written story weaving into modern Russia and its complex politics and oligarchs. Good length full of well twists and fight scenes. Book two planned.

I chose this book to review out of curiosity. I was pleasantly surprised by this book and enjoyed it a lot. It was a fun paces read. I was not expecting to enjoy it so much. Thank you Netgalley for letting me review this book.