by Ted Bell
Part of Alexander Hawke, book 9
First published 2015
Lord Alexander Hawke receives his assignment in the Gulf of Aden as tensions escalate across Eastern Europe. The MI6 officer discovers that spies are being murdered in cities from London to Moscow to the French Riviera. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has authorized the downing of a passenger jet filled with civilians headed to China. The Russian leader possesses a revolutionary weapon developed by Kremlin scientists that could transform warfare forever. NATO forces maintain their positions around Ukraine, Poland, and Estonia, knowing Putin will deploy his new technology without hesitation. Hawke must connect the scattered assassinations to Putin's larger scheme before the Russian president can redraw Europe's borders. As the body count rises from Washington D.C. to Maine, Hawke operates in a shadow world where counterterrorism and international politics collide. The fate of global stability rests on his ability to stop Putin's ambitions.
Genres: military-fiction, action, espionage, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, international-intrigue
Setting: Gulf of Aden, London, Moscow, French Riviera, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, Washington D.C., Maine
Period: 21st-century
529 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence