Winter Rising

Book excerpt: ‘Winter,’ he says. ‘You’re going rogue again.’ ‘Desperate times.’ ‘This is like chess and you’re the Queen. The best player on the board doesn’t get into a fight with a pawn.’ ‘The Guardsman is no pawn.’ Winter returns to face the most feared hitman of all time: the nameless, faceless contract killer, the Guardsman. Secret Service agent Winter knows global crime boss Alek Konstantin’s days are numbered after she seduced him, then revealed his identity to the world. Now, permanently on the run from the authorities, Alek fights to regain control as the brutal criminal organisation he ruled with an iron fist crashes down around him. Then a young woman called Lucy is viciously stabbed and dumped on a mossy grave, a harrowing message for Winter carved on her forehead. Winter follows the trail to the Guardsman – a pitiless contract killer, and Alek’s top hitman. Has the Guardsman gone rogue or is Alek pulling the strings to taunt Winter once more? In a desperate bid to lure Lucy's killer from the shadows and find a path to Alek, Winter books the Guardsman for a hit on herself. If she succeeds, she’ll have the world’s most dangerous killer at her mercy. But if she fails… A spine-tingling suspense thriller, perfect for fans of Sandra Brown and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. What readers are saying about Alex Callister: ‘Wow! Double wow!! Triple wow!!!... This book took me for a ride on a rollercoaster… This book definitely gets a place in my top for 2020…. If this is what Winter is like, I don't like the other seasons anymore.’ B for Book Review, 5 stars ‘A clever, original spy thriller… There are nods to Bond and Bourne throughout Winter Dark… She could seduce Bond and leave him heart broken. She could outfight Bourne and leave his legs broken... Winter Dark is a gripping, pacy and highly original thriller. Highly recommended.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘This book was really good! I love the main character! I can't wait to read more of the stories! The book is full of action-packed thrills and rides!’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Winter is a badass character. There will be a movie made about this book… The author set out to create a female James Bond and pretty much hit it spot on… The book is a page-turner.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘A high-octane thriller… It is a thrill-a-minute, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will have you quickly turning the page… will keep you entertained and engrossed until it’s thrilling denouement. A great read that will spike your blood pressure accordingly – not for the faint-hearted!’ Goodreads reviewer ‘I wound up wrapped up in the story and couldn’t put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Loved it! I want more! Can’t wait for the next instalment.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘It is hard to put this one down! Lots of twists in this quite different and spectacular read! RECOMMEND HIGHLY!!!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘I loved it. Intense and filled with twists and turns. Just when you think you know what is going to happen next, Winter surprises you… I cannot wait for the next instalment!’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Now there is a new kid on the block, the love-child of Jack Reacher and Lisbeth Salander… she can out-punch Bourne and out-pull Bond.’ Independent ‘I am in heaven.’ Goodreads reviewer