Book review of Out In The Cold by Steve Urszenyi
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Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this early release.

I loved this book because it's a thriller, with the espionage theme, but mostly because @steveurszenyi has a badass woman in it.

This is out 11/12/2024, so make sure you grab it.

Alex Martel is our heroine and we find her on a yacht in the Mediterranean with her old boss, secretary general of Interpol and her boyfriend as well as a special guest, a diplomat from Finland. When an explosion happens and the yacht is attacked by masked gunmen, Alex uses everything she's got to get them to shore safely. After this, another attempt on her old boss's life and an attempt on Alex's life, while trying to figure out what is happening with her old boss! With the US blaming Russia for escalating issues against Finland, Alex and CIA agent Caleb Copeland are a race to get to the bottom of it all before World War 3 breaks out!
This one is fast paced and keeps you guessing.
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"Out in the Cold" by Steve Urszenyi features Alexandra Martel in her second appearance. The first book in the series was "Perfect Shot" and was it exciting! I was pleasantly surprised to find that "Out in the Cold" is even more exciting.

Alex has skills-- shooting, hand-to-hand combat, you name it. The other characters seem in awe of her. As they should! Even the secret alphabet-soup organizations of the world admire her abilities-- even the one that fired her for committing some petty (to her) infraction.

In this book, someone is trying to start a war and have it blamed on someone else. Alex and her co-worker/secret crush Caleb get into all kinds of life-threatening situations, as do their friends. Who will live to tell the tale? And, also important, will they learn who's putting the world at risk and put a stop to it?

I thought I recognized some of the American political figures in this book. Even if I'm wrong, the characters had some recognizable behaviors that gave me a good laugh in between the periods where I was holding my breath in fear.

I could not put this book down. It sped by as I told myself, "Just one more chapter!" I hope the next Alex Martel installment will appear soon.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. This is my honest review.

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! Good book! This book had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, action packed, a good who done it and a decent storyline! I would recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Wow! This book is not short on action by any means. This was my first Alexandra Martel novel and I was blown away by this woman who faced down each threat that came her way. I love books about strong capable women and this book certainly fits that mold. Great story with twists, turns, and amazing outfits. Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

What a political thriller! It was as if I were reading headlines from the New York Post…worrying about the outcome until the end. Alex Martel is the real deal, and I cannot wait for more stories about her exploits. I received an ARC from NetGalley, and the opinions expressed are my own.

This is scary book as this could be happing here and Now! The powerful men who we think care about us really are POWER hungry! Not always are things as they seem.

I liked this book overall. It had action and a good storyline. The only things I didn’t like is making it seem as if Caleb is less competent than Alex just to support the writers theme that women are always discriminated against even though they are just as capable, which I believe they are. However, it keeps being beaten over the head with that narrative all through the story, and it gets old. I reiterate though that I did like this book overall.

Wow! Another great book from Steve Urszenyi.

I enjoyed Perfect Shot and wasn't sure this could compare. Boy was I wrong.

I've now recommended this author to my book club!

If you want an alphabet of American Agencies, who have people with loads more letters in front of their names, plus in depth descriptions of military tools then this is the book for you! Character depth was sadly lacking though.

Alex Martel is on a yacht with her friend and mentor Celeste Cliquot, also on board is Valtteri Lehtonen a FInnish businessman and Celeste's lover. Alex also catches a glimpse of the Finnish Ambassador to NATO. They are attacked by Afghan mercenaries, in an action packed chapter, all hell breaks out!

I found the writing a little stilted, and just strange! In one paragraph it mentions Alex is going for some grub and she is wearing a Rolex Submariner watch?? It read very awkwardly in parts.

Not many characters you actually liked/sympathised with.

Story was OK but nothing special

The author has created an excellent action thriller that makes up for the lack of depth in the characters by providing a plot that keeps the reader engaged.

While Steve Urszenyi's new thriller "Out in the Cold" isn't short on action, what it does lack is exposition. While each military grade device and weapon is given a thorough description, the main character doesn't get any such description until several chapters in, where only her outfit is described. This book may speak more to those with a military background or extensive knowledge of military-grade weapons, but as an ordinary reader I found my eyes glazing over unable to get involved with the characters or the plot.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press & Minotaur Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Out in the Cold should be hot on the bookstore shelves upon release. I'll confess I did not read the first book by Steve Urszenyi in this series, but I will right that wrong. This is an amazing Alex Martel adventure. It is full of extraordinary action. I loved the plot which is full of international intrigue and very timely for readers in 2024. There are a lot of alphabet agencies at play in this book and Urszenyi uses them well. Martel is a superstar character but the book soars to great heights because it is populated by other memorable characters too. Bravo to the author for the satisfying conclusion to this thriller. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, & NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Action packed from the first scene. The plot has it all - beside the action, there is deceit, intrigue, globe trotting, and of course a sprinkle of romance. While this book 2, it can be read as a standalone. You will be rooting for Alex and Caleb throughout the book. Great political thriller.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It always troubles me not to be able to speak positively about a title when a publisher has been good enough to provide me with an ARC, but I was terribly disappointed with this book. It may seem harsh to say so, but the narrative functions at the intellectual level of a comic book, the characters are cliched and unlikable, and the writing is mostly awkward and clunky. It's just not a very good novel. Even if your taste runs to mindless action, there are a lot better examples of it out there. Sorry.

I started reading this book and felt like I knew these people - what a great surprise to realize that this is the sequel to Perfect Shot. Alex Martel is a formidable opponent with her quick thinking, her tactical skills, and her ability to cut to the core of a situation. She follows her own ethical code, which always seems to align her on the edge of subordination. She is not the best team player, but she is also not a lone wolf. She has friends in high places that trust her capabilities. Out in the Cold is action-packed, fast-paced country-hopping to avoid a global war. There is danger, humor and a slow burn par-romance. I was hooked right from the start, not only because this book is engaging, but also because I was able to continue the high from Alex's previous investigation. Join Alex on this new mission as she digs deep to find how high the conspiracy goes . You, too, will be hooked and left wondering, "Wow! What's next?".

A mindlessly entertaining summer read with occasional large dollops of superhero behavior.

I appreciate the author's long-term development of their parade of characters. (Um, did the villain truly die in that explosion at the end of the story?) Yet I have enough other books on my ToBeRead list that I won't pick up this series.

Special Agent Alex Martel is back, this time as a CIA contractor on a special taskforce. Of course, where Alex is involved, it is not going to be smooth sailing; in this case, quite literally, as the mega yacht she is on with the Secretary General of Interpol (Celeste Cliquot) comes under attack. But who was the target -- Cliquot? Valtteri Lehtonen, the wealthy Finnish businessman who owned the yacht? Mikko Selanne, the Finnish ambassador to NATO? Alex is able to help neutralize the immediate threat, but will she be able to stop future attacks?

Over the past year there have been a series of incidents in Finland, such as massive blackouts and cyberattacks on critical systems, aimed at destabilizing the country, and these incidents all have the hallmark of Russian operation. This is escalating tension between NATO (of which Finland is one of the newest members) and Russia. Not everyone is convinced that Russia is behind these attacks, but those who suspect a different mastermind are not sure who they can trust in their own governments or allied governments. When a second attack on Cliquot proves more successful (though only partially) and the Deputy Director of the CIA refuses to authorize Alex to check on her friend's health and safety and investigate the attacks, Alex sees no choice but to go rogue.

However, she will soon find herself with new allies, as well as the unexpected assistance of a deadly adversary. Alex will need all the help she can get to unravel a plot that reaches deep into the US government and is aimed at starting WWIII.

Wow! I loved the first book but this one was so amazing! I read it in one sitting. Great conspiracy, tough to guess the culprits, non stop action and great character development. Loved it and cannot wait for book 3 of Caleb and Alex!

A fast paced fun read. Action starts right away and keeps going through the whole book. Second book in the Alex Martel series. You can read this without having read the first. The US and Russia are heading to war but everything is not what it seems. Alex gets dragged into it and finds the truth.

A fun read and look forward to more books in the series and by the author.

I was grateful to receive an early copy of this book from NetGalley. I hadn’t yet read the first Alex Martel novel, it had heard good things and wanted to get the series going. I feel like I was handicapped a little starting with this one first as I had to quickly get up to speed with the characters and history from the first novel.
But once I was comfortable, the story progresses excellently. Good characters, classic protagonist with their flaws, dilemmas and in this case, two masters that she wants to satisfy.
Alex is torn throughout the novel with her decisions, not wanting to upset one person, but knowing what she really wanted and needed to do.
This story has the typical end of world quandary, it goes about it in a fresh way. Until the reveal, you are not sure who is behind what and the writing makes you guess and be wrong a couple of times.
Good writing and a story that grabs you until the end, with twists and turns.
I look forward to finding the first novel to read it now.