Out in the Cold
An Alex Martel Thriller
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Special Agent Alex Martel is thrown back into a deadly world of deception when a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III in this action-packed thriller.
While sailing across the Mediterranean, the megayacht Aurora is rocked with explosions, taken under siege by unknown assailants. On board are some of Europe’s wealthiest and most powerful political players, including the secretary general of Interpol, a high-ranking Finnish diplomat, and Special Agent Alex Martel—whose lethal sniper skills kick in to bring them safely to shore.
Someone is waging a ruthless campaign of attacks against Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, in an attempt to throw the Alliance into turmoil. Teaming back up with CIA agent Caleb, Alex is thrust into the middle of the fray, pursuing the villains from the waters off of Monaco to the Baltic Sea and home to American soil.
As the US is pulled deeper into the conflict, a global catastrophe seems inevitable. But who is really responsible for these escalating attacks on Finland? The Russians, or someone much closer to home? As new allies surface and old enemies reappear, Alex has no way of knowing who to trust—and she might only have one last shot to keep the world from going to war.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Urszenyi's shaky second outing for former Army sniper Alex Martel (after A Perfect Shot) fails to build on the success of its predecessor. After saving Paris from nuclear devastation, Alex is celebrating on the yacht of billionaire Valtteri Lehtonen, a friend of Alex's former boss at Interpol, when the vessel is attacked by mercenaries. After Alex and her CIA partner, Caleb Copeland, fend off the attackers, the CIA links the assault to a series of calamities in Finland, including electrical blackouts, oil spills off the coast, and infrastructure sabotage. Initial signs point to Russia retaliating against Finland's decision to join NATO, but evidence soon emerges linking the incidents to a deep-state conspiracy led by a U.S. senator and perhaps the president himself. As Alex unravels that scheme, Urszenyi enlivens the proceedings with a lovable set of supporting characters—especially deputy CIA director Kadeisha Thomas. Though Alex is a formidable addition to the pantheon of kick-ass heroines of military thrillers, Urszenyi underserves her and the rest of the cast with a baggy story that devolves into a limp gunfight in a conference room. Readers will hope the next installment is a return to form.