Alexandra Martel, one of the thriller genre’s best new characters, returns to action on November 12, 2024, in Out In The Cold, the sophomore novel from Steve Urszenyi, an author Publishers Weekly called “a writer to watch.”
One of several noteworthy debut authors to launch their careers in 2023, Urszenyi introduced readers to his hero, Special Agent Alex Martel, with Perfect Shot, a globe-trotting, high-stakes thriller that earned rave reviews from The Real Book Spy, Shelf Awareness, BookTrib, Booklist, and Publishers Weekly, among others. That book also drew praise from fellow authors, including #1 New York Times bestsellers Jack Carr (“Gripping and on target”) and Mark Greaney (“starts fast and finishes faster”). Apple Books even wrote that Urszenyi’s debut offers an “action-packed read that left us looking forward to the rest of the series.”
Thankfully, readers won’t have to look too far into the future, with book two, Out In The Cold, ready to blast its way into bookstores later this fall.
“Out in the Cold is more than just a sequel to Perfect Shot,” Urszenyi told The Real Book Spy in an exclusive statement. “This second installment in the Alex Martel thriller series ratchets up the global stakes that readers loved in my debut while giving us more of the complex badassery that is Alex Martel. We dive deeper into who she is and what she wants and needs. What she wants is to protect the ones she loves, and what she needs is to avenge those she’s lost. Like a samurai without a master, Alex wields a sword of vengeance with aplomb, going after anyone who stands in her way when she is thrown back into a deadly world of deception as a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III.”
Check out the official plot details and cover art below.
Special Agent Alexandra Martel is thrown back into a deadly world of deception when a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III in this action-packed thriller.
In Out in the Cold, the second in Steve Urszenyi’s Special Agent Alexandra Martel thriller series, Alex is again thrown into a deadly world of international intrigue and deception. While sailing the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Monaco aboard the megayacht Aurora, the ship is attacked. Alex is plunged into the center of a conflict between Russia and America, with NATO ally Finland being used as the flashpoint for a prelude to war. As military escalations increase, a global conflict appears inevitable. But not everything is as it seems. Along the way, she encounters old friends and new enemies, but unsure who she can trust, Alex breaks ranks and risks everything to uncover the truth. But in doing so, she just might find herself left out in the cold.
Steve Urszenyi was a paramedic in Toronto and a tactical medic with the Ontario Provincial Police, where he was a specialist in SWAT, CBRNE, HUSAR, and public order operations. Steve is also the former commander of the Province of Ontario’s disaster medical response and all-hazards emergency management team, EMAT, and is a recipient of the Governor General of Canada EMS Exemplary Service Medal and Bar in recognition of his distinguished service. Steve loves touring on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle with his wife, Lynne. They live in Toronto and have two grown children.
Readers looking to pre-order Out In The Cold, the highly-anticipated second novel from Steve Urszenyi, can now do so wherever books are sold.
Praised as “One of the hardest working, most thoughtful, and fairest reviewers out there” by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). Steck also works full-time as a freelance editor and is building a growing community on Twitch. His debut thriller, FIELDS OF FIRE, which #1 New York Times bestselling author Jack Carr says “will leave you speechless and begging for more,” is now available. His second novel, LETHAL RANGE, is also in bookstores, and his third book, OUT FOR BLOOD, comes out on June 4th. For more information, be sure to follow him on Twitter and Facebook. To interact with other readers and talk about your favorite books and authors, join The Real Book Spy’s Discord server.