Out in the Cold: An Alex Martel Thriller

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. (Nov.)