by Victor Malarek
Published by Freisen Press
July 4, 2024
288 pages
ISBN-13 978-1038313942
Review by Lesia Shipowick
At the heart of Putin’s Assassin is Matt Kozar, a compelling and fearless protagonist whose journey feels especially timely in today’s volatile political landscape. Readers may remember Matt from Victor Malarek’s earlier novel Wheat Shaft, where he exposed a shadowy network profiting from food aid corruption — an investigation that nearly cost him his life. After surviving a near-fatal shooting, Matt returns to the New York Tribune a year later, hungry for his next big story to unravel.
Though Putin’s Assassin is fiction, its themes and scenarios echo real-world events with chilling authenticity. Matt’s latest assignment begins when he overhears a reporter discussing the Russian invasion of Ukraine — a moment that reawakens a dormant part of his identity.
As a fourth-generation Ukrainian Canadian, Matt had never strongly identified with his roots. ‘Ukrainianism,’ as he viewed it, belonged to older generations. But the brutal attack on Ukraine stirs something deeper. When he hears an impassioned speech by U.S. Senator William Bradford denouncing Vladimir Putin’s regime, Kozar feels compelled to act. Defying his editor, he travels to Ukraine to witness the reality on the ground.
In Bucha, Matt sees firsthand the unspeakable atrocities committed by Russian forces. These experiences don’t just fuel his outrage; they awaken a profound sense of responsibility, transforming his professional mission into a personal crusade. His heritage, once abstract, becomes a source of clarity and strength. Through his reporting, he exposes these crimes to the world, his articles splashed across the front page of the Tribune.
Upon returning to New York, Kozar is shocked to learn that Senator Bradford has been arrested and charged with the murder of his intern. The senator’s outlandish claim — that he’s been framed by the Kremlin — seems implausible at first. But for Matt, who has just come from the chaos of war, the idea isn’t far-fetched. As he begins to investigate, with the help of his forensics-expert girlfriend Mei, what emerges is a dangerous web of political manipulation, misinformation, and international conspiracy. The investigation is no longer just professional; it becomes deeply personal as he is driven by his fearlessness and determination to expose the truth.
Matt is a character the reader can root for; a fictional voice rooted in truth. He reflects the core mission behind Malarek’s writing — to hold the powerful to account and give voice to those who have none. Victor Malarek uses Matt Kozar not only to tell a gripping story, but also to illuminate injustices that many would otherwise never know about, presenting complex issues in a compelling and accessible way. Through this fast-paced political thriller, Malarek explores how those in power manipulate truth and silence dissent. Putin’s Assassin reveals the human cost of unchecked authority and the courage it takes to challenge it.
A note about the author…
Victor Malarek is a veteran journalist with a career spanning over four decades. He’s known for his hard-hitting investigative work, including his time as a reporter for The Globe and Mail where he received an unprecedented three Michener Awards for commendable public service journalism. He later joined CBC as a co-host of the Fifth Estate, earning a Gemini Award in 1997 as Canada’s top broadcast journalist, and a fourth Michener Award in 2000. A decade later, he joined CTV’s W5 as its senior investigative reporter where his documentaries won four Canadian Screen Awards. In his 27 years in television, he has worked on more than 325 investigative documentaries and even inspired two films based on his life and investigative reporting. He retired in 2017 though retirement seems to be a very loose term as he has written six books during this time.
