Book 2 of the Alexander Martel series starts off with a BANG (literally)! A fast-paced, action-focused plot that largely takes place in Finland. This was a great spy thriller that kept me guessing the whole time. I do want to see more character development for Alex, but plot wise, this was great!

3.5 stars

In the book Out in the Cold, author Steve Urszenyi continues his Special Agent Alexandra Martel series with book two. Martel is plunged into a deadly world of deception when a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III. And it seems to all be culminating in NATO’s newest member…. Finland of all places. But who is really behind the plot? And is the President of the United States in the cross-hairs? This was a good book and story line that kept you guessing. I would recommend this book. The audio-book narration was ok. Sounded like the narrator was munching on food while doing the recording. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish this audiobook. I made it to chapter 5 before deciding to stop—not because of the story itself, but because of the narration. The clicking sounds and the narrator’s dry mouth noises were incredibly distracting and pulled me out of the experience.

While the story seemed promising, these audio issues made it hard to stay engaged. A smoother and more polished narration could have made all the difference. If you’re interested in the book, I’d recommend picking up the print or e-book version instead.

Out in the Cold (Special Agent Alexandra Martel Book #2) by Steve Urszenyi
Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
Publisher: RBmedia
Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers
Expected Publication Date: November 12, 2024

Out in the Cold is the second book in the new Special Agent Alexandra Martel series by Steve Urszenyi. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone mystery or as part of the series.

This was fast paced and so exciting! I thought the story was absolutely amazing and I loved the characters. I definitely recommend reading this book!!!

The narration by Cynthia Farrell was wonderful! I loved how she brought this book to life!

I am looking forward to the next book(s) in the series!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"I'm concerned about the safety and security of our country...Our enemies are watching...with an interest in seeing these United States become...Unstable."

"I'm like a mushroom most days--always kept in the dark and fed a load of sh$t."

"One day you'll need friends, and going rogue will just leave you hanging out in the cold."

That's okay. Special Agent Alexandra Martel is used to being on her own. Knowing who she can count on when she needs a warm helping hand. The action fueled Out In The Cold by whip smart espionage spy political thriller author, Steve Urszenyi, showcases the talents of kick ass, former army sniper, combat medic, FBI Agent, now CIA contractor, Alex Martel.

Starting on a mega yacht seized by armed gunmen to bombings in Finland, chases in Monaco, and startling revelations on U.S. soil, Alex is trying to protect those who protect the world from Interpol to the President. But she's hindered by whoever is planning all these terrorist attacks being one step ahead of her. Lucky for her, and us, she has CIA operative, Caleb on her side.

Just as in Perfect Shot, book 1 of this series, voice actress Cynthia Farrell brings the fierceness, determination, bravery and vulnerability of Alex to life. This writer has created a series that showcases the loyalty and sacrifice of those who, "ensure that the checks and balances our Founders envisioned and the accountability those systems brought about work again."

In the middle of all the chaos is the banter and slow burn between Alex and Caleb. With this book 2, the twists and turns heat up the tension and enjoyment as Alex keeps our enemies out in the cold.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

OUT IN THE COLD is Steve Urszenyi’s newest suspenseful international espionage thriller and is the second of the Special Agent Alex Martel series.

Alex, a former army combat medic, sniper, and assassin, is aboard a luxury mega-yacht crossing the Mediterranean when explosions rock the ship. Some of Europe’s wealthiest and most influential political players are on board, including the secretary general of Interpol and a high-ranking Finnish diplomat. Who is responsible for these escalating attacks on Finland, NATO’s newest member?

The story includes well-developed characters who are not just part of the action, but are also fighting through a complex plotline rich in conspiracy, espionage, and political and international intrigue. Their struggles and triumphs add depth to the narrative. It has nonstop action and a twisty plot filled with unforeseen surprises. Urszenyi does a fantastic job of setting the scene with sufficient backstory for readers to enjoy this one as a standalone. However, I highly recommend reading the first book in this series, PERFECT SHOT.

The audiobook’s narrator, Cynthia Farrell, delivers a stellar performance that enhances the reading experience. Despite a few minor issues such as unusually long pauses and background noises, the overall quality of the narration is excellent. It's a great listen that will leave you satisfied.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with the advanced audio copy of Out in the Cold in exchange for an honest review. And thank you, Steve Urszenyi, for writing yet another highly entertaining book!

I've read the only other book by this author, and was more than eager to read "Out in the Cold," and this new book did not disappoint. There was a portion of the novel after the attack on the yacht, where I felt like I was getting an overflow of information, but as I continued to read on, I saw that there were a lot of things that occurred later on in the story that made sense because of this earlier story building. Just as in the first book, Alex teams up with CIA agent Caleb, and their working relationship is crafted so vividly by the author in exciting and exacting, believable detail. In reading this book you feel like you really get to know these characters as the author makes them come to life. There is a lot of military and espionage action which kept me eagerly reading and finishing this book in less that two days. I highly recommend this book to readers that like Mark Greaney types of novels.

4.5 stars

Alex Martel is back, and she is exactly who and what I need to be reading at the end of election week: a woman in a position of power? Yes. Us in NATO still? Yes. It's almost a guarantee that this is one of many books I'll be reminiscing about from The Colonies in January.

Though this second installment in the series can be read as a standalone, that'd be a real loss for readers since its predecessor is just as gripping and engaging as this follow-up. Alex is a smart and proactive character whose loyalties to her country are matched if not exceeded by her commitment to individuals she respects, and I love that she is both capable and concerned for others. Her relationships make her feel round but never overwhelm her sense of purpose.

I enjoy this series and especially its central character very much and hope that there are many entries to follow. The audiobook is also well narrated, though in this particular version, I experienced some noticeably and strangely long pauses at times (mostly but not exclusively between chapters). Of course this is completely separate from the narrative itself, and while it did distract, it wasn't severe enough to impact the overall experience.

Thanks to Urszenyi for this great read at a time when the title really seems to fit for some of us.

Out in the Cold by Steve Urszenyi is a heart pounding thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I often found myself holding my breath without even knowing it! Alexandra Martel is what readers want in a strong female protagonist.

One minor bone to pick from an Augusta native…The famed Green Jacket given to the each Masters Champion by the Augusta National Golf Club remains on the premises of the club. The winners are allowed to keep the jacket during the year of their respective win, but it is returned to club where it remains and is worn each year for the Champions Dinner - or another Masters title.

I enjoyed Cynthia Farrell’s narration, but some of the kinks need to be smoothed in the editing process to remove pauses, breaths, and background noise.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for providing an advanced review copy of this title as well as RBmedia and NetGalley for an audio version of this title for an honest review.

Another one the author has hit out of the park!

Non-stop action! Fast paced!
CIA, FBI, Military, Government…and any other letters you can think of…they’re all here!

Alex Martel is back in book #2! She’s UNSTOPPABLE! But, she is only human…

This time we are in Finland and NATO meetings are happening, while suspicious attacks are also occurring. Things are pointing to the Russians, but when one of their top agents gives some intel to our top agent Alex, well, things are not always as they seem…

Sometimes, things might be happening right under your nose without you knowing a thing! 😮🫣

Another one where you’re sitting on the edge of your seat…biting your nails…wondering if this might just be the LAST book she’ll ever be in…

Keeps you guessing til the end! Thank God for friends, teams, and sometimes even enemies…

#OutInTheCold by #SteveUrszenyi and narrated by #CynthiaFarrell.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #RBMedia for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to be released in a few days on ***** 11/12/24! *****

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

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I also did a review of the written book. I really enjoyed the story a second time. The narrator did a great job engaging the listener and telling the story. The story was just as engaging the 2nd time.

I highly recommend this book and author. The audio version was great for a long road trip.

Out in the Cold (Special Agent Alexandra Martel #2)
by Steve Urszenyi, narrated by Cynthia Farrell

Special Agent Alexandra Martel is back although she was never really gone. Don't ask me which agency she is with at the moment because it gets confusing. They all seem to want her but also want to distance themselves from her when it comes to her latest rogue fixing of whatever situation needed fixing. It seems even higher ups get confused about who she belongs to and she'll try to correct them.

If you have a big international something or other going down, or potentially going down, you'll want Alex on your side. This book starts out with Alex relaxing on a luxury megayacht with some of Europe’s wealthiest and most powerful political players. There is Alex, in her fancy dress but barefooted, when the megayacht comes under heavy attack and Alex instantly turns on her Rambo/James Bond afterburners, accomplishing impossible feats that I had no time to think about. When it's all over and I had time to go over what happened, her accomplishment are even crazier and wilder than I thought they were when they were happening. For sure, you want Alex on your side when things get tough.

This attack and other things going on are all part of an effort to start WWIII. It's going to take some deep diving to figure out who is behind what has happened to the megayacht and what has been happening over the last year. More than one someone wants war and has the resources to make it happen. Before Alex and the agencies she works with/for can stop this potential war, they need to find out who is behind incidents that are going to make it impossible to prevent. Trust no one, Alex, but also know that you might have friends in people you never would have expected.

Even though it's hard for me to keep up with some of the action because I'm not well versed on terms of the equipment, machines, politics, and history of everything mentioned here, I still enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed the first book. You can jump in here without reading the first book since Alex updates us on the past but I'm glad I read the first book before this one. Now that I know Alex, I know to expect anything and I'm better able to just let her do her job, knowing that's just Alex doing the impossible. She's got a big fan club behind her, even those who might want to distance themselves from her in public want her help in private. Plus, Alex is funny, snarky, and is proud of being a loner. Try to tell her what to do and she'll tell you to get lost and possibly make a fool of you as she does so.

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for this ARC.

Alex (Alexandra) Martel is a badass. She is a highly trained government asset who will literally kick off her heels and walk through broken glass to take out the badgers (bad guys) threatening freedom and democracy. While her character is larger-than-life, I sure wish she were in DC right now to help protect democracy from the felonious orange menace and his minions.
This second installment in the Alex Martel series has her protecting an important Interpol figure in Finland when things get tense with Russia. Listening to the audiobook, it opens like a Mission Impossible movie with a big and violent set piece before settling into its story. Yet the action keeps coming. Some of the writing is expedient, and occasionally I’d hear the narrator take a big breath, but otherwise it kept my interest as Alex unraveled the conspiracy whilst avoiding death at every turn. I will continue to listen to more of this series.
My thanks to the author, publisher, producer, and #NetGalley for early access to the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date is Nov. 11, 2024.

Ms Bond. Definitely shaken and not stirred. This high octane action thriller is awesome. The world is on tge brink of World War III. When a luxurious yatch on the Mediterranean Ocean comes under attack, former army combat medic, Alex Martel does what is needed to save the passengers.  As events continue unfold all signs point to Russia having its sightsset on taking over Finland. Who can be trusted? This ultra fast paced book will keep you on the edge of your seats.

The narrator was great. She was able to deliver all the various international accents perfectly.

4.5 stars