by Ted Bell
Part of Alexander Hawke, book 10
First published 2018
Alex Hawke watches in horror as flames consume the cable car carrying him and his son Alexei up a mountain above St. Moritz. A helicopter swoops in and snatches the boy from the wreckage before Hawke can reach him. The kidnappers disappear without a trace. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin escapes a coup attempt in Moscow only to face new danger aboard his presidential aircraft. When flight attendants collapse from poison, Putin kills the pilots and parachutes into the night. Hawke assembles his most trusted allies to hunt for his son: Scotland Yard's Ambrose Congreve, former Navy SEAL Stokley Jones Jr., and the elite mercenary unit Thunder & Lightning. The search leads them to Putin, who has taken refuge in Falcon's Lair, Hitler's former mountain fortress. There the Russian president stockpiles weapons for his planned return to power. Hawke must navigate a web of old enemies and new threats to rescue Alexei and stop Putin's bid for domination.
Genres: adventure, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, rescue-mission
Setting: St. Moritz, Falcon's Lair
Period: contemporary
487 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: kidnapping, violence