The Obsidian Wolf: A Calling Card of Vengeance in Killers of a Certain Age
What Is the Obsidian Wolf?
The obsidian wolf is a small, crude figurine carved from black volcanic glass. It appears at crime scenes as a deliberate calling card, left to announce that the Lazarov family’s vengeance is being enacted. The wolf is inscribed on its belly with Cyrillic characters that stand for Boris Lazarov’s initials, because the name “Boris” means “wolf” in Russian. The object is both a threat and a signature, tying every murder to the original 1979 assassination of Boris Lazarov by Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie.
Where the Obsidian Wolf Appears
The wolf surfaces at three critical moments in the story:
- At Lilian Flanders’s home on Mount Desert, Maine – The retired Provenance agent who supplied intelligence for the Boris Lazarov hit is suffocated, and the obsidian wolf is found clutched in her hand. This is the first sign that the Museum’s old enemy is back.
- On Pasha Lazarov’s yacht – During their briefing, the women learn that Pasha’s yacht bears the same obsidian wolf symbol, confirming his role in the revenge plot.
- On the doorstep of Benscombe – After the team survives the ship mission and kills Pasha, Helen’s house is burned down. The fire brigade discovers an identical obsidian wolf on the doorstep, proving that another Lazarov is still active—namely, Pasha’s sister Galina.
In each recurrence, the wolf signals that the assassin is one step ahead, deliberately leaving a traceable emblem to taunt the women.
How the Meaning of the Wolf Changes
Initially, the wolf appears to be a straightforward symbol of Pasha Lazarov’s filial revenge. Naomi Ndiaye explains that Lilian Flanders was killed “because somebody is settling the score” for Boris. The wolf with Boris’s initials suggests a son avenging his father.
After Pasha is killed, the wolf reappears at Benscombe. That moment shifts its meaning: the symbol no longer belongs to Pasha alone but to the entire Lazarov family vendetta. Billie realizes they “had assumed the threat was Pasha, but the wolf at Benscombe showed there was another.” The wolf becomes a mark of Galina Lazarov, the supposedly dead daughter who has been secretly alive and running the family’s criminal enterprise. The same crude carving that once seemed like a son’s tribute now reads as a cold, calculated message from a woman who has been underestimated for decades.
By the end, the wolf stands for the cyclical nature of revenge—how one killing begets another—and for the women’s own hard-won understanding that they are not merely targets but survivors who can outlast any hunter.
Character Connections to the Obsidian Wolf
- Billie Webster – She is the first to recognize the wolf as a calling card and to interpret the Cyrillic initials. Her instinct to pocket Pasha’s diary (against protocol) leads to the clue that uncovers Galina.
- Helen – Her home Benscombe is destroyed because of the wolf’s message. She refuses to accept the official narrative of accidental fire and insists on the truth.
- Mary Alice Tuttle – She finds the cut padlock on the shed, confirming the arson was deliberate. Her careful observation connects the physical evidence to the symbolic threat.
- Natalie Schuyler – She initially hesitates to target Pasha because of his teddy bear photo, but the obsidian wolf on his yacht convinces her he is dangerous.
- Naomi Ndiaye – She delivers the first wolf evidence, linking the present danger to the team’s past mission.
- Galina Lazarov – She is the ultimate wielder of the wolf symbol, using it to announce that she, not her brother, is the true heir to Boris’s vendetta.
Theme Connections
The obsidian wolf ties directly to several key themes in the novel:
| Theme | How the Wolf Relates |
|---|---|
| Aging and Competence | The women are dismissed as “past it” by younger operatives, yet they decode the wolf’s meaning and counter its threat. |
| Loyalty and Chosen Family | The wolf targets each woman personally, but their loyalty to one another turns a lone symbol into a shared problem they solve together. |
| Deception and Disguise | The wolf is a false clue pointing to a dead son, hiding the true avenger—Galina. |
| Revenge and Justice | The wolf represents the Lazarov family’s refusal to let the past die, mirroring the women’s own moral code of finishing what they start. |
| Art and Legacy | The crude carving contrasts with the fine art (the Leda painting) that the women recover. The wolf is the legacy of violence; the painting is the legacy of civilization they choose to preserve. |
Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the literal purpose of the obsidian wolf figurine?
It is a calling card left at murder scenes to announce that the killing is an act of vengeance for Boris Lazarov’s death. The Cyrillic initials carved into the belly identify the revenge as Lazarov family business.
2. How does the wolf’s meaning shift after the team kills Pasha Lazarov?
Before Pasha’s death, the wolf suggests he is the sole avenger. After his death, the wolf appears at Benscombe, proving that Galina Lazarov—Pasha’s supposedly dead sister—is the real threat. The symbol expands from one individual’s vengeance to a family legacy.
3. Why is the obsidian wolf an effective symbol for the Lazarov family?
The wolf links to Boris’s name, taunts the assassins by reminding them of their first hit, and is made of obsidian—a stone associated with sharpness and darkness. Its crudeness suggests raw, unpolished rage, contrasting with the Museum’s sophisticated operations.
4. What does the wolf reveal about the relationship between the women and the Museum?
The wolf shows that the Museum’s security has been breached (files accessed) and that the organization is no longer a safe haven. The women must rely on their own skills and bonds—not institutional support—to survive, reinforcing the theme of chosen family over bureaucratic loyalty.