The Volchev File - Latest by W. Jack Savage Focuses on the Ukraine Twenty Years Ago!

 

The day he walked into Andre’s in Midtown, all he was hoping for was a brief respite from the heat and his followers. What’ll it be,” asked Andre, a formidable black man with a booming baritone voice.

“Yes, please, could I have a beer and a glass of vodka…a double please.” Andre smiled as he considered Igor. Another white customer who, after his eyes became adjusted to the dark, would probably realize this wasn’t his kind of place. Andre smiled and said, “Are you sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable up the street at Manny’s?”

Igor processed Andre’s question and then said, “Perhaps I could buy you and your customer a drink for any inconvenience my presence might cause?” 

“Ain’t no inconvenience,” said Andre, drawing Igor’s beer. “But you could buy us a drink just to be friendly.” 

“Yes, then please. I will do that,” said Igor with a slight smile. 

After serving Igor, Andre served himself and Robert at the end of the bar, who was watching a baseball game on TV which had just started. They both saluted Igor as they raised their glasses and took a drink. Andre wandered back down the bar toward Igor. “Ya know, began Andre. “I’ve always wondered. When I was a young guy, I was in the army in Kansas. One day I walked into a white bar out near the base, by myself, just to see what would happen, ya know? But I had my uniform on and it was a fort town, so I guess it wasn’t a good test. Anyway, I know why I did it. Nothing happened but over the years, I’ve always wondered why a white man would walk into a bar, see that he was the only white man, because this is Midtown and people walk in here by mistake all the time, you understand, but they always always leave. Anyway, like I said, seeing that he was the only white man and decided to stay. Now, I’m Andre and this is my bar and you’re welcome here if I say you are, understand. But I was just wondering that’s all.” 

“I am being followed…by white men,” said Igor. “If they come in here, I will know the nature, degree of their surveillance. If they do not, at least I can have a drink in peace.” 

At that moment, two white men entered and approached the bar. “What’ll it be?” asked Andre. 

“Two beers,” said the first one. “We just ran outta beer,” said Andre.

(Enjoy the music and the setting. Igor spends a lot of time at Andre's.)

~~~

Following World War II, several independence rebellions took place in the Soviet Union. Throughout the Balkans, The Red Army fought pitched battles with partisan rebels to put down these insurrections. The Soviet MGB State Security apparatus worked internally to infiltrate and destroy the rebels. Other deep cover operatives worked independently of their efforts. Rumors of atrocities on both sides of the conflict were common.

Vorkuta Camp 12 within Arctic Circle 
Where Volchev was Held

Colonel Vitas Marco had been warned, Volchev could be most aggravating.  It didn’t help that they had so much in common.  Both he and the prisoner were of non-Russian origin, skilled in languages, and trained in intelligence.  Volchev’s path led him to prison and the labor camps, while Marco’s had made of him a
rising star in Soviet Intelligence.  

As he studied his file, so it had seemed of Volchev.  That is, until Korosten. ​In thirty minutes, it would be over.  The need for this final debriefing seemed ridiculous.  It seemed more of an administrative task.  Therefore, Marco assumed that somehow, he was being tested.    One could fairly say that might have accounted for his ill-temper that day.  But Volchev had become something of a legend in his confinement.  How he now dealt with this situation would be watched.  Or, perhaps, the lesson of Volchev was being taught to him.  If so, it certainly was in the nature of a warning.  Two things were clear--first, he would be acquainted with both Volchev and his story; and second, if his selection for this task had any further relevance, that would remain to be seen.  

It was July 1975. ​Igor Volchev had defended a pair of Soviet officers in an illegal trial by Ukrainian partisan rebels after World War II.  Many Soviet states had rebellions following the war.  The rebellion in the Ukraine began before the war ended.  Mainline Soviet forces were held in reserve, waiting for the treachery the Soviets anticipated from the British and Americans.  

The rebellion forces were waiting for it, too.  They were forming an infrastructure to support an invasion from the west.  Their reward: Independence following the break-up of the Soviet States...

~~~

Even as WWII was ending, involved countries were working to readjust after all that had happened. The Soviet Union, itself, was being attacked internally as rebellion forces began to seek a permanent separation from the Union. One of those rebellions was by partisan rebels who were taking the opportunity to seek freedom from the totalitarian government... now known as Russia.

Indeed, if you are watching the daily news, you know that Ukraine had succeeded in becoming a separate entity and is now a democratic country! With Russia still trying to recapture the parts of the Soviet Union that became independent... Because of this, the president of Russia has been declared a war criminal and fighting continues, with Russia targeting women, children and moving toward more and more violence daily.

This is not a new situation, as Jack Savage begins his story based upon one single former Red Soldier, Igor Volchev, a former NKGB Colonel, who had returned to Ukraine and taken a position in the judicial district of Malin on the rail line between Kiev and Korosten. 

A raid had occurred led by two Soviet Officers--a raid that took place. However, the details of what happened were to be hidden.  Volchev had been told to write up what happened. He did... The Official Report - It was complete disinformation, albeit eloquent in many ways... The result: instead of being killed like others who were involved, Volchev was imprisoned in the harshest camp, Vorkuta, for life. 

Time passed and men who crave power begin to look for "a story" that can be used in some way... While, at the same time, family of  former military action want to learn more about their relatives and what happened to them. And so it was that a nephew, Edward, found that his uncle had been the writer of The Official Report. And the Report had been accepted as...the Truth!

Suddenly, Volchev was in the spotlight, he was sponsored by an American and brought to live in total freedom... Or so it seemed. Yet, Igor had already determined that he had followers from various agencies...

While I was reading this novel, I had a flashback to a series by James Houston Turner who had created a character called Talanov... I had such fun reading those books and loved the hero character--the link by the way is his created credentials and a short excerpt from one of the books... 

I admit I had the same reaction to Volchev! While in an entirely different way. This is not an action character. Rather, he is just what exactly you would expect for having been in one prison or another for over 20 years! He's very intelligent, yet cautious, with instincts to constantly be on watch, trying to determine exactly what and why whatever was happening would involve... 

He's still an attractive man even after his incarceration! In fact, he really didn't look like he had been in prison--so what happened, readers wonder. Especially, the recent widow who had sponsored Volchev's immigration to America... She watched as Volchev would daily go out for a walk--she assumed it was to acknowledge the freedom of being able to do so. He normally refused the money she offered, even though he had none. She would forced him to recognize his need to have money even to buy a cup of coffee... Yet his independence, his need to remain a loner, was fascinating to her. At that point, she didn't know that he was being followed. Nor do she know that Volchev suspected that there was a reason for his being brought to America, and it wasn't because of the appeals of his family...

Volchev was right to question exactly what was going on! Readers will learn a little more, practically on each page, but just enough to keep us reading.  A little bit historical drama with lots of suspense as we gather the teasers of someone who is living through becoming among the rich and famous, while still maintaining the hesitancy, the fear, the need to be on guard, after being imprisoned for nothing more than writing exactly what he was told to write... I found myself thinking about all the lies that are coming out, even more so these days, because of our social platforms. Still, if you can build on the truth, the reality, you can begin to imagine... the why of being allowed to leave prison and travel to America...

And that's what Jack Savage has given us... Forcing us to stop, pay attention, study the background, locate the power structure and who is in control and where it might be leading... I was hooked because of the tease, the minor moves forward, only to have a complete twist come toward the end that caught me totally off guard.

And full disclosure here... I was a final unpaid proofreader and formatter of this book--not an editor. There was little to be edited since the author had covered everything so well that I became involved with the story, even reading it a second time for content and still not knowing how it would end... As you know, I love that type of book! Savage keeps our interest, and attention... but still manages to surprise us in a drama that is so very much rooted in the political environment that Russia presents to the world today!

I consider this the best of the best for the author. While the plot setting is entirely within the United States, it does reveal the real need to not under-estimate what the Russian government or its representatives is capable of doing, even if it is to just about "one" former Ukrainian Colonel who dared to tell the truth...

A unique perspective of those who are living as citizens in a totalitarian country. It is enlightening to see what happens when those who crave power are willing to move toward gaining what is wanted... It's a timely, yet an alternative drama of living within the power structure of an authoritarian, at any political level... The detail is sufficiently specific to actually feel like you are the investigator striving to solve the puzzle... A Tantalizing mystery!

Author's Note: The earlier cover selected could not be used. This cover is another of paintings by Savage...

Elder Care Tip - I've been enrolled in Walmart's online services which includes shipping, pickup or delivery. I've recently been invited to be a customer representative for this activity. I can already tell you, it has saved me a lot of heartache and worry... I have used all three options and with few problems, I have been very satisfied... If you have any suggestions or concerns, let me know and I'll try to see if my new role includes help with your issues!

Just Out July 7th From Harper - The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop Takes Readers into 1974 Coup in Cyprus!

President Makarios

Nikos Sampson, the leader of the coup

Greek military coup of July 1974

In the spring of 1974, Greek Cypriot intelligence discovered that EOKA-B was planning a coup against President Makarios which was sponsored by the military junta of Athens.

~~~

Mr.  and Mrs. Papacosta

request the pleasure of your company

at the Paradise Patio

Cocktails

6:30 p.m.

1974

Now, as Savvas and Aphroditi moved through to the patio to greet their guests, a few dozen people were already gathered there, all of them looking out to sea. It was impossible not to be mesmerized by the sight. In the balmy early-evening light, there was a rosy tint to the sky, the sun was still warm on the skin and the lithe bodies of the boys who lingered to play games of volleyvall on the beach were sharply defined by the shadows. It seemed entirely credible that Aproditi, the Goddess of Love, might have been born on this island. It was a place to be in love with life itself.

There was a pattern and rhythm to the way the couple circulated, asking guests how they had spent the day, listening patiently to descriptions of wonderful swimming, clear waters, perhaps an excursion to see the medieval city. They had heard everything before but exclaimed politely as if it was for the first time.

In the corner of the room, a young French pianist moved his pale fingers seamlessly from one jazz favourite to another. The sound of chattering voices and clinking ice drowned out his music here as in every other venue. Every evening he made a journey along the row of hotels, playing for an hour in each one. At five in the morning he would put down the lid of the Steinway at The Savoy, the last of the bars where he had a nightly engagement. He would then sleep until later afternoon and be back at The Paradise Beach for six fifteen.

Savvas was shorter and stouter than most of his northern European clientele, but his suit was better cut than any in the room. Similarly, his wife's clothes were always more chic than those of their guests. However dell dressed they were, whether from London, Paris or even the United States, none of the women matched Aphroditi for glamour. Though the American was more than ten years her senior, Aphroditi cultivated a Jackie O style. She had always loved the way Jackie dressed, more than ever since her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, every magazine was full of her image. For years Aphroditi had devoured everything to do with her icon, from the days when she had refurbished the White House and entertained foreign dignitaries with cocktails, to more recent times with

 images of her on islands so far away from Cyprus. Jackie's was the style she favoured: immaculately tailored but feminine.

Though the whole impression was flawless, it was her jewellery that made Aphroditi stand out. Most women bought a necklace of bracelet to go with an outfit, but Aphroditi had dresses made to match her jewellery. Usually this reflected a classic Cypriot design but sometimes it had a more modern touch. When people met Aphroditi and were reminded of Jackie Onassis, they sometimes doubted whether Aristotle's gifts to his wife matched up to those given by Savvas Papacosta to his...

~~~

The Sunrise

By Victoria Hislop

No matter what the novel, I am always first attracted to the characters that people the book. In The Sunrise, we meet a couple who are both rich and well-known in their area of Cyprus--Famagusta. The Island had gained independence and President Makarios was in office at the beginning of the story. Islanders were called Cypriots and had been living there for many years. Some were called Greek Cypriots due to their heritage while the other primary group was Turkish Cypriots. There was a blend of people--working together in the largest industry--tourism... There was a need for all to support the island and many became good friends, no matter their background...

Why is it that some people are allowed to use their prejudices, their hatreds to stir up trouble. It happens over and over, all over the world... While America was dealing with Watergate and the world watched, rumblings and secret meetings and solicitation of supporters was beginning in Cyprus...

And before the end of the book, this beautiful island had been destroyed by bombings, forced evacuation and...all those vicious actions that take place during war...  The island had been split and the portion of Cyprus, which included Famagusta--including The Sunrise--had been enclosed with wire fences!

Savvas and Aphroditi had owned a hotel in Famagusta and were in the process of building The Sunrise, which would be the most luxurious and beautiful hotel on the island...

For Savvas, we watch as he becomes immersed in a greedy need for biggest and best...and more and more... At the same time Aphroditi, who had worked on the interior decisions for The Sunrise, feeling part of the whole organization, was now pushed aside, with little to do. Worse, her father had died and left all his property to Aphroditi. Savvas convinced her to immediately sell all of it and put it to work on their (his) growing empire... Aphroditi was stripped of all of her wealth, except for the jewels that Savvas would give to her. Seemingly to show her off as the wife of the Great Papacosta!

During the years Aphroditi had been married and chose her Jacki O style, she had become friends with the two women who ran a local beauty shop. When the opening of The Sunrise was nearing, it was arranged that they move their shop into the Hotel...For Savvas it was good business since it showed the inclusiveness of the hotel, using both Greek and Turkish Cypriots in all parts of the Hotel. For Aphroditi, it meant continuing her growing friendship with the women... The Turkish family is one of the three families that are spotlighted in the novel. What happens as they are, finally, the last Turkish family who had not left the island is both heartwarming and illustrative of the reality that hate really is only a learned response for strangers, but not for people who have become your friends...

Inhaling the dust of the building site for fourteen hours a day and poring over paperwork for several more, Savvas Papacosta considered that he worked harder than any other man in Cyprus.

The hours that his right-hand man worked were almost as many. Over the past months, with the Clair de Lune and all his other new responsibilities in the hotel, Markos had spent at least sixteen hours a day at The Sunrise, but he needed little sleep so he did not complain...

~~~

The third family we meet through Markos who has become an important second man in Savvas' Sunrise hotel. He was given total control of developing The Claire de Lune, the hotel's nightclub... The atmosphere in the club was so very different from the rest of the hotel, which Aphroditi has controlled and when she saw it for the first time, she hated it. Of course, the club setting had been designed for the night, for different lighting, and for the acoustics needed for the many forms of entertainment that would be provided.

Most of all she hated it because it became the central money-making location and Savvas was so thrilled that he began to put more and more responsibility on Markos while he began to think what he was going to build with the money that Aphroditi's inheritance had brought to him!

But the final indignity was when Savvas was so committed to his latest creation that he had more or less put Markos in charge, and required him to play host opposite Aphroditi at all formal functions at The Sunrise... Once again, the place of partnership that her wealth should have provided at The Sunrise,  had been ignored...now she had to suffer Markos and acknowledge her jealousy of his relationship to her husband and The Sunrise...

Markos moved between the two co-existing worlds.
The kaleidoscopic tourist playground of blue sky,
warm sea, bikinis and cocktails was real enough,
but where the sun did not penetrate, there were
shadowy places where activities of a different kind
took place. Though he never opened the parcels
that he ferried on an almost daily basis now,
Markos knew that they must contain the tool kits
for terrorism, usually stolen from the police:
guns, ammunition, detonators and other
ingredients for bomb-making. Carefree holiday
makers had no idea what was happening
around them, and in the case of The Sunrise,
beneath their rooms. The vault was now an
arsenal.
~~~

This is not an easy book to read, although the author has created an outstanding family drama within the realities of a war zone... I wondered most whether the lives of the characters as presented would have been different if the coup had not proceeded... Markos in particular was loved by everybody, but readers begin to see another side of him as time goes on... Can you blame him? Maybe... But, he had been working his head off taking on more and more responsibilities but Savvas had never rewarded him with a change of title to show his present scope of responsibilities, nor had he given him any increase in salary...

When he was given the responsibility of acting as host to hostess Aphroditi, was he totally out to take advantage of her or did he really begin to care for her as a beloved woman and friend? For we will see what happens to Aphroditi after she has fallen deeply in love with Markos and faces an unexpected pregnancy...

And while that was all happening, Markos had stayed with his family, the last Greek Cypriots to stay in Famagusta...ultimately joining with the last Turkish family to try to survive as the Soldiers invaded each home, stealing, killing...and more...

Don't expect a good ending to the novel. Can it be anything other than the truth of the lives of those individuals who are affected by the devastation of war? The novel is provocative, intriguing, and epic in the breadth of the story itself. I was impressed by the author's obvious knowledge of the history and the setting as well as her ability to establish the tension and fear of characters as they are forced to hide or run for their lives, reacting to a totally unexpected attack, while trying to deal with the thousands of tourists who were visiting there and now caught in a place where no place and no people could really be totally trusted...

An amazing story for your consideration, featuring both a historical tale of an important coup in 1974, as well as deep family drama! Do check it out!


GABixlerReviews

Victoria Hislop is the international bestselling author of The Island, The Return. and others In the United Kingdom, she writes travel features for The Sunday Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, House and Garden, and Woman's Home. The Island sold over a million copies in the UK and has been translated into 24 languages. Victoria's second novel, The Return, has been published in more than a dozen languages. She lives in Kent, with her husband Ian and their two children.