Overkill
Description
The latest action-packed thriller from New York Times bestselling author Ted Bell pits counterspy Alex Hawke against Russian president Vladimir Putin in a daring, exhilarating mission to rescue Hawke’s kidnapped son—and prevent a Soviet invasion of Switzerland
On a ski vacation in the Swiss Alps high above St. Moritz, Alex Hawke and his young son, Alexei, are thrust into danger when the tram carrying them to the top of the mountain bursts into flame, separating the two. Before he can reach Alexei, the boy is snatched from the burning cable car by unknown assailants in a helicopter.
Meanwhile, high above the skies of France, Vladimir Putin is aboard his presidential jet after escaping a bloodless coup in the Kremlin. When two flight attendants collapse and slip into unconsciousness, the Russian leader realizes the danger isn’t over. Killing the pilots, he grabs a parachute, steps out of the plane . . . and disappears.
Hawke has led his share of dangerous assignments, but none with stakes this high. To save his son, he summons his trusted colleagues, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard Ambrose Congreve, former U.S. Navy SEAL Stokley Jones, Jr., and recruits a crack Hostage Rescue Team—a group of elite soldiers of fortune known as "Thunder & Lighting." Before they can devise a rescue plan, Hawke must figure out who took his boy—and why. An operative who has fought antagonists around the globe, Hawke has made many enemies; one in particular may hold the key to finding Alexei before it’s too late.
But an unexpected threat complicates their mission. Making his way to "Falcon’s Lair," the former Nazi complex created for Hitler, Putin is amassing an impressive armory that he intends to use for his triumphant return to Moscow.
Only one man can smash the Russian president’s plan for domination—a master counterspy who will cross every line to save his son . . . and maybe save the world itself in the bargain.
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Published Reviews
Booklist Review
Russian president Vladimir Putin is on the run, hiding from the oligarchs who want him dead but feverishly making plans for his triumphant return to the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Alexei, the young son of superspy Alex Hawke, has been kidnapped, and Hawke will do whatever it takes really, he'll stop at nothing here to rescue him. But soon he's distracted by something of global import: Putin's last-ditch, no-holds-barred military operation to seize control of Russia and vanquish his wealthy foes once and for all. This is a splendid entry in the Hawke series. As with its predecessors, the book is tightly plotted and energetically written (Bell has an idiosyncratic prose style quite unlike anyone else's); but here, finally, we get to see Bell's fictionalized version of Putin take his final steps into full-blown insanity, and, not incidentally, we get to see just how dangerous and reckless Hawke can be when the life of someone he loves is on the line. Overkill is a wonderfully apt title, not for the writing but for the mind-set of both hero and villain. A propulsive, high-concept thriller.--Pitt, David Copyright 2018 Booklist
Publisher's Weekly Review
In the prologue of bestseller Bell's exciting, at times affecting 10th Alex Hawke novel (after 2015's Patriot), Vladimir Putin, who's on the run from his country's oligarchs, parachutes out of the jet he used to escape Russia and lands somewhere in France. Meanwhile, Hawke, a former Royal Navy fighter pilot who's now senior counterterrorist officer for MI6, and his seven-year-old son, Alexei, get trapped in a tramway gondola near a mountain top in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Christmas Day. During the ensuing rescue, Alexei is kidnapped. Hawke's efforts to save Alexei collide with Putin's attempts to steal all the gold in Switzerland and fight his way back to Russia, aided by old pals Joe Stalingrad, now a Hollywood actor, and freelance warrior Col. Brett "Beau" Beauregard, plus a new ally, psychopathic cowboy Shit Smith. This entry boasts all the attributes Bell's fans have come to love: overblown prose, outsized characters, a totally far-fetched plot, and an overall moral tone straight out of a 19th-century boys' adventure story. Agent: Peter Lampack, Peter Lampack Agency. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Reviews
Russian president Vladimir Putin is on the run, hiding from the oligarchs who want him dead but feverishly making plans for his triumphant return to the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Alexei, the young son of superspy Alex Hawke, has been kidnapped, and Hawke will do whatever it takes—really, he'll stop at nothing here—to rescue him. But soon he's distracted by something of global import: Putin's last-ditch, no-holds-barred military operation to seize control of Russia and vanquish his wealthy foes once and for all. This is a splendid entry in the Hawke series. As with its predecessors, the book is tightly plotted and energetically written (Bell has an idiosyncratic prose style quite unlike anyone else's); but here, finally, we get to see Bell's fictionalized version of Putin take his final steps into full-blown insanity, and, not incidentally, we get to see just how dangerous and reckless Hawke can be when the life of someone he loves is on the line. Overkill is a wonderfully apt title, not for the writing but for the mind-set of both hero and villain. A propulsive, high-concept thriller. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
In the prologue of bestseller Bell's exciting, at times affecting 10th Alex Hawke novel (after 2015's Patriot), Vladimir Putin, who's on the run from his country's oligarchs, parachutes out of the jet he used to escape Russia and lands somewhere in France. Meanwhile, Hawke, a former Royal Navy fighter pilot who's now senior counterterrorist officer for MI6, and his seven-year-old son, Alexei, get trapped in a tramway gondola near a mountain top in St. Moritz, Switzerland, on Christmas Day. During the ensuing rescue, Alexei is kidnapped. Hawke's efforts to save Alexei collide with Putin's attempts to steal all the gold in Switzerland and fight his way back to Russia, aided by old pals Joe Stalingrad, now a Hollywood actor, and freelance warrior Col. Brett "Beau" Beauregard, plus a new ally, psychopathic cowboy Shit Smith. This entry boasts all the attributes Bell's fans have come to love: overblown prose, outsized characters, a totally far-fetched plot, and an overall moral tone straight out of a 19th-century boys' adventure story. Agent: Peter Lampack, Peter Lampack Agency. (May)
Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly.