by Max Eastern
As the brutal winter of 1945 locks Washington, D.C. in its icy grip, American military intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky is thrust into a lethal cat-and-mouse game of World War II espionage. While navigating the chaotic final weeks of the war, Julius discovers that a sophisticated web of double agents has infiltrated the highest levels of Allied command. For Julius, the stakes are intensely personal: the classified secrets he protects are his only leverage to rescue the woman he loves, who may be trapped behind enemy lines. As the relentless Siege of Budapest ignites, his rescue mission morphs into a desperate race against time. Blending a sweeping wartime love story with shocking spy fiction twists and turns, Julius must outmaneuver both Nazi zealots and ruthless Soviet agents. In this heavily researched historical spy novel, every alliance is a trap, and a mistake might just trigger the dawn of the Cold War. Kindle Scout winner Max Eastern drew on his family memories of stories his father told about his time as a World War II intelligence officer and devoured more than 80 books to write Red Snow in Winter.
For readers of Philip Kerr, Alan Furst, and Ken Follett, and perfect for fans of The Bletchley Circle, Operation Mincemeat, Band of Brothers, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Praise for Red Snow In Winter
“A gripping, ingenious cat-and-mouse thriller set just before the end of World War II. A high-stakes plot and fascinating historical background.”
—RG Belsky, author of Clare Carlson mysteries
“Morally sharp, historically vivid, dangerously thrilling. As morally charged as Le Carré, as immersive as Furst, and as dangerous as Kerr.”
—Gabriel Valjan, author of The Company Files series
“A masterclass in espionage and moral ambiguity, Red Snow in Winter is a gripping thriller that plunges readers into the dangerous, final weeks of World War II. The guns may be going silent, but a colder, deadlier conflict is just beginning as American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky careens from Washington to an American P.O.W. camp for German soldiers to Budapest in a struggle to unmask double agents and stay alive. Many WWII thrillers take place exclusively in Europe for obvious reasons. But author Max Eastern also brings the war “home” to America in this novel. I loved his descriptions of Washington, D.C., a city so crowded with government employees working on the war effort that apartments were hard to come by … of America’s P.O.W. camps for captured German soldiers … and even of conditions on the Queen Mary with Julius and 17,000 soldiers heading from NYC back to Europe. An atmospheric ride of a thriller with plot twists worthy of Hitchcock and even a touch of romance.”
—Mally Becker, author of The Turncoat’s Widow
“Red Snow in Winter opens in the closing days of WW2. In Washington, DC, young American intelligence officer Julius Orlinsky is bored, feeling his war is already over. But when he is ordered to attend a party, to set the bait for a suspected traitor, things look more interesting. And when someone attempts to shoot him on his way home from the party, he knows something is up. He is soon caught up in a deadly conspiracy, involving the FBI, GRU and his own JIC masters.
“Quickly, the story gathers pace, as Orlinksy’s own past mingles with the larger conspiracy, and his search for truth leads him from American POW camps to Europe. Not sure who to trust, he uses his wartime skills to work his way to the truth.
“This is a spy story with a liberal mix of ‘Noir.’ It’s dark, violent and complex. Orlinksy is a troubled soul—young, yet experienced, speaks several languages, and finding himself having to make difficult decisions as his life and that of others, spirals into confusion and mayhem. The Cold War is already heating up, and the players are out to win. In places it reads like a Chandler novel, and although he’s in his mid twenties, I couldn’t help but picture Orlinksy as a middle-aged Marlowe. None of which detracts from the story. The cast of characters is broad, most of whom are well enough fleshed out to make you care. And the background of 1944 Washington, and Europe is nicely portrayed, as the various powers manoeuvre towards the endgame. If you’re a fan of Simon Scarrow or Luke McCallin, you’ll love this.”
—Critic Martin Paul
