EXCERPT and REVIEW
The Red Wolf
(The White Vixen Book 2)
(The White Vixen Book 2)
by David Tindell
The Red Wolf is the second book in The White Vixen series by David Tindell. You can read my review and an excerpt from the book. You can also read my previous blog post for an interview with the author. Also available: The White Vixen.
Description
January 1987: In a secret meeting at Camp David, the president instructs the CIA to send a team of operatives behind the Iron Curtain to track down a legendary Spetsnaz soldier known only as the Red Wolf. Their mission is to prevent the Wolf from assassinating Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and touching off a military takeover that might turn the Cold War hot overnight.
The newly-formed Pallas Group selects Air Force special operator Jo Ann Geary, the White Vixen, to lead a team into communist Hungary and stop the Wolf. But powerful men in Washington don't want the mission to succeed and will risk everything to stop it. They place a mole inside Pallas, and now Geary doesn't know who she can trust. Deep inside Hungary, she must stay one step ahead of the KGB and find the Wolf before he takes the shot that will alter the course of history.
Book Video
Excerpt
Hamburg, West Germany
February 1987
February 1987
Every step she took made the assault on her senses more intense. Three weeks of this place hadn’t made it any easier to deal with, but with any luck at all this would be the last night. She forced herself to stay focused and kept walking. Two blocks to go.
It was called the Reeperbahn, in the St. Pauli district of Hamburg, and even though Jo Ann Geary knew the English translation was “rope street,” and had studied the history of the district and the city, none of that mattered now as she walked through the chilly, damp night. Just like every other night, she heard the techno-rock blaring from the clubs, the laughter and occasional scream coming from doors and alleyways. She smelled the pungent odor of marijuana smoke mixed with stale beer and what might be urine or worse, saw the garish flashing lights of the marquees and the more subtle red bulbs from the windows where the women preened. Her cover was convenient in that respect, as she could ignore the displays and not be afraid to let her irritation show. It was what any self-respecting and somewhat prudish North Korean would do.
Jo pushed the distractions aside and paid no attention to the catcalls from many of the men, and some of the women, who loitered around the club entrances and streetlamp poles. The mission came first, always, and tonight it would end, one way or another.
One more block.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
"This is a well written thriller that keeps you on the edge. I look forward to the next book in the White Vixen series." ~ Sue
"I found that Mr. Tindell really is a good storyteller. This book features story characters as well as a nice storyline. In addition, the pacing was great. I got "lost" in the story and found myself coming up for breath about 10 chapters later." ~ Cheryl Koch
"I LOVE the historical setting in a time I remember well. [...] The author nailed it in the way he wove that undercurrent of constant tension throughout the story. It was a very good story! Besides that, what woman doesn't long to be a ninja warrior?!" ~ E. Wyatt
"The Red Wolf has made me even more of a historical fiction fan, and helped me appreciate the warrior aspect of modern Martial Arts. The details of The Cold War came to life for me with Jo, the talented, ninja-line protagonist getting the job done with her team. Since I am a female Martial Artist, I really appreciate the technical side of the self defense and finishing techniques ..." ~ Lisa K. Richards
"David Tindell writes a feisty and well-researched saga of cold-war conflicts. This is a stirring book, both frightening and challenging at the same time. A must-read for those who love energetic thrillers." ~ Marcus N Brotherton
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
In 1987, during the Cold War, a group of Russians hire the Red Wolf to assassinate their leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. In the United States, Jo Ann Geary, also known as the White Vixen, is recruited as part of the new Pallas Group, comprised of elite military and intelligence officers. Their first mission is to stop the Red Wolf. But with so much double-crossing going on in both camps, who can be trusted?
This is the second book in The White Vixen series but, even though I haven't read the first book, I had no trouble following the story. The author provides a Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book, a handy feature to keep track of the numerous American and Russian characters and their military ranks. There are lots of nostalgic eighties references, including guest appearances by such real life celebrities as President Ronald Reagan and Kung fu instructor Bruce Lee. With a kick-ass female hero and a bad guy you're loathe to hate, this political thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat with its mix of suspense, martial arts action, international espionage, and even a little romance. The author gives us a tantalizing glimpse into the future in the Epilogue, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next.
About the Author
Born in Germany and raised in southern Wisconsin, David Tindell embarked on a 20-year career in broadcasting before transitioning to the U.S. government and resuming the writing career he'd started in college at UW-Platteville. Today he lives up in the northwestern corner of the state, in a log home on a lake with his wife Sue, a Yorkie and a Siamese.
Tindell's first novel, Revived, was published in 2000, but after that he put the pen aside for a while and started training in martial arts. He has earned black belts in Taekwondo and Ryukudo Kobujutsu, an art that combines karate with Okinawan weaponry, along with extensive training in the Russian art of Systema. It should be no surprise, then, that his protagonist in The White Vixen series is a highly-trained martial artist.
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