Tsar

July 7, 2008
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.

August 15, 2008
In Bell's fifth thriller starring Alexander Hawke, the British lord and spy has recovered from his last mission ("Spy") and is relaxing on a Bermuda beach when he encounters Anastasia Korsakova, a beautiful Russian artist. Her father, a count, is about to receive the Nobel Prize in physics. Among his inventions are a fabulous airship with a new mode of propulsion and the Zeta, a computer that costs only $50. What Hawke doesn't know is that the count also happens to be a virtual tsar, secretly ruling the Russian Federation behind the president's back. Now, Russian troops are massed on the borders of the Soviet Union's former states, and a deadly agent has been sent to wreak havoc on an American town, only the first steps in a drive for global conquest. Yes, as one character puts it, the bad old days are back, Cold War II. Only now the once cozy equilibrium between East and West no longer holds. Hawke and his band of brothers may save the day but not without sacrifice. Many thriller writers come up with doomsday scenarios, most farfetched and unbelievable, but Bell delivers with larger-than-life characters full of élan and a threat that is both ingenious and convincing. Recommended for public libraries.Ron Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2008
The hero of Ted Bells 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 Russiaa 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 clich' of every woman in the novel being drop-dead gorgeous get in the way here, buteven so, the main narrative flies by, displaying again Bells ability to turn out action-heavy espionage.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)