Radically controversial and publicly reclusive author Dani Dubré offers up her latest novel in the thriller genre, once again exposing the underbelly of political power, and the evil machinations that drive it. "Whore of Madness" begins in 1961, and centers around Svetlana Dobrovya, a young Russian girl who falls in love with an American and inadvertently gets involved in a global alternative oil conspiracy. Caught up in KGB crossfire, Svetlana is kidnapped and sent to a "reorientation camp" where she was brutalized, then trained as a sexpionage agent.

Whore of Madness

The “Whore of Madness” takes places just prior to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1988.  It shows the full scope of paranoia and cruelty that overtook the KGB.  It is a fast-paced political thriller full of murder, sexpionage, manipulation and intrigue. 

The story actually begins in 1961 when Svetlana Dobrovya visits Germany with her father and meets and falls in love with the married American, Kenneth Godwin.  He is actually part of a conspiracy to free a scientist working on a project for a synthetic fuel process.  Whoever holds this process in their hands will control the world’s economy.  Svetlana and her father get caught in the crossfire of the covert abduction of this scientist and are caught by the KGB.  Svetlana’s father is murdered and she is sent to a special sexpionage school where she is brutally raped, tortured and broken until she is turned into a machine.  Svetlana excels at her job and is known as the “Premiere Bitch of the Soviet Union – the most efficient and deadly sexpionage agent.” 

Fast forward to 1988 and Svetlana’s story where she writes “These are the events of 1988, written as they occurred, when none of us knew we were serving as the catalyst for the hoax of the century – the downfall of Soviet Communism and the retreat of its KGB terror machine.”  And what a terror machine it was.  Dubre does an excellent job of capturing the paranoia and cruel schemes of the KGB, with an observant CIA watching.  The main KGB character, Major General Vladimir Bukorov, has a plan to overthrow Gorbachev and save the communist state.  To do this, he has to get his hands on the synthetic oil process so that the Soviet Union will no longer be dependent on the Middle East or Western countries for oil.  This leads to murder, kidnapping and intrigue on several continents. 

Dani Dubre effectively delivers a fast-paced thriller that reflects the total lack of regard that the KGB had for human life.  I learned so much about the time period of the fall of the Soviet Union and the political maneuverings going on behind the scene.  The last chapter brings us up to date with life in the present day.  “The Whore of Madness” is a great read to for anyone who enjoys a good political thriller.