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From Publishers Weekly

In bestseller Bell's rousing fifth thriller (after Spy), Alex Hawke fights the leaders of a new and invigorated Russia, where Vladimir Putin has been locked up in a lethal prison built over a massive radioactive waste site. Evil mastermind Count Ivan Korsakov (aka the Dark Rider) is determined to return Mother Russia to her rightful place in the world order by reacquiring her former colonies, after which he intends to conquer Europe and reign as the new tsar. The only thing standing in his way is Hawke, who, as series fans well know, is more than up to the task of thwarting those who try to take over the globe. Life throws Hawke a curve when he finds himself falling in love with the astoundingly beautiful Anastasia, who just happens to be Korsakov's daughter. As always, Bell pulls out all the stops with terrific action scenes, fiendish murders, diabolical villains, dramatic rescues and all the cool weaponry the reader could possibly hope for. (Sept.)
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From

The hero of Ted Bell’s spy series, Alex Hawke, battles treachery and love in his fifth adventure. Recuperating in Bermuda from the major injuries he received in Spy (2006), Alex is lounging on a beach when a ravishing beauty appears. His heart flutters, and he is smitten. She is the daughter of the ruthless power broker in the new Russia—a man who wants to destroy the U.S. and become the next tsar. In the meantime, a sadistic killer in the heartland of America unleashes his wrath, and a small town pays the price. Now Hawke must put aside his feelings for his new love and (once again) save the world. One subplot too many and the overplayed cliché of every woman in the novel being drop-dead gorgeous get in the way here, but even so, the main narrative flies by, displaying again Bell’s ability to turn out action-heavy espionage. --Jeff Ayers