The Leonardo Gulag

2020 Foreword INDIES GOLD Winner for Thriller & Suspense​

A journey into the sinister heart of Stalin’s regime of terror, where paranoia reigns and no one is safe

Stalin’s Russia, 1950. Brilliant young artist Pasha Kalmenov is arrested and sent without trial to a forced-labor camp in the Arctic gulag. This is a camp like no other. Although conditions are harsh and degrading, the prisoners are not to be worked to death in a coal mine or on a construction project. Their task is to forge the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci. There is a high price to be paid for failing to reach the required standard of perfection; particularly as the camp commandant has his own secret agenda. When the executions begin, Pasha realizes that only his artistic talent can protect him. But for how long? Worse horrors are to come—if he survives them, will life still be worth living?

The Leonardo Gulag journeys to the sinister heart of Stalin’s regime of terror, where paranoia reigns and no one is safe, and in which the whims of one man determine the fate of millions. Ultimately, the novel presents a moving portrait of the indomitability of the human spirit.

Perfect for fans who love the artistry of Daniel Silva and the passion of Greg Iles

Kevin Doherty grew up in Northern Ireland, graduated from Queen’s University Belfast, and lives in England, near Windsor Castle, with his wife, Roz. His professional background is advertising and marketing. He has worked for a number of U.K. and international companies and has advised business and government agencies in Britain and Europe. He now writes full time and The Leonardo Gulag is his fourth novel.