Don't Get Involved

Ukraine, 2001
Three street-kids
A Mafia hitman
A deadly chase

Dima, Alyona and Sasha, three street-kids with nothing but each other, stumble on a holdall full of cocaine. This could be it. A way out. The dreams they'd had of a different life, as they lay huddled in the abandoned building that they called home, could become their reality. Sell the drugs. Take the money. Leave. It was as easy as that.

Leonid, a Mafia hit man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, is sent to retrieve the cocaine and dispose of the children. Failure isn't an option. He will pursue them to the end.

Nadia, a naive expat who is looking for a new beginning, befriends the children. In her own way she tries to help. Some food, clothes, compassion.

As their paths get tangled up, in the biting cold of a ferocious winter in Kyiv, all of them will need to find more strength and courage than they ever imagined they had if they are to survive.

What do you call on when you have nothing left to give?

What they are saying about Don't Get Involved

“The street kids the story speaks of can't help but grip you, heart breaking but at the same time heart warming, you can't not love and become embroiled into their lives. Its compelling, engaging and at times quite poignant and I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kiev with these kids. Highly Recommended” Alex J Book Reviews

“An atmospheric read with some beautiful scenes making me feel like I am in the story. I have to admit I have never read a book like this one before. There is something really mesmerising about this story. Along with the crime, the author takes us on an emotional roller-coaster with scenes that pulled on my heartstrings. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it most certainly won't be the last.” Baker's Not So Secret Blog

“The streets of Kyiv come alive with vivid imagery and the story is raw, sensitive and compelling.” Waggy Tales Blog

“Dark and gritty, providing an insight into the hidden aspects of society that most of us are fortunate enough to not ever have to experience. Curlew does a fantastic job of painting a picture of the city.” Books & Beyond

“Curlew certainly knows how to draw the reader in and keep them engrossed. I had my heart in my mouth as the story unfolded. Don’t get Involved packs so much into its pages, we have crime, its thrilling, full of compassion, and makes for one hell of a read, taking you on a roller-coaster of emotions.” Lost In The Land Of Books

“The writing style is top-notch, immersive, atmospheric, and full of emotion. This is not a book to leave you with a smile on your face but with hope in your heart that even on the hardest winters there is room to dream and to believe in magic.” Miss Known

“Don't Get Involved grabbed my attention and I found it very difficult to put down, reading it in one sitting. It's a dark and often tense novel, written in a manner that I found very involving with short and snappy sentences charged with detail that drew me right in to the culture of Kyiv.” Book Drunk

“A fantastic thriller with a beautiful insight into Ukraine and in particular Kyiv as a city, its culture and beauty really sing though the pages of this story.” Books & Emma

“Wow, what a read! A really well written tale of hope when you feel like despairing.” The Divine Write

Fiona was the winner of the Federation of Writers (Scotland) short story competition, 2023. She is a Scottish writer who spent fifteen years teaching in international schools, predominantly in Eastern Europe, before becoming ill and having to return home. Not one to remain idle, she turned to the Open University where she studied creative writing, completing both courses with distinction, and discovering a new passion. She has since written five books, four under the pen name of F J Curlew, but she has now reverted to using her given name of Fiona Curnow.