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The Wolf: A Novel
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The Wolf: A Novel
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The Wolf: A Novel
Audiobook8 hours

The Wolf: A Novel

Written by Lorenzo Carcaterra

Narrated by Keith Szarabajka

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

In this thrilling novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra-the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sleepers, Gangster, and Midnight Angels-organized crime goes to war with international terrorism in the name of one man's quest for revenge.

My name is Vincent Marelli, though most people call me The Wolf. You've never met me, and if you're lucky you never will. But in more ways than you could think of, I own you.

I run the biggest criminal operation in the world. We're invisible but we're everywhere. Wherever you go, whatever you do, however it is you spend your money, a piece of it lands in our pockets.

You would think that with that kind of power I would be invincible. You would be wrong. I made a mistake, one that a guy like me can never afford to make. I let my guard down. And because I did, my wife and daughters are gone. Murdered by terrorists with a lethal ax to grind.

That was my mistake.

But it was also theirs.

I wasn't looking for a war with them. No one in my group was. But they've left me with nothing but a desire for revenge-so a war is what they'll get. The full strength of international organized crime against every known terrorist group working today. Crime versus chaos.

We will protect our interests, and I will protect my son. We won't get them all, but I will get my revenge, or I will die trying.

They will know my name.

They will feel my wrath.

They will fear The Wolf.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 29, 2014
ISBN9780553399950
Unavailable
The Wolf: A Novel

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Reviews for The Wolf

Rating: 3.3780512195121943 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

41 ratings24 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It was okay and easily readable. But everyone sounded the same. It always disappoints me when the characters don't have distinct voices and thinking. I did manage to finish the book but I won't be picking anything up by the same author
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Wolf by Carcaterra was an interesting, full bodied and entertaining book. i got caught up in the unusual plot of the book which involves pitting the crime bosses against terrorists with a Russian thrown in to add flavor. I enjoyed the book though others have said that his earlier book was even better. Think there will be a sequel and I am waiting for that one.J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Bravo, Mr Carcaterra offers us yet another book that is thoroughly entertaining. I have enjoyed all of his works but liked this one most of all. A can't put down kind of book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've long been a fan of Lorenzo Carcaterra. Sleepers and Apoaches were both excellent reads and The Wolf lives up to the bar they've set. The Wolf is the story of a war between the forces of organized crime and the terrorists who would destabilize their business. At times gets Carcaterra get a little wordy but when the story moves forward it does at a relentless pace. The characters are fascinating and rooted in what seems like reality. An excellent read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I received this book from Goodreads.

    I think this book, like any work be it art, music, or other creative areas, falls either on the love it or hate it side. The most effective pieces are the ones that people either love or hate, but make us think. I fall in with the ones who loved this book.

    Vincent Marelli, aka The Wolf, is the head of one of the largest organized crime families. Vincent was never supposed to be part of this life, but due to tragedy he ends up under the care of an uncle he's never met before and raised into the life. He grows up side by side with his disabled but extremely intelligent cousin who would be the head of the family if not for the disability. Vincent protects his own family at all costs, but lets his wife talk him into something he wouldn't normally do so their children can "feel like normal kids". The ending result is tragic and Vincent calls together the heads of the most powerful families through the world to unite them in a war against terrorists.

    Mafia against terrorists? Really? Yes, and it works brilliantly. Vincent makes an appealing case to the family heads, especially concerning how the terrorist could eventually hurt them all financially and that the terrorists are being funded by the Russian mob. They agree to let him go ahead with his "war", though he knows they're watching and waiting for him to fail. Vincent is not trusting of anyone and outside the family has his own Secret Six who he incorporates as well.

    This book is not pretty, in the same way Gangster movies are not pretty. There is blood, there is violence, key players meet bad endings, and betrayal comes from unexpected places. I don't think the story would work without it. While I was reading this book, I could "see" the scenes. It was like reading a movie it played out so well for me. I found myself cheering for Vincent; he is a likable character even if he is a crime boss. A car chase had me anxious and saying "noooo" at the end of it. Even though everyone in this book is involved in crime in some way, Carcaterra gives us characters that we like in spite of that. Could this book be a movie? Definitely. As good as the book? Are they ever? (In my own opinion, books are always better).

    The ending was a twist I hadn't seen coming, and begs for a sequel, which will be on my list if/when it happens!

  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A story of a mob boss in U.S. going up against terrorists in Europe who are financed by the Russian mob. Confusing sometimes, but I read it all. It has a surprise ending that I would like to read a sequell for the answer. I hsd some trouble getting started with the book, but the further I got into it, the easier it became to read and get into.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Gangsters really aren't my thing, but I was very intrigued by the bad guy vs. bad guy plot of THE WOLF. Thankfully, Carcaterra didn't spend a great deal of time telling a traditional mob story, nor did he spend too much time building the terrorist angle, either. Carcaterra balances both quite nicely, spending just enough time with each side of the story to properly carry the narrative.The characters are well defined and the dialogue is natural, bringing each character to life. The action is clean and well described. The pacing is solid and fairly quick, at no point was I bored.This seems to be the first in a series. If so, I will gladly read the second.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I decided not to finish it. I'm over halfway through and I'm tired of the repetitive cliched writing. I don't care about any of the characters, and it doesn't feel like much has happened. Maybe someone will get it out of the little free library and like it.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book had a very intresting premise that mde me want to pick this book up. Unfortinatly I had a difficult time stay engrossed in the story and it really fell short of what I thought this book could have been.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a look at the dark side of humanity. Organized crime and Terrorism. It was a very fast paced book and things were always happening. But the more I think about the book, the less impressed I am. It was more like half a story. Skipped details in some places and went extra deep others. If you just like lots of action, and retribution, then you might like this a bit more than I did. However, it just seemed a little too contrived.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Vincent Marelli is a mafia boss. He doesn't really follow the news or care much about what is going on outside his immediate criminal underworld. Terrorism? Those crazies have nothing to do with him and he does not give them a second thought.One day he sends his wife and daughters on a vacation where he plans to join them soon. As he and his young son prepare themselves to join their loved ones, he receives the worst news any man could hear: his wife and daughters are dead. They were killed when a group of terrorists destroyed the plane they were on.Grief stricken, Marelli responds as only a man in his position can. He prepares for war. He musters the support of the criminal organizations with which he does business and they join him in a war to destroy the terrorists cells. For his allies, it is all about the damage terrorists cause when they plunge the world into chaos. For them it is business, not personal. But for Vincent, it just got very personal.Read this intriguing novel and see why Lorenzo Carcaterra is an author who's work I plan to follow!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Wolf by Lorenzo Carcaterra is a good alternative to the usual thriller involving terrorists. The story revolves around the crime syndicates fighting for control with one side funding terrorists to create chaos in the West. The traditional Western crime syndicates, US Mafia, Greeks, French, Italians, Sicilian, Japanese, Chinese, etc. are being targeted by the Russian mobs for control of the criminal activities. The leader of the International Crime Council, Vincent Marelli aka The Wolf, has his wife and daughters killed by terrorists on a domestic flight at the start of a vacation. At the same time, the Russian Mafiya, is targeting the Western members of the International Crime Council for supremacy in the world's criminal activities. They are actively funding a Muslim terrorist to create panic in the West to facilitate their move into the West.The Wolf, organizes the International Crime Council to fight back against the Russian takeover. He leads several crime families in trying to identify the terrorist and stop his planned dramatic attack in Italy. The story primarily revolves around this search for the terrorist. Their are several other side stories taking place revolving around his uncle, cousin, and son and finding the terrorists who killed his wife and daughters. The story involves an old flame from one of the other families in all of these activities. The end of the story reveals a twist in the plot of who planned the attack on his wife and daughters. This twist appears to set up a sequel to the story in that is revealed literally at the end of the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The protagonist is a Mafia Boss that the reader is drawn to despite his very deeply flawed character. The book is fast paced and easy to follow. The ending seems to lead us into the inevitable series that is surely coming.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a little different than my normal read, but I found it interesting. The story is told in a character centric nature that leads to long descriptions of each of the characters that enter into play. This was sometimes distracting and unnecessary since I would have preferred more focus on the most interesting namesake of the book. Despite this, the action was overall fast paced and focused around a war between gangsters and terrorists. A quick and easy read that was overall enjoyable.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a fast-paced thriller that kept my attention all the way to the very end. And left room for a sequel. Although the protagonist is technically a "bad' guy as the leader of Italian organized crime in the US, he is fighting terrorism on a world-scale which makes him a hero for the world. Carcaterra's detail on every facet of the book is remarkable. I'm looking forward to the next "Wolf" novel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Wolf is a name that Mafia boss Vincent Morelli is known as. He oversees an enormous criminal world.He's devastated when an attempted hijacking of an airline plane departing from LA ends in a gunfight. There are two air marshals and a bodyguard on the plane. Gunplay erupts and the terrorists are killed, their mission thwarted but there are civilian casualties, among them, Morelli's wife and two young daughters.He's incensed at the activity of the terrorists and calls a conclave of the most powerful criminal leaders in the world. The International Crime Counsel includes leaders of the Neapolitan crime world, the Camorra Syndicate, the leader of the Japanese crime syndicate and others.Terrorist activities are costing the Crime world millions of dollars and they declare war on the Russian Mob, the terrorist and the Mexican drug lords who have been working together.The break neck speed of the action is sure to raise the blood pressure of most readers. Major characters are murdered and we learn that the Russian Mafia is paying a particular terrorist group to create chaos so the Russian Mob can take over most of the world's crime.Even with the war, Vincent Morellis is easy to sympathise with. He's a loving father who is trying to protect his last living child, his son. He also works with a female leader of the Camorra throne and he and Angela renew a long lasting friendship.I was thrilled with the excitement generated in this novel and found Vincent Morelli to be believable and likable. I couldn't help but root for his success.The writing is also poetic "...I would rather people tremble in my presence than feel comfort in it."There are surprises, traitors and romance with well developed characters. What more could the reader want?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. It is fast paced with something happening on every page. I know that Vincent Marelli aka The Wolf is a bad guy but he is one that you like and root for as is Angela aka the Strega. There was a betrayal in the middle of the book that was a jaw dropper and I was very happy with the ending and now want a book two. I received this from LibraryThing Early Reviewer and I recommend this book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I guess it is not surprising that this reads like a movie plot more than a typical novel, but it kept my interest and I enjoyed the characters. They were often described briefly, but the author gave enough background to make me feel invested in them. I was appreciative of the fact that the protagonists, though unapologetically ruthless criminals, at least wanted to stop terrorists. Perhaps their motives were not entirely altruistic, but at least they wanted to spare mass destruction of innocents. These gangsters did not seem to be involved in human trafficking either, which is always a deal breaker, or should be, when we have to root for the bad guys ( as opposed to worse guys). So, if you are a fan of The Godfather or old Ludlum books, you will probably enjoy this as well, but it is clearly a part one of who knows how many. A copy was provided by Random House, through LibraryThing.com, in exchange for an honest review.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    early reviewer: I didn't finish this book. I read the first 11 chapters and found it to just be dumb. I don't like to waste time in books that don't capture my attention within the first 50 pages. there are too many good books out there to muddle through one like this. it might have changed my review of this if I could have finished it but I would not recommend this book to readers.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a thrilling, high paced, fast action novel encompassed by revenge, when the leader of the Organized Crime Council, Vincent "The Wolf" Marelli's wife and both daughters are flying to New York City when the plane is hijacked by terrorist, marshalls on board try to subdue the situation resulting in the deaths of many including the Marelli family. Vincent meets with an gets the approval of the Organized Crime Council to join forces to fight and battle these terrorist cells head on, the war is more consuming than anyone anticipated.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Wolf, by Lorenzo Carcaterra, has several things I really enjoy in a book. First, the story is interesting, not overly complicated or wordy. Secondly, the author does a good job in telling the story in under 300 pages. His book is set up in sort of a James Patterson style. He had short chapters, doesn’t drag the tale out to 500 plus pages like some authors would. The characters are well defined, easy to picture. The story kept my attention. I think most readers will find this a quick enjoyable read. This is my first read by Lorenzo Carcaterra. It won’t be my last.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Every culture has a “tainted hero”, a person who steps outside of the normal moral or legal boundaries to right a wrong unobtainable through the usual societal channels. Many of them do their task and then disappear, Shane for example, while other remain on the scene, Robin Hood comes to mind. In most cases we can accept what they do as we see a positive outcome as a result of their actions. Author Carcaterra offers us a hero far beyond tainted. A gangster, a murderer the apex crime syndicate boss. Vincent Morelli by name, the Wolf brags about owning each and everyone on the planet, his crime tentacles are so extensive and deeply sunk. Almost every dollar spent in the world provides some portion to his bank accounts. Tragedy has struck him, however: his wife and daughter were killed in an aircraft explosion that Morelli is convinced was actually aimed at him.We are offered a redeeming feature - he calls for war against terrorists as the authors of his tragedy and as possible threats to his vast crime empire. In this book the Wolf tracks down a well-known terrorist bomber named Raza who, as the plot would have it, is being financed by the Russian Mafya. Finding that Raza has been making his bombs bigger each time in a plan to become the best known and most feared bomber, The Wolf turns his attention to disrupting Raza’s plans, killing him and foiling the Russians. The planning, preparation and liaising between criminal groups for each step is done behind the scenes. The reader is simply presented with the fait accompli. The culminating action/step takes place and the chapter ends. It is almost as thought the story could have been simply “The Wolf was damaged, he gathered the crime bosses from around the world, declared war on terrorists and killed a number of people one of whom was a bomber who was not the killer of his wife and children. The next book will be out in a year.”
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I'd almost given up on this one. In fact, I'd all but forgotten about it when it showed up on my doorstep.This isn't a book that I would normally choose to read, but when I saw it in the Early Reveiwer's selection, for some reason it interested me. I've been reading some of Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder novels of late, and perhaps that is what got me in the mood to read a book with the bad guy as the hero.Carcaterra's The Wolf is one of the better offerings in the genre (sub-genre?). I read it in slightly more than twenty-four hours, with time out to sleep and work. I enjoyed the book, but I had a difficult time fully immersing myself in the story. For one, I found it very difficult to swallow the fact that a character with such intelligence, who professed such a deep love for his wife and children, would be part of an enterprise that puts drugs and guns into the hands of children.For another, much of the action happens behind the scenes. Yes, there are occasional fights and car chases. But the story is told almost entirely from the protagonist’s vantage point, and most of what the reader “sees” is his thoughts and emotions, his direct actions. Large parts of the action, the reader is informed of in a sort of offhand manner – halfway ‘round the world, the protagonist’s allies successfully carried out a part of his grand plan, and we discover this as part of his ruminations or as he is informed of it via a phone call or a message from a subordinate. I found this aspect of the story a bit unusual for a thriller.There was much to like about the book. I did find myself liking the protagonist for the most part, despite my feeling that he was something of an anti-hero, and one that didn’t entirely engage my admiration. I enjoyed the scenes with his son, and many of his cohorts; the interpersonal relationships were engaging. I found the scenes covering Jimmy’s betrayal unsatisfying. For one, it felt to me like the author picked the character of Jimmy as the turncoat simply because nobody would ever suspect the guy who couldn’t speak and who could barely move. And while this is obviously a work of fiction, the way that whole scene played out was implausible to me. Jimmy’s father, Vincent’s uncle, patriarch of a vast criminal empire, spares Jimmy’s life and forfeits his own just because Jimmy promises not to do it again? Ummm- I don’t think so.All in all, I did enjoy the book, but not enough to check out any of Carcaterra’s other offerings. It wasn’t a bad book; it was, in fact, well-written for the most part. But not quite my cup of tea, I suppose.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not since The Godfather has there been a mobster who’s as much fun to root for as Vincent Marelli, aka “The Wolf”. I heard about a lot of buzz coming out of 2014’s Book Expo America about The Wolf by Lorenzo Carcaterra. I was thrilled to be able to get my hands on a copy and more thrilled once I started reading it. This book packs a punch both literally and figuratively.Carcaterra describes a mob that’s a lot more modern than other versions, from Mario’s Puzzo’s mob to more recent incarnations like the Sopranos. This is a high-tech version that operates not so much in the shadows, but from behind so many legitimate fronts that they are hidden in plain sight. What this mob shares with its literary predecessors though is absolute ruthlessness and iron will.After his wife and daughters are killed in a terrorist attack, “The Wolf” is galvanized to protect his son and take action to lead all of the various world mafia organizations in an attack on international terrorism. Not just to punish them, but to bring them to their knees. These organizations are motivated not by any sort of altruistic feelings, but by the long-term threat to their bottom line posed by terrorism.Vincent Marelli is a character you can both admire and fear. None of the characters on either side of the conflict are pushovers. Marelli has the tacit support of most of the world’s criminal organizations, but it’s clear that support is shallow and could disappear if Marelli’s will weakens or results are not forthcoming. He is going up against terrorists with no scruples about civilian casualties. The Wolf and his associates have those scruples, but they are otherwise unshackled from the rules of engagement that sovereign nations and law enforcement alike are bound by. The result is both a cat and mouse game and a ruthless battle.The pace never slackens from the beginning to the end of this novel. Along with his terrorist nemesis, Marelli must battle betrayal within his own organization as well. This book is well written; there is not a wasted word. Carcaterra ties up the story nicely, but leaves plenty to be explored in hoped for sequels. If you like crime novels, mob stories, or just a good thoughtful action thriller, pick up this book. Highly recommended.I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.