Gray Shadows

Russian Bodyguard, Book 1

By: Julia Gousseva

Narrated by: Jack de Golia

They live a life of danger, sacrifice, and bravery. They die saving others but get no fame, no medals, and no solemn ceremonies. They are…

Gray Shadows.

Nikolai, a bodyguard in the prestigious Centurion Personal Protection agency, is injured in the line of duty. While recovering from his injuries, he is assigned to a new client. An easy case, his boss tells him.

Nikolai travels to a small quiet town north of Siberia to provide protection for a young woman, on her dad’s request. At first, both Nikolai and his boss see the assignment as a whim of a rich overprotective father. But the more Nikolai learns about the town, the oil company that the young woman is working for, and the people involved, the more he encounters secrets, suspicious behaviors, lies, and threats. In an unexpected and frightening course of events, Nikolai’s easy assignment becomes one of the toughest and the most dangerous.

©2014 Julia Gousseva (P)2014 Julia Gousseva

An Intriguing Thriller!

Where does Gray Shadows rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's honestly the first audiobook I've ever listened to, but I still have to say I was very impressed.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, there were plenty of twists and unexpected outcomes!

Which character – as performed by Jack de Golia – was your favorite?

Nikolai was definitely my favorite.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It kept me enthralled as I wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Any additional comments?

Overall, this was a really well-written and intriguing thriller. The narrator did a great job conveying the story, and I enjoyed how he spoke with a Russian accent when reading the dialogue. It made the book come to life.

Pleasant and illuminating

So I had this new year's resolution: "You're too busy, don't you dare pick up any new audiobooks in January!" Well, I failed miserably. This book was the reason - and it was totally worth it.

It's a pretty straightforward detective story about a bodyguard and his charge. The bodyguard is truly likeable as a character and the story flows nicely, but what I really appreciated was how Julia Gousseva showed me bodyguards in a completely new light. As an eastern-bloc European I'm also very glad to have read a bit about the situation after the fall of the communist regime. I was only a little girl, but now I can understand some things better. Like, why when my dad visited Russia in that time, he brought back photos in which he had a bodyguard... with a Kalashnikov.

Jack de Golia's narration for Gray Shadows is great. He does not hurry and he can pronounce the Russian names quite credibly. That does not always happen, Slavic languages are not easy for people :)

My advice: Give this a listen, even if it means breaking your own new year's resolutions. I'm totally looking forward to another of Nikolai's adventures.


I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher. Thank you so very much, Julia!

Should Not Have Read This in Winter!

Would you listen to Gray Shadows again? Why?

Yes. All those descriptions of the northern Russian climate chilled me to the bone! Fortunately, I had a great story to keep me warm.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Nikolai is a believable character in his role as bodyguard in each of: his actions, his dialogue, and his thought processes. I learned a lot about the mindset of such a person/ career & I believe I'll see these types of character with more clarity from now on. The storyline, meanwhile, is quick and poignant with just the right touch of twisting of our expectations when the ending comes (not too contrived as I’ve seen done before), and not so predictable as will make an ending boring. A very healthy balance, and an overall enjoyable read. Very much worth my few bucks. Will definitely continue this series.

Check it out

If you like books with action and a good plot check this one out. The main character is awesome and he knows what he is doing it. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Hot Fast-Paced Action in Cold Climate

A great action thriller with a Russian twist that adds great element to the listen.
Traveling from a cold location to a miserably cold location, Nikolai is former military now working as a professional body guard is working what should be an easy but nothing is easy. The action begins when the plane lands in sub-zero cold in an industrial community and does not stop until a totally unexpected ending.
I really liked the length of the listen a little shorter than some but it kept the action from wearing you out.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Perfect for Audio, exciting listen

Fast paced, excitement all the way, you won't want to stop listening to this story.
Wonderful evocative writing, listening to the narrator describing the Siberian landscape is enough to make you shiver with the coldness!
Twists and plots galore, with a great ending.
Narration
Jack de Golia was the perfect choice, he has that wonderful noir, gangster edge to his voice, his characterisations, rythymn and tone brought much enjoyment to the listening experience.
This book is perfect for audio

North of Siberia there is crime, too!

action/adventure, suspense, murder, assassins, Russia, Siberia, relationships, thriller

Fast paced suspense with lots of twists and turns. Written by a Russian expat now living in the US. The protagonist is former military living in Moscow and working as a bodyguard. He is good at detection and investigation,and has a healthy sense of paranoia. This does not endear him to his girlfriend, however. The publisher's blurb gives hints and there is no need for spoilers. I really enjoyed this small view into life in post cold war Russia.
Jack De Golia does a great job of approximating a Russian accent without making it too difficult for most to understand. Excellent work!
I requested and received a free review copy from the publisher, author, or narrator courtesy of AudioBookBOOM.

Great narration for a great story!

Would you consider the audio edition of Gray Shadows to be better than the print version?

YES! the narrator, Jack de Golia really brought the story to life with his interpretation of the characters. pronunciation of the names, dialects and story telling skills.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gray Shadows?

With there being several, I think without giving it away, one of the best is the ending.

What does Jack de Golia bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Theater of the mind. You can picture the scenes in your minds eye with Jacks' narration, voice over and theatrical skills.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Jack keep me interested the whole time. I listened to the whole book in one sitting with just 2 short breaks.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to listen to another one of Jack de Galia's narrations; What an excellent story teller!

Interesting Read

I received this audio book for free and am freely giving my unbiased review,

Fun to listen to this Russian escapade and had me fooled right to the end. Good read!













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For those who love Russian-themed thrillers

What did you love best about Gray Shadows?

Nokolai has been assigned to guard twenty-two year old, spoiled socialite, Natalya. Of course, when he arrives on the scene, nothing is as it seems. With the rich Russian culture we've come to expect from this author, Gray Shadows is proof of her maturity as an author. Each book gets better and deeper. 5 stars.