You do not have
a future if you do not stay alive now.
It is the early 90s and Frank Cardova, his wife, Maryann, and his daughter, Theresa, have become targets of an associate of the Vory, Russian thieves under the code working for a foreign intelligence operative. They turn for help to Charlemagne, the premier freelance specialist team used by western governments for black operations conducted without fingerprints.
The team, or rather its leader’s wife, Alex, has another agenda
concerning Theresa, whose long-ago act of mercy has been twisted
into a grudge by its recipient, a childhood friend turned vory
killer. Alex hopes Theresa’s past attraction for her stepson will
re-ignite. But first, her husband and his team must save Theresa’s
life.
As Charlemagne struggles to eliminate the threat to Frank and his family, the team uncovers evidence that this intersection of crime and intelligence threatens one of their own and perhaps the team’s very existence.
How many of their own lives will it cost Charlemagne to rescue
Frank’s family?
Vory is the sixth novel in K.A. Bachus’s fast-paced Charlemagne Files series chronicling the lives of a team of deadly Cold War intelligence operatives over three decades.
Seven Days, Page 32: Short Takes on Five Vermont Books, March 8, 2023
Vory
But it was too late.
Authors sometimes suggest their own page 32 sentences when they send us their books, and K.A. Bachus' choice was spot-on. The Burlington-area author — and U.S. Air Force veteran and retired criminal defense attorney — also noted in a 2021 letter to Seven Days that "I have not yet set a book in Vermont partly because ... I hesitate to place my dangerous characters in so nice a location."
"Dangerous" is putting it mildly. Vory — a Russian term for organized thieves — is the sixth book in Bachus' fast-paced series The Charlemagne Files, which follows a multinational team of deadly intelligence operatives. Set in the early 1990s, Vory opens with a man on a revenge mission teaming up with the titular crime organization to target the daughter of a member of Charlemagne. He doesn't last long, but the operation puts the team on the trail of a bigger threat.
Given the characters' complicated web of professional and personal relationships, Bachus' series is probably best read from the beginning. The Charlemagne Files now boasts nine volumes, for anyone seeking a hard-boiled spy binge.
— M.H.
"Fans of crime drama or action-packed thrillers are in for a treat with Vory. K.A. Bachus' book begins with a bang and continues to entertain with its fast-paced plot until the finish line. Akin to Guy Ritchie movies, the narrative is uber-stylish, with a dialogue-driven story full of characters who leap off the pages with their vibrant and distinct personalities. Despite the multiple POV cast, Bachus ensures each of the characters has their share of page time to make their impact felt by the reader. The book also functions perfectly well as a standalone. Overall, I very much enjoyed Vory and recommend it to lovers of crime drama thrillers." - Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite