Vodka

by Boris Starling (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2004

  $4.62

  Multi-stranded, groundbreaking Russian thriller from the bestselling author of Messiah and StormMoscow, December 1991; a city in chaos, riven by gang violence and hyperinflation, its population in terror of a killer preying on children. Into this anarchy comes Alice Liddell, an American banker charged with starting the privatisation process crucial to Russia's hopes of reform. But reform means hardship, and survival is hard enough as it is; Alice has only a short period to succeed before the people lose patience with the progressive government. Her target is the Red October distillery, Russia's most famous vodka producer, but Alice discovers that lack of time is the least of her problems. Red October is the centrepiece of a savage mafiya war between its charismatic boss Lev and his Chechen nemesis Karkadann. Are the brutal child killings terrorising Moscow connected to their violent conduct? How should Alice handle her discoveries that Red October is riddled with corruption from top to bottom? And can Alice and Lev, adversaries across the negotiating table, reconcile their very different professional aims with their very unprofessional feelings for each other? As the characters get

• Used

  Paperback
  2005

  $3.35

  A taut and shocking story of vengeance, bloodshed and love, set over 100 days of bitter Russian winter...from the bestselling author of Messiah. Moscow, December 1991. Chaos reigns after the fall of communism. Muscovites are used to queues and empty shelves, but now they have to cope with a dangerous power vacuum - and a war between brutal mafiya gangs for control of the city. So when a child's body is found beneath the ice of the Moscow river it attracts little attention to begin with. Then a second body is found. And a third. At the heart of the gathering storm is Red October, Russia's most famous vodka distillery. Alice Liddell, an American banker, has come to Moscow to oversee its privatization - an unpopular move. Alice wants to get going, but faced with the charismatic, ruthless Lev - distiller director and head of one of the warring mafia gangs - a very difficult job is starting to look impossible. Lev's arch-enemy has vowed revenge on him and it seems that the bizarre child killings might be part of this. The last thing he needs is a determined young woman in the heart of his criminal empire. But will Lev and Alice be enemies or allies? And when the storm has passed, who will be left standing?