Book Review: In from the Cold: A Romantic Thriller of Chechnya
by Carolyn Stone
5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful, definitely romantic
I enjoyed this box, which was fast-paced and sexy. The book was written long before 9/11, (I think the first edition was copyright 1997, actually, 12 years ago! is how long that war has been going on) and even long before most people had heard of Chechnya.
It is realistic and gritty; the author being a freelance journalis, the whole novel has a breathless, on-deadline quality about it, which actually lends itself to the subject matter totally. For a fast, fun read, I don’t really expect great literature!
So, I definitely recommend it to romance readers, and anyone who enjoys really strong characters. It’s not a fluffy beach read, but it isn’t depressing or too violent either. I really enjoy the fact that the author doesn’t just put characters into the book to kill them off for shock effect the way so many writers do.
We really come to care about all the characters (and who are the good guys, and who the bad One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.) She grasps the complexities of the situation, though this is certainly only intended to be an entertaining read.
The hero is dark, brooding, inwardly scarred. He gets to come to terms with his past, in a most surprising way, and is then free to be open to the possibility of a normal life after so many years as a spy.
The heroine is a breath of fresh air–an academic recruited as an agent, she is the last person who ever imagines she’ll become a spy, until her father is kidnapped. She turns out to be tough, resourceful, and really goes through hell to win the man she loves. I love the settings in Cambridge and Oxford, very accurate, and the excellent visual detail. If you want get caught up in a book with a real epic feel to it and some interesting twists and turns, you’ll enjoy this novel for sure.
346 words
The PDF edition is available from http://www.herstorybooks.com