Primordial Evil

In the early 1980s, a gang of serial killers appears in Kazakhstan’s largest regional center—Karaganda. It became known as the "Wolf Pack," and its cruelty terrifies the entire city. Although the novel is entirely a work of fiction, its basis includes real stages of the case of the famous "Wolf Pack"…

Azat Battakov’s book "Primary Evil" is an excellent example of a detective story, but not a classic one—rather a distinctive blend filled with Scandinavian gloom, a Soviet flavor, and the aroma of Kazakhstan’s steppe. The book features vivid characters, a powerful antagonist mystically captivating with his animal cruelty, numerous mysteries and false leads—and, most importantly, a plot you want to follow and figure out. I think this book can spark interest not only among people who track the best new releases of Kazakhstani literature, but among a wide circle of readers as well.” Ilya Odegov, writer, laureate of the "Russian Prize"